Mountain bikers took over the trails of the Whakarewarewa Forest over Easter. Photo / File
Mountain bikers took over the trails of the Whakarewarewa Forest over Easter. Photo / File
Good weather, multitudes of motorhomers and Kiwis "out to play" delivered a surprisingly good Easter for Rotorua tourism and hospitality businesses.
One mountain biking outfit even ran out of bikes on what an owner suspects was their biggest weekend ever.
And with news of a transtasman travel bubble with Australiadue today, there is a renewed feeling of optimism after a quiet summer in one of New Zealand's top tourist towns.
"It was huge," Mountain Bike Rotorua co-owner Tak Mutu said.
"It was potentially one of the biggest weekends Mountain Bike Rotorua has ever had."
He said the new carpark on Tarawera Rd was "absolutely chocka" and there was no single track that was the most popular as people from all different ages and skill levels filled the Whakarewarewa Forest.
"There we an awesome mixture of new people or families right through to seasoned veterans riding all the advanced tracks."
Mountain Bike Rotorua co-owner Tak Mutu. Photo / File
The company hired bikes out at three locations - their new site on Tarawera Rd, Waipa Mountain Bike Park, and Skyline - and the shuttles taking bikers to the top of the mountain were consistently full.
He said the successful weekend came as a surprise and after an "up-down" six months they had not known what to expect for Easter.
October was "humming" followed by a flat period of November and December, with a "super quiet" summer - their busiest day was an unremarkable non-holiday weekend at the end of February.
He said mountain biking, in general, had boomed post-Covid, with bike sales across the country three times those in 2019 and bike shops were struggling to find parts.
The buzz across the city was greatly helped by the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association's 65th National Rally and AGM, he said.
The event saw 588 motorhomes and caravans based at the Rotorua's Arawa Park Racecourse.
The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association based their national rally at Rotorua's racecourse. Photo / NZMCA
"They were incredibly present around town, whether it was riding bikes around town, filling up Eat Streat, out in the forest, mountain biking, out at the lakes," Mutu said.
He said there were "a whole bunch of things that led to this unexpected boom".
He said it was a nice bump to have heading into the colder months, and his business was hoping for more weekends and school holidays like this one.
"Rotorua's always had a good run with long weekends when Kiwis come out to play."
Rotorua's Speedway spokesman Paul Hickey said th weekend brought the "biggest Sunday we've had in a decade".
"The demolition derby always pulls the biggest crowd," he said.
Thousands flocked to TWS Paradise Valley Speedway for the track's two-day season finale on Saturday and Sunday, and 150 competitors from across the North Island took part.
He said there was "plenty of action" to keep everyone entertained and worthy winners.
There was always a hint of sadness when racing closed in the city for the winter, he said, but it was a good chance to recharge ahead of the track reopening in November.
Rotorua Stockcar Club secretary Sonja Hickey said it had been a "record turnout" with the "best Easter ever".
She estimated 3500-4000 people came for the Sunday racing.
Rotorua Skyline general manager Andrew Jensen was "rapt" with how Kiwis came to show their support, creating a busy Easter weekend.
He said although it was not as busy as previous Easters, everything the attraction had on offer - the Luge, Skyswing, ziplines and mountain biking - had been busy all weekend.
Skyline Skyrides' gondola ride. Photo / File
Hospitality NZ accommodation sector Rotorua vice-chairman and Aura Accommodation owner Nick Fitzgerald said not only was all accommodation full, but it did not appear that any places had dropped their rates.
"It was a positive weekend."
This was not a surprise, he said, as the city had fewer available beds than previously with many motels and hotels now used as managed isolation facilities and emergency accommodation.
He said Kiwis were traditionally out and about during Easter as they took advantage of the weather.
Many who visited this weekend were drawn to the attractions and experiences around the city, which flowed into the rest of the local economy.
"It was welcomed and well-needed after a quieter February and March than we are used to."
Fewer beds and fully-booked accommodation meant that many people were only staying for day-trips, Hospitality NZ Bay of Plenty branch president and Hennessy bar owner Reg Hennessy said.
"[With] the lack of accommodation, people were staying as far away as Matamata."
He said this was a missed opportunity for the tourist town.
"It's supposed to be the last big weekend before we head into winter."
However, the weekend had been "better than we'd hoped" with a lot of uncertainty heading into an Easter with no international tourists.
Hospitality NZ Bay of Plenty branch president and Hennessey's Bar Reg Hennessy. Photo / File
"It was good to have people in the city, there was definitely a vibe there."
He said his bar was kept busy with those in town for the stockcar racing as well as others from around the upper-North who always popped in when they were in town.
He said they were "optimistic" for winter and hoped to hear good news today regarding the travel bubble with Australia.
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard said last week that over the last year since the first Covid-19 lockdown most of the events were well-supported by out-of-towners.
Hospitality NZ Bay of Plenty manager Alan Sciascia said Easter weekend was a "very important period" for the Bay of Plenty region and the hospitality sector in general.
