Bay of Plenty accommodation full as tourists go to One Love, surf life saving champs

One Love festival at Tauranga Domain. Photo / One Love

Accommodation in Tauranga was “full” over the long weekend as tourists flocked to the city for the One Love festival and the surf lifesaving championships.

More than 15,000 festivalgoers filled Tauranga Domain on Saturday and Sunday, dancing and singing at the iconic reggae music festival with a line-up of more than 50 artists.

A heavy rain warning was in place for parts of the Bay of Plenty from 3pm on Sunday to 5am on Monday but rain did not stop festivalgoers from enjoying the music and food.

Sarah Meadows and husband Matt Young are owners of Pacific Coast Lodge and Backpackers and Wanderlust NZ.

Sarah Meadows, owner of Tauranga’s Wanderlust NZ and Mount Maunganui’s Pacific Coast Lodge, said it had been “very busy” with both sites “100 per cent full” for the long weekend.

Meadows said Wanderlust guests were mainly New Zealanders going to One Love while Pacific Coast Lodge had “lots of internationals” visiting from Australia, Germany, South America, Canada and England.

“We’re very happy and the team has done an awesome job. Our guests have been great and it definitely helps that the weather’s been amazing this summer compared to last summer ... everyone’s out and about and enjoying the sunshine, out on the beach and experiencing what the Bay has to offer.”

Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park manager Mark Hales pictured in 2022. Photo / Mead Norton

Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park manager Mark Hales said it was “full” mainly due to the eastern regional surf life-saving championships in Mount Maunganui.

“We’re quite lucky there with the amount of surf club events they have there - they all stay with us which is great.”

Hales said a few One Love concertgoers also stayed at the holiday park.

“We’re normally booked out pretty well in advance for anniversary weekend because it’s the last weekend of January but also those events that are happening at that time.”

Mount Maunganui Cosy Corner Holiday Park’s manager Greg Davidson said it was “pretty full” for the long weekend with people mostly staying for the surf life-saving championships and “a bit of surfing”.

“[We] had a few for One Love but not too many.”

The Med Cafe owner Jo Brown said the cafe had been “super busy” all weekend, with many domestic tourists visiting.

Some customers were going to the One Love festival and were wearing One Love T-shirts, she said.

One Love festival at Tauranga Domain was attended by more than 15,000 people. Photo / One Love

In a statement, One Love owners and promoters Glenn Meikle and Matthew Spratt said the One Love team and the “thousands of people” who attended were pleased to see the event return in 2024.

Heavy rain fell for about an hour on Sunday night but the majority of attendees stuck around until the end to watch Stefflon Don and Sean Paul, the statement said.

“Attendees were in good spirits and people really turned out for their favourite artists. It didn’t matter what stage artists performed on, or the weather conditions, people flocked and had a good time,” Spratt said.

“The feedback from festivalgoers who remained until the end was that they couldn’t get any more soaked than they already were so they weren’t going to let the rain stop them from enjoying themselves,” Spratt said.

“We made sure it was a massive celebration, with more than 50 artists performing across two stages over two days,” Meikle said.

“With many people travelling to Tauranga from all parts of New Zealand, Australia and around the world, I’d say we were able to do our bit to boost the local economy that we live in,” Meikle said.

Surf Lifesaving Eastern Region manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell. Photo / Alex Cairns

Surf Life Saving New Zealand eastern manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell told the Bay of Plenty Times on Monday morning that lifeguards did nine rescues and seven assists on Saturday and Sunday.

This included lifeguards helping multiple swimmers to shore after they were struggling in rip currents at Hot Water Beach in Coromandel on Saturday.

On Sunday, Whangamatā lifeguards assisted three swimmers who were stuck in rips.

Mount Maunganui lifeguards were “briefly involved” in searching for a missing diver but the diver was located “safe and well”, he said.

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.