In 1916, farmer Syd Rowling, bought 136 acres of thick gorse covered land at Kaiteriteri as an extension to his orchard property in Riwaka. By the early 1920s the road from Nelson was getting closer and despite last sections of tracks through the mudflats, holiday makers began arriving by horse & cart and boat to enjoy Kaiteriteri’s golden sand and beautiful bay. Initially Syd hired out tent sites for only four shillings a week but as it became more popular, he set aside 12 hectares near the beach as public domain land. On 28th January 1936, the future of Kaiteriteri as a holiday destination was confirmed in a public meeting where Syd Rowling was nominated as the first chairman of the new Kaiteriteri Domain Board. During the 1930’s Great Depression, the Government used the available labour to finish the road from Riwaka to Kaiteriteri which finally eased the long journey across the mudflats at low tide. Today, the beach, estuary and 250ha land around Kaiteriteri is all classified as a Recreation Reserve and is managed by the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve Board which celebrated its 80th birthday in 2016.