Su"on camp owners looking forward to community connections As many will have read in the recent ODT article, Sutton Camp has been purchased by Auckland couple Lou and Andy Roke, officially taking over the property at the end of this month. The news that the couple were intending to run the camp as a business open for bookings, has been a welcome relief for many in the community and stymied any rumours that the camp had fallen into the hands of another private organisation. Lou Roke was pleased to hear from Rock and Pillar Post and welcomed the community connections the camp was going to bring for her and husband Andy. “We may live in Auckland now but that is mostly to be near my 98-year-old father and my daughter and grandson. We spent 20 years in Australia prior to returning to NZ and much of that time was in very out-there places such as Kalgoorlie”. “When we got back to NZ in 2006, we lived on Waiheke Island which, back then, was a small and much quieter place than it is now”. “If Covid and lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that we crave connections with people and the great outdoors; nature has such a healing effect”.
Auckland real estate agents Lou and Andy Roke have purchased the Sutton Camp and plan to have it open for bookings this season. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Lou said she and Andy “had a good look around” properties along the Otago Central Rail Trail and settled on Sutton for its proximity to Dunedin and the airport and the potential the property offered. As this is written, Auckland is about to go into Level 3 but Lou is looking forward to getting down Middlemarch as soon as she can. She is yet to make any plans for changes or improvements to the camp, “I go by feel for those sorts of things. I love to get creative.” The camp is getting a new booking website design and Lou plans to have the facility open for business for the coming season. "If any community groups have ideas to do something in the camp's hall, get in touch. It would be wonderful to have some gettogethers and fun times this summer!" Lou can be contacted via email: louroke@gmail.com