Lace up your walking boots

It's a festival for walking this weekend in Rotorua.

If you want to see all that Rotorua's landscape has to offer then the Rotorua Walking Festival is the way to do it. The only caveat is that you have to walk everywhere.

This weekend the festival returns for its 22nd year and, again, walkers from around the world will cover up to 72km in and around the forest and city.

Rotorua Walking Festival committee chairman Deryck Shaw said many locals took their city for granted but it wasn't until they did something like one of the walks that they appreciated their surroundings.

"We take a lot for granted; the walks in the forest and by the Puarenga Stream," he said.

"When international people come here they recognise how good they are and we appreciate them as well."

He said several hundred walkers were expected to join the different walks on each day, as well as about 100 international walkers, who were travelling to Rotorua for the festival.

Mr Shaw said typically up to 25 countries were represented and this year walkers from China, the Ukraine, Czech Republic, France, Germany and the Netherlands would be among them.

"We think numbers are going to be quite strong this year," he said.

"We get strong support from walkers who have done the event previously and this year the western Europeans will also be in good numbers."

Tomorrow the 10km, 21km and 42km walks will meander through the Whakarewarewa Forest, while Sunday's 10km, 20km and 30km routes will take in the CBD, lakefront and geothermal areas.

Anyone can take part as entries are open each morning. Late entries must be at the race HQ at the Lake City Athletic Club at least 30 minutes before the walks start. Registration opens at 7am on both days.

He said the 20km/21km distances were the most popular, with walkers taking from three to five-plus hours to complete the routes.

Details
What: Rotorua Walking Festival
When: Tomorrow and Sunday, walks start from 8am.
Where: Neil Hunt Park, Rotorua
How much: Adults $30, child $15, family $70 per day