''Opening day'' is Labour Weekend and ''closing day'' Easter, while Christmas is family time, at the Clarke family crib at Gemmell's Crossing. David Bruce discovers a family that survives without electronic distractions on holiday.
The first of the fourth generation will be spending Christmas this year at the Clarke Family bach at Gemmell's Crossing Camp on the Kakanui River south of Oamaru.
Family - that's what it's all about and why the ''originals'' Frank and Velda Clarke, of Oamaru, bought the place on February 23, 1972, for $1200.
Graeme, youngest of their four children, was 8 months old at the time of his first holiday.
Granddaughter Jenna (Wylie), of Oamaru, is expecting their first great-grandchild.
She or he will join a family that has great memories of Christmas in the typical Kiwi bach, recorded in the hundreds of photos dating back to those first holidays which cover a fair chunk of two walls.
''We're running out of space,'' Mrs Clarke says as she recounts memories prompted by the photos.
But it is tradition, and you get the feeling that, in the years to come, the photos will eventually wallpaper the combined kitchen-living room walls.
Like the other 26 baches in the camp, which dates back more than 90 years, they get by with basic facilities.
There is no electricity to the camp. The Clarkes have solar panels feeding batteries for lighting and, more recently, a television. Others use generators, when needed.
Cooking is done on an old, green enamel coal range, powered by wood stacked high under cover out the back.
''I've got to get this year's supply in yet,'' Mr Clarke muses and Mrs Clarke says the stove is great for cooking.
It is augmented by a typical man-sized barbecue out the front on the covered pad under the sign ''Franks Fry Up'' and a small gas cooker.
The coal stove heats the bach on cold days and the water.
A big luxury now is the inside toilet.
Another toilet, along with a shower and basins, are out the back.
That is enough to cater for more than 40 family members who crowd on to the site at Christmas.
They pitch in to help maintain the crib and provide labour for projects overseen by patriarch Frank who, with his carpentry skills, is ''always fiddling with a piece of wood''.
Frank is now 90 years old. Velda, when asked her age, gives the reporter a pat of disapproval: ''I'm not going to tell you that!''
The help is welcome for some of the bigger jobs, such as cutting the hedge, pruning back the sycamore trees (which give the bach its name, ''Sycamore Lodge''), building a ramp to make it easier for the couple to enter the bach, heavy maintenance and mowing the section, plus the part of the camp which surrounds it.
But Mr Clarke also keeps active around the camp.
The cycle tracks he has built for the children have proved very popular, and then there are the social events.
The older children just disappear when the weather is good. With no electronic distractions, they do their own thing together, returning to be fed. Younger ones have rules to stick to, including not being allowed past the camp gate to the river, which is just that far enough away.
There are also annual camp activities during Christmas, including a sports day, golf tournament and raft-tube-canoe race.
Last year, the Clarkes had two winners in the golf -usually at the Waitoa Park course with only one club and a putter allowed - both receiving a trophy and a coveted ''green jacket''.
They can also relax on their deck, dubbed by other campers as the ''Nosy Spot'' because they can see most of what goes on from their central location in the camp.
They bought the bach suddenly and almost by accident.
In those days, they owned a poultry farm at Teschemakers, so getting a family holiday was difficult.
A friend owned a bach at Gemmell's and had always urged them to visit, but with the poultry and family commitments, they never got around to it, despite it being about 10 minutes away.
''One really, really hot day I said to Frank let's pack up the kids and go over,'' Mrs Clarke said.
They arrived and the three older girls disappeared for most of the day with other children.
There were two baches for sale, including one next door to their friend's.
They found out who owned it, had a look and decided to buy.
It was perfect for the family to have a holiday, and Mr Clarke was only a few minutes away from the poultry farm.
When they bought it, the roof was sagging in the middle, the floor was springing and the windows were covered with wooden shutters.
The kitchen was about 2m wide by 3.5m long and there were two bedroomsThe original faults were corrected fairly quickly, but it was not until about 25 years ago that Frank expanded the bach to cope with the growing family.
The original now has three bedrooms, an indoor toilet and a larger combined living room-kitchen.
With a bunk room and five double beds, the bach can sleep nine.
Recently, the former Oamaru Lions Club hot dog-chip-candy floss caravan was bought, renovated and added to the site with another two double beds.
The living room can be used for sleeping, and the site has plenty of room for tents, particularly for the younger cousins to set up.
Other members of the family do use the bach at various times, but ''opening day'' is Labour Weekend and ''closing day'' Easter.
Christmas is ''family time'', Mrs Clarke said.
Generally, the whole family is there, even if it is just for the day.
Mr and Mrs Clarke are the most frequent visitors, and spend as much time they can at their ''beloved Gemmell's'' with easy access from their home in Oamaru, about 15 to 20 minutes away.
''If the weather turns, we can be home in a few minutes,'' Mr Clarke said.
What is the one thing they love about Gemmell's?
They both can't stop at one but, summarised, it is the ''friendly crowd, togetherness, laughter and fun.
''There's always someone doing something stupid,'' Mrs Clarke says as she points to a photo of her in a sulky being taken home by family from the New Year celebrations. It appears that transport home gets quite a lot of use by all campers.
And what will happen to the bach when they can no longer use it?
''It'll be a family thing, forever, hopefully.''