By CHERIE TAYLOR in Rotorua and CHRIS BRAMWELL in Taupo
Thousands flocked to the Bay of Plenty over the holiday weekend with events in Rotorua and Taupo again proving popular.
Large crowds checked out the hot rods at the Street Rod National Show at Arawa Park while the Lake Tarawera Spring Fair at Stoney Point yesterday* was equally popular.
Taupo hosted the inaugural New Zealand Coffee Festival, the event proving so successful plans are already afoot to hold it again next year.
The lakeside fair proved to be a real family affair with crowds largely ignoring the rain.
Rotorua 10-year-old Katherine Haisman summed up the attitude of many describing the event as "fun packed".
"I've been doing heaps of things. I've been leading the horses around and buying biscuits, lollies and drinks. It has been fun," she said.
Walter Molenaar, from Holland, who has been in New Zealand for three weeks on a working holiday tried his luck on the Hole in One challenge where the idea was to hit a golf ball into a dingy about 20 metres offshore.
"I haven't got a ball in the boat but I did get a bit of dirt close. I have won a bag of lollies in the dart throwing contest though," he said.
The annual fair has been held for the past 15 years, raising funds for the Lake Tarawera Sailing School through stalls, sausage sizzles, horse rides and games.
Organiser Pat Thorpe said the focus this year had been on children with stalls and plenty for them to keep busy.
"It's been a real community effort and the turnout has been fantastic despite the rain," she said.
By midday yesterday, at least 4000 spectators had checked out the hot rods and entertainment at Arawa Park, said Sulphur City Rod and Custom Club secretary Mike McClintock.
Nearly 300 souped-up hot rods and 600 hot rod lovers, from as far afield as Kerikeri, Dunedin and Australia registered for the show. Al Dawson and the Wild Kats provided the music while a kilt-wearing Scotsman wowed the crowd with flames, balloons and plenty of jokes.
It is the first time the show has been held in Rotorua.
Meanwhile, Taupo was turned into a coffee-lovers paradise as it hosted the BP New Zealand Coffee Festival. The festival attracted the public, cafe owners, baristas, coffee roasters and suppliers for the cafe industry.
Festival-goers sampled coffee from several of New Zealand's finest coffee roasters who came from as far afield as Nelson, Christchurch and Queenstown.
Exhibitor Tanya Kay of Auckland's Atomic said the festival had been a lot of fun.
"There's a nice atmosphere here, it's a great start for the festival and we are looking forward to next year," she said.
Ms Kay estimated that the Atomic baristas whipped up around 1200 coffees over the weekend.
The Supreme Coffee Award went to Bicas Sail Rock Coffee from Auckland.
The Supreme Award was awarded after judges tasted around 120 coffees.
Bicas is a small family-owned coffee roastery in Auckland's Greenhithe.
Nearly half the country's coffee roasters entered the awards.
Teams of judges led by the chairman of the World Barista Championships judged five categories of freshly roasted coffee espresso, plunger, flat white, organic and decaffeinated.
The competition was performed by blind tasting using International benchmarks,
Festival director Michael Guy said the festival was a huge success, exceeding his expectations, and planning was underway for next year.
Meanwhile, nearly 500 motocross riders from throughout the country converged on Taupo's Digger McEwen Park for the Taupo Motorcycle Club's annual Energy Centre Point Motocross Extravaganza.
Fun for all in busy holiday weekend
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