The Rotorua Bike Festival was a great success, a reader says. Photo/Stephen Parker.
The Rotorua Bike Festival was a great success, a reader says. Photo/Stephen Parker.
Confidence in cycling
The first thing you figure out when learning how to ride a bike, is that to stay upright, you must keep moving forward, and over the past couple of weeks we've had thousands do exactly this, both figuratively, and in reality.
By all accounts, the Rotorua BikeFestival has been a massive success, with well over 1000 people attending some events. The Whaka100 and 2W Enduro saw hundreds visit from outside Rotorua, and even some from overseas.
On the final weekend of the Bike Festival, Rotorua also saw it's 10th inner city bike shop open its doors, so if that isn't a sign that business sees the confidence in our economy, and that cycling helps contribute towards economic success, then I don't know what does.
One of the many positives about cycling, is that yes, it helps the economy and job creation, but it also has massive social benefits, both in the obvious ones like how it encourages people off the couch and into fitness, but also in terms of social benefits, interacting with and meeting people from all backgrounds while out riding enhances life in our city.
Thank you to the organisers, sponsors and volunteers who help make bike events in Rotorua such a success. Also, a massive thank you to the trail builders, most of whom are volunteers, who have given up hours and hours of their time over the years to help make Rotorua the cycling mecca that it is today. It's great to see Rotorua continuing to move forward.
In the latest edition of a landlords' newsletter, there is an article about the craziness of the Government's planned reforms tightening up on landlords.
The comments are that it will be much harder for poorer tenants to get a place to rent, supply will drop and rent controls are, in the words of Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck, the most efficient way to destroy a city- except for bombing.
If you want to ease the terrible shortage of rentals, then the simple answer is to make it much easier for landlords which might encourage some of them to come back.
Richard Evans Rotorua
Rubbish bins an eyesore
Lake and Mt Tarawera is a picturesque natural environment entrusted to the Rotorua District Council, as its guardians and administrators. Tourists from around the world visit to take photographs of this beautiful iconic location.
The council in its wisdom has built concrete stands in the sandy lake shore and positioned rubbish bins with red lids along the narrow shoreline in front of The Landing Cafe, where people used to dine while taking in the natural scenery and surroundings.
There are now a total of 10 council bins positioned right in and on the shores of this once trophy lake, which used to be referred to as the jewel in the crown of the Rotorua lakes district.
A rubbish bin at Lake Tarawera. Image/ Supplied.
Rotorua Bike Festival a massive success
A much more practical location for the rubbish bins would be next to the public toilets, as I have never seen this area littered at all, to warrant so many bins on the beach. Another overkill?
Imagine sitting or swimming on the beach next to a bin with offensive rubbish, such as a used nappy with flies hanging around. Attractive?
Come on council - clean up your act before summer and return this iconic location to its former natural beauty for everyone to enjoy.
It's not a load of rubbish, and I hope it doesn't set a precedent of how council plans to develop the Rotorua city lakefront. (Abridged)
Tracey McLeod Lake Tarawera
Lakefront not broken
I had half an hour last Thursday to fill prior going to a movie. I parked, opened my window and turned the radio off. It was so pleasant looking towards Mokoia Island, watching helicopters come and go.
There was also a group of workmen making repairs to the paving, kids playing and couples eating their lunch on seats provided. Why change all this for crazy plans.
I have lived most of my life in Rotorua from the time my parents came from Wellington in 1956. As I grew up friends and I always went to Saturday night dances at the Soundshell. I miss the cafe; we have nowhere to sit and relax and meet for meals or a cuppa anymore.
Please, council, if it works - why change it?
Annie Wells Rotorua
High praise for our city
In case you missed it, a senior writer for the Herald, Steve Braunias, wrote the following: "Prince Harry and his increasing wife the Duchess of Sussex enjoyed the final day of their New Zealand tour in our most hospitable, welcoming city; the sweetly scented Rotorua."
