Operation Sandbag is underway as the West Coast community of Punakaiki try to save their campground from erosion.
The camp says it’s a lovely day at the beach and is inviting people to “grab a shovel and come on down”.
The Punakaiki Beach Camp is just meters away from being swallowed up by the sea, losing 11-metres of land in the last month.
The camp is popular with tourists who flock to the region to see the famous Pancake Rocks, and manager Sue Beaucroft-Findlay says they need to protect it.
“We’ve got this fantastic camp, people from overseas tell us this is the best place they have stayed in New Zealand.”
Locals are helping the camp to fill 3000 sandbags in an attempt to halt the erosion.
“People love to be on the beach but they don’t want the beach in the tent so they want a little bit of a barrier” says Ms Beaucroft-Findlay.
She says the day is set to be a success.
“To get as much of the camp protected and maintained, that would be great”.
The owners believe they’re one tide away from closing.
Newshub.
