About Lakeland Park
Lakeland Park Christian Camp was established in 1957 to provide the youth of Otago and Southland with a camp-site in one of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand.
After World War 2, the government of the day actively encouraged organizations to get involved with the youth of the country. It was prepared to gift land to those organizations that were prepared to look after the moral, spiritual and recreational interests of teenagers across the country.
Invercargill brothers, Alan and Harold Melhop (businessmen that also were the original founders and operators of the K-Jet and Shotover Jet), along with their wives and several others were involved in youth work among churches in Invercargill, and together they decided that a camp in Queenstown would be an incrediable asset to the youth of the lower South Island.
They came to Queenstown, hired a boat (there was no road access at that time) and rowed across to what is now Bay View Road at Kelvin Heights and explored the area. After seeing the available land, an approach to the government was made for gift land for a youth holiday camp. The land was right on the lake shore at Bayview but they worked with the adjoining land owner at the time to arrange a swap of the available gift land with some of his land further away from the lake front. At the time, there was concern about the proposed camp-site being so close to the lake and the potential risk towards any young children using the proposed camp.
The Queenstown Christian Camp Trust was formed in 1957 to control and manage the gifted land pursuant to a Gazette Notice dated 29th June 1959. They also purchased further freehold land next to the gifted land using funds from trust members.
Around the same time, the Kawarau Jet, born in the summer 1960 was the world's first commercial jet boating operation. Both Kawarau Jet (and the Shotover Jet) were inextricably linked with the Lakeland Christian Camp in 1960 when the brothers Alan and Harold Melhop made the first powered navigation of the Kawarau Falls dam in a Hamilton Jet 30. Holidaymakers soon lined up for rides on the thrilling new boat and at five shillings a go - the trip provided some efficient fundraising for the Christian Camp. So began one of Queenstown's most successful and enduring adventure tourism operations that remain to this day.
The Melhop brothers were devout Christians and the Christian principles on which the camp was founded remain to the forefront of the operation today. The camp is not like a private or council-owned camping ground and therefore the prices set by the camp trust board are always considered carefully and deliberately to be kept at a modest level to just cover the costs of operating and maintaining the facility with occasional capital improvements when funds allow. The trust board must continually weigh the increasing cost of operations (especially for things like power/heating, insurances, rubbish removal and compliance costs) against the need to continue to provide a low cost group venue in Queenstown. It is these principals that allow Lakeland Park to remain one of the most affordable group venues in the Queenstown region.
There is no doubt that such a facility could never be developed in this location today ... and therefore the history and continuing story of Lakeland Park is a testiment to the faithfulness of God to a seeded vision over 60 years ago.
You can read more about the amazing history of Lakeland Park on the information panels in the Main Camp Dining Room and here in a new book: 100 years of Christian Camping
Donate to Lakeland Park
As a charitable trust, the Lakeland Park Trust Board tries to keep it's overnight charges as low as possible. However this often means that we need to wait for funds to build up and/or apply for funding to make needed improvements and even some general maintenance.
Donations made to Lakeland Park are appreciated and helpful to us keeping our facility top notch, tidy and well maintained. All donations are tax-deductible and we issue donation receipts at the end of the financial year.
Account Details: Queenstown Christian Camp Trust
Account Number: BNZ # 02-1265-0010364-00
Reference: Please use your name and the word "donation"