Rotorua’s official Waitangi Day event, Mō te Aroha o te Iwi, For the Love of the People.
It might not be the sizzling summer we’re used to, but Rotorua was pumping over the weekend just like in the old days.
For some, business has bounced back so much they are eyeing record sales - potentially breaking records set over nearly three decades.
Pig and Whistle pub owner Gregg Brown. Photo / Andrew Warner
Gregg Brown, who owns two hospitality businesses in Rotorua - the Pig and Whistle and Capers Café and Store - said his staff were flat stick all weekend.
He said the Pig and Whistle’s turnover was going so well, it was looking like it would be a record sale year for the pub, one of the most successful since it opened just over 29 years ago.
“We were very busy over the weekend and we have been pumping for 12 months. It’s likely to be the busiest 12 months on record.”
He said it was “so nice” to have international tourists back, and it was a great feeling to put the Covid years in the past.
Velocity Valley general manager Debbie Guptill. Photo / Andrew Warner
Velocity Valley general manager Debbie Guptill said thankfully, the weather held out over the weekend and her staff were able to share some “adrenaline fun” with their manuhiri [guests].
“The best part was welcoming a Brazilian tour group back with 50 students - it’s been three years since we had them last. International travel is back and we’re loving it.”
Judith Cunningham, manager of Fenton St’s Wylie Court Motor Lodge, said the long weekend proved tourism was back and “right up there”.
“We needed another 20 rooms to help those we had to turn away.”
She said next weekend was already looking like a sellout, with the NRL All Stars match at Rotorua International Stadium, the Tarawera Ultra Marathon and a miniature stocks event at Paradise Valley Speedway.
For Bruce Riach and his extended family, deciding to come to Rotorua over the weekend was a great decision.
From Whanganui, they met other family members from Auckland in Rotorua because it was a central point.
Staying three nights in an Airbnb, the six family members went to Skyline Rotorua and did the luge, the Redwoods Treewalk and went for a walk through central Rotorua and Kuirau Park looking at mud pools.
He said they loved the luge and had a heap of fun, and were “very impressed” with the Treewalk.
Riach said he often travels through Rotorua for work and has a timeshare at Mount Maunganui. He noticed Rotorua had previously been struggling with its housing crisis and homelessness issue.
“There’s no obvious sign of the homeless problem like there used to be two years ago, when it was fairly obvious things were not going too well. When you have people begging and coming up to your car asking for money, it doesn’t go down well.”
But he said there was a different feeling now, and it appeared to be in the past.
Riach bought his boat, About Time, with him to Rotorua and was looking forward to hitting Lake Tarawera yesterday. He wasn’t too worried about catching anything, he was just keen to “get the boat wet”.
He said overall, Rotorua had left a great impression on them and they would be back.
