Ice rink returning to Rotorua

The Harcourts Rotorua Outdoor Ice Rink will be returning to Rotorua,

The Harcourts Rotorua Outdoor Ice Rink will be back in Rotorua this year but later than normal - and with an added attraction.

The rink's time in Rotorua this year will coincide with the 2015 September school holidays and will come with an extra attraction, a 35m Ice Slide which people will be able to tackle on a tube or sled.

Supplied by Paradice Ice Skating, the Harcourts Rotorua Outdoor Ice Rink has been a mid-year attraction at the lakefront for the past three years - in July - as part of the Fire and Ice festival which was organised by Events & Venues but will not be running this year.

"The Fire and Ice Festival was originally created to promote the Harcourts Rotorua Outdoor Ice Rink and add to the mid-winter offer," Rotorua Lakes Council Events & Venues events manager Martin Croft says.

"We've been very grateful for funding support for the festival in previous years from Rotorua Trust and First Sovereign and it was popular with locals. However, we decided to postpone the festival for a year and take the time to plan for its long-term future," he says.

"This year we'll focus on working with Paradice Ice Skating to make sure the ice rinks stint in Rotorua this year is a success."

Last year 11,500 skaters visited the Harcourts Rotorua Outdoor Ice Rink and with more stable weather likely in September, it's expected that number could increase this year.