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A special free Children’s Day event to celebrate the completion of the Rotorua lakefront redevelopment is being held this weekend.
Rotorua Lakes Council said in a statement that local performers, music, games, adapted activities and water sports demonstrations would mark national Children’s Day at the lakefront on Sunday.
The event, Harikoa Rotorua Children’s Day, will also celebrate and reveal the newly relocated Te Arawa Whare Waka to the lakefront.
The new-look Rotorua lakefront development. Photo / Andrew Warner
An additional $1m investment from Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit went to progress work on the cultural design foundation of the project.
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said in the statement the finished lakefront had been an intergenerational investment that was well overdue.
“From the very beginning, our community has played a pivotal role in shaping the project.
“The design of the lakefront reflects our cultural identity as well as the aspirations of local children who shared their ideas during workshops in the early design phase.
Aerial view of the Rotorua lakefront. Photo / Rotorua Lakes Council
“We love seeing locals and visitors, and people of all ages and backgrounds, enjoying this diverse space and really bringing our vision for the lakefront to life,” Tapsell said.
“It’s really special that you can stand at the lakefront and see and feel that it is uniquely Rotorua. We’re grateful to everyone who has been a part of delivering this.”
Involving local young people in the creation of the lakefront and its different spaces was key for Isthmus Group, which was responsible for leading the design work for the redevelopment, the statement said.
Whare Waka for the Te Arawa Waka Taua, pictured at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre, has been relocated to the lakefront. Photo / Ben Fraser
Prior to construction in 2019, tamariki from local schools shared their playground ideas in workshops.
“The wider lakefront design reflected the heritage and deep connection of Ngāti Whakaue and Te Arawa to the Rotorua Lakefront,” the statement said.
“The redevelopment has been made possible through the support of project partners Ngāti Whakaue, the Gifted Reserves Committee (Pukeroa Ōruawhata Trust) and Te Arawa Lakes Trust.”
Ngāti Whakaue representative Bryce Murray said they saw the benefits of this project on many levels.
“But what is really becoming obvious is the connections that have been revealed through the redevelopment.
“Physically, we can see the connections between the whenua and the lake, between the city and the lakefront, but it’s the connections we can’t see that are really special.
“Our history is connected to our future through the stories and themes weaved through the design. It is re-engaging our community, we have a more accessible space for locals and visitors to enjoy and our tamariki will now always have a connection to a space they helped design,” Murray said.
The event is free for all ages and people can explore the lakefront and take part in a range of activities.
Food trucks will be on hand, or bring along a picnic and blanket and settle in for the day.
