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It is only a 30-minute ferry ride from Sandspit jetty to Camp Bentzon, nestled in sheltered North Cove on Kawau Island, but the distance belies the change in pace, scenery and stress-levels. Each year, the camp hosts more than 5000 visitors, mostly children aged eight to 13, who come to enjoy the simple pleasures of boating, swimming, fishing, playing outdoors and re-connecting with family and friends. Camp managers Erin and Peter Hyde say this activity fills the cove with “happy noise”. As editor Jannette Thompson discovered, this story is about the generosity of individuals and the community over nearly 80 years, and starts with a bequest from an old seafaring bachelor.
Little is known about the fisherman Nicolas Bentzon except that he was born in Denmark in the mid-1800s, emigrated to NZ and anchored frequently in North Cove, where he eventually purchased just under 12 hectares. He was in his 80s by the time he built a cottage on site and even then, it’s said, he continued to sleep on his boat, as his cottage had no bed. In 1935, Mr Bentzon donated his land to the Education Board for the purposes of “public education and recreation”. The donation was on condition that the land remained in public ownership and was not used for private purposes. In accordance with his wishes, a school opened on the property in 1936 but ceased two years later. Eventually, the schoolroom returned to the mainland and the property was largely ignored for the next 30 years. In 1969, Noel Bowden, of the North Shore Teachers College was elected chairman of the newly formed Camp Bentzon Board and the beginnings of today’s modern camp began to take shape.
Life member Bruce Kissling, of Mahurangi East, says one of the early camp supporters was Mahurangi College teacher Dale Reddish, who had connections with the then-pirate radio station Radio Hauraki. The station ran an appeal, which helped get the camp up and running financially. The late Mr Reddish also left a substantial bequest to the camp and a room is named in his honour. The initial bunk-rooms were buildings that were surplus to Education Department needs and were barged from Auckland in 1970. Since then, hundreds of volunteers have contributed time, effort and funding to make improvements. Boats have been purchased, a wharf and sheds built, the kitchen refurbished and a confidence course built, with the help of the Army Territorials. The camp makes a modest surplus of around $50,000 annually, which is reinvested into capital projects such as the recent wastewater upgrade, which cost $170,000 including in-kind support. The Board had earmarked the money for a new managers’ residence, but the upgrade had to take precedence.
One can only imagine how Nicholas Bentzon would feel if he could see the camp today – parents and teachers busy shepherding laughing, noisy children from activities on the beach, teaching them to cook, read a compass or swing through the trees like Tarzan. Managers Erin and Peter Hyde, who have been on the island for the past four-and-a-half years, believe the value and importance of the camp can’t be over-stated, particularly in a world where an increasing number of parents work and many children seldom, if ever, are taken on holiday. Although the school groups stay for only five days, it is enough time for the children to get a glimpse of something different, particularly children from low decile schools. One of the hardest things that Erin and Peter have had to learn is to say goodbye to children who didn’t want to go home. “They sit on the wharf and cry. It’s very sad for all of us. Over time we’ve learned to recognise some of those children when they arrive and we try to give them a little bit more attention while they are here. Money can’t buy the rewards we get from this job. We hope that the experiences the children have at the camp gives them the confidence to get involved in an activity at home and perhaps take part in a sport.”
Around 37 schools use the camp annually. Weekends are for family groups, churches, playcentres, youth groups and cultural groups, of between 40 and 100. One of the quietest weekends in the cove occurred recently when AUT held a signing workshop on the island – no verbal communication was allowed, although Erin says there was lots of laughter. One family group has been visiting for 20 consecutive years. The camp provides an experience that many older New Zealanders probably took for granted. Erin and Peter say children experience a lot of firsts at the camp – from boating to climbing a tree, skylarking in the water and being part of an extended family. Just being able to walk barefooted is new for some and they have the freedom to explore, invent games and have fun. For some children, it is their first-ever night away from home. It’s a chance to do things together without the distractions of television, computers, mobile phones, playstations and shops.
Erin and Peter grew up in Pakuranga, met as teenagers and lived at Whangaparaoa for 20 years prior to Kawau Island. Peter was operations manager for a plastics firm in Albany, while Erin worked as an office manager. The job came up at a time when they were looking for a change and a challenge. They admit they found both, and a lot more. Peter says the job demands self-motivation and a diverse range of skills – people management, maintenance, building, teaching, cleaning, weed control and administration to name just a few. The isolation has also been hard at times. Peter feels grateful that the camp was closed when his mother became ill, which allowed him to spend precious days with her before she died. Family occasions often come second to the demands of running the camp 24/7. However, they recognised before they started that taking the job was a big commitment and try to make their holidays away from the island count. Peter’s 86-year-old father John Hyde, who lives at Stanmore Bay, is a frequent visitor who is always happy to pitch in and help with the endless list of jobs to be done. Erin and Peter also serve on the Kawau Island First Response team for civil defence, fire and medical emergencies. The camp is the civil defence centre for the island’s permanent population of 50 residents, who are linked only by water. Erin and Peter enjoy the novelty of island life, perhaps crossing to the mainland only once or twice a month. “People get along well, but we respect each other’s privacy. Going to dinner with friends across the cove means paddling over in our kayaks and changing into our dinner clothes at the end of their wharf. Some nights when we paddle back, the sky is full of stars and the phosphorence in the water is amazing. It makes us appreciate how lucky we are to live here – we think of the job as a very busy privilege.”
The new sewage treatment plant, was installed by Greg Jones Plumbing, of Matakana, and commissioned in April.
Next year, the Board of Trustees hopes to start work on expanding the bunkroom accommodation to take 120 and a new ablutions block. Board deputy chair Bruce Clegg says all major works are a financial hurdle, reliant on external funding, but building has been made easier with the support of both Rodney District Council and Auckland Regional Council. Local service groups – Warkworth Lions and Warkworth Rotary – have been long-time supporters and it’s their hard work, either providing labour on-site or through fundraising, that has built many of the facilities at the camp. Generosity gave the camp life and continues to be its main driving force.
