Opinion: Of course the Bay should have its own anniversary

When you ask most locals where they're from, they will stand up straight, push out their chest and say proudly, "Rotorua".

With that unabashed pride it is easy to see why so many locals were quick to jump on board with the idea that the Bay of Plenty should have its own anniversary.

I'm originally from Auckland so when I first moved down here, I didn't quite understand how people could feel so attached to their community.

But three years later, I get it. More than that, I feel it.

I love being able to call Rotorua my home so when the question of whether we should have a Bay anniversary was raised in yesterday's paper, I was in the same boat as many others, saying "heck yes, why hasn't this already happened!"

Sure, Tauranga and Rotorua are experiencing huge growth but the real reason I think we should have our own anniversary is because we are so unique.

There is a spirit in Rotorua that can't be replicated anywhere else in the world. That spirit deserves to be celebrated.

I don't care when the holiday is, even if we have it on the same weekend as Wellington or Auckland. What matters is we use it as a time to appreciate our beautiful city and the beautiful people that reside here.

Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, Southland and Canterbury are among other regions to have their own anniversaries, what is stopping us being added to the list.

The region's mayors may be ambivalent to the idea but I think it should be seriously considered.

It is crucial to preserve that intangible spirit of our city as it grows, expands and becomes more globalised.

A Bay of Plenty anniversary may not solve all our problems but it would definitely give us one day a year to remind ourselves what makes us special.

We can never stop being loud, proud and Rotorua.