Mr and Mrs Martin began their camping-ground management careers in 1986 at Glendhu Bay, when they were appointed full-time managers.
They were appointed to their present roles at the Lakeview Wanaka Holiday Park 18 years ago but that tenure ended last week with the expiry of the council's land lease with Arrowtown businessman Philip Hensman.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council has taken the lease back and is appointing its own manager.
The change suits the Martins, who have three children, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren with whom they want to spend more time.
They leave with fond memories and only one concern - that the council may yet decide to convert the camping ground into sports fields and a stadium.
The Martins are staunchly opposed to such a move and would have loved to have seen the council commit to a 2005 working party recommendation to spend several million dollars on an upgrade.
The jury is still out on the camping ground's fate, with councillors set to hold a community meeting on sports facilities in Wanaka tomorrow morning.
The couple will quietly slip out of town tomorrow.
They said that when they first arrived at the Wanaka camping ground it was run down, with many families deciding not to stay there after inspecting the facilities.
After an upgrade, the couple were able to turn the camp's fortunes around.
They also changed the camping ground's reputation as a place to park unruly teenagers on New Year's Eve to one where people could enjoy a family-friendly holiday.
Mr Martin said both the Glendhu and Wanaka camps would be fondly remembered as great places to hold a party at Christmas and New Year.
"People would sit around - 200 to 300 of them - and they would have their instruments with them.
"There would be all sorts of concerts and we would allow that until 2am, when we would pull the plug on them.
"The hardest thing then was quietening them all down after 2am," Mr Martin said.
Mrs Martin said they had been sent many cards by well-wishers.
They had made hundreds of friends.
"People become like friends because they come year after year. You are expecting them and it's a pleasure when you see them again.
"You end up with more friends from the travelling public than you do locals because you are so busy," Mrs Martin said.
Camping stories generally have several chapters, as new generations are born and children grow up.
Mr and Mrs Martin do not recall any babies being born at the camp "but we imagine a few were made".
The Martins have worked in the grocery and supermarket trades, post offices and telephone exchanges.
Mr Martin had also been a radio and television licence inspector.
Other camping-ground staff had also made their jobs a pleasure, for which they wanted to say thank you, they said.
