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John Durning – 28/01/05
Lake Tekapo’s new Bluewater Resort is to include a spa and wellness centre in its development plans.
The spa and wellness centre?s opening should coincide with the completion of Bluewater Resort at the end of 2006.
Chris Herbert, Bluewater Resort project marketing consultant, said that around the globe there has been a phenomenal growth in the establishment of spa and wellness centres in resorts such as Bluewater.
“We looked at what Lake Tekapo has to offer with its alpine setting, crystal clear skies and beautiful lake and thought that a spa and wellness centre seemed so appropriate. We will build the shell of the centre ready for an operator to put their individual touches to the facility.
“All the research we have undertaken points to the spa and wellness centre as being an extremely important asset to the resort,” he said.
The multi-million dollar development will include a sauna, spa, relaxation pools and offer a full array of therapeutic treatments.
Graham Murray, chairman of Mackenzie Tourism, said that people have been coming to Lake Tekapo for its healthy climate for many years. “The town has amazing potential for tourism and this is just another step in Tekapo becoming a destination in its own right,” he said.
The $40 million, 4.5-star, Bluewater Resort hotel will be built on an elevated site near the southern entrance of Lake Tekapo township. The development features 96 unit-titled properties, of which 80 will be one-to-three bedroomed ‘lake houses’ interconnected to a central administration. Prices for the units range from $195,000 to $635,000. The units can be leased back to the hotel operator.
The hotel will also include a gym, clubhouse-styled restaurant and bar, all-weather competition-standard tennis courts and meeting and conference facilities.
The Mackenzie Basin is undergoing an ‘explosion’ in visitor numbers. The Commercial Accommodation monitor figures for the year ending September show guest nights up 8.9 per cent, nearly double the national average of 4.5 per cent. With the continued development of Roundhill Skifield and the Mt John Observatory, and the proposed construction of a new Heritage Centre, growth trends are destined to continue for this unique area.
“There are 800,000 cars passing through Tekapo annually, but the town needs to develop facilities and accommodation of Bluewater’s standard to tap into the growth the Mackenzie District is experiencing at present.
“Tekapo is being squeezed as investors move north from the heady values now being experienced in Queenstown and Wanaka and similarly south from Christchurch as the market appreciates that Bluewater is only 2.5hrs drive and offers such spectacular scenery and outdoor activities,” Chris Herbert said.
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