Rotorua Museum walking tour guides up for national award

'Outside the Walls' Walking Tours were created the day Rotorua Museum was forced to close due to earthquake damage in 2016. Photo/File

The Rotorua Museum "Outside the Walls" Walking Tour Guides will join New Zealand's best volunteer organisations at the Trustpower National Community Awards in Queenstown this weekend.

The group are representing Rotorua Lakes at the awards – an honour they won after being named supreme winner at the Trustpower Rotorua Lakes Community Awards last year.

Joining them will be representatives from 24 voluntary groups from around the country who were also named supreme winner at their respective regional Trustpower Community Awards.

Each finalist group will give an eight-minute presentation sharing their story before the national supreme winner is announced during the awards dinner that night.

Rotorua Museum volunteer guide co-ordinator Julie Parsons and volunteer Heather Willis are preparing for the trip and the group will be joined by mayor Steve Chadwick, alongside representatives and mayors from all the nominated regions.

Chadwick said volunteers were the glue that kept communities together.

Rotorua Museum "Outside the Walls" Walking Tour Guides at the regional awards. Photo/Supplied

"It's wonderful the important role of our museum volunteers in keeping our local stories alive has been recognised in this way. They are a very passionate group that has kept the essence of a museum alive outside of a building that's closed.

"I'm sure they will do Rotorua proud at the national awards."

"Outside the Walls" Walking Tours were created the day Rotorua Museum was forced to close due to earthquake damage in November 2016, and quickly evolved into twice daily free tours of Government Gardens.

The tours have ensured the sharing of stories about Rotorua's unique environment, people, and the historic Bath House building have continued.

More than 4000 people have been guided by the volunteer guides to date and it is this innovative and informative engagement that led to the recognition of the "Outside the Walls" Walking Tour Guides.

Parsons was looking for more people to join the award-winning guiding group and would be offering a free 12-week training course.

"If you are interested in learning more about the history of Rotorua and enjoy meeting new people this is a great opportunity to do something different."

To learn more and register your interest in becoming an "Outside the Walls" Walking Tour Guide contact Julie.parsons@rotorualc.nz or register at www.rotoruamuseum.co.nz/support-us.