Rotorua scrubs up to be work of art

Cherie Karaha and fellow Marigold planters. Photo/Ben Fraser.

A Rotorua sculpture and art trail is on its way with the first pieces blessed during the inner city's big spring clean.

The response to Saturday's Scrub Rotorua Day was even better than expected, said organiser Mike Steiner.

Throughout the day retailers and landlords painted and cleaned while Castlecorp and Keep Rotorua Beautiful staff and volunteers planted more than 500 marigolds along Tutanekai St. A pop-up art gallery and City Focus concert added to the atmosphere.

A highlight was the blessing of two sculptures at the intersection of Pukuatua and Tutanekai Sts, loaned to the city by renowned local sculptor Joe Kemp.

Rotorua district councillor Karen Hunt said they would be the start of a sculpture trail through Rotorua.

She said it would be a "living gallery" that would link the city's green spaces, lakefront and spine (Tutanekai St).

Mrs Hunt said former Rotorua MP Paul East had been asked to be the trail's patron, with fundraising and requests for ideas likely soon. She also pointed to a building at the intersection, on which was painted the words "watch this space". Mrs Hunt said that was part of a plan for art installations on CBD buildings. The first one should be up "in a short time", said Mr Steiner. He said the city was coming alive.

"People who belong to Rotorua, who love Rotorua ... are stepping forward in an amazing way. Stepping up like this city hasn't stepped up in many, many years."

He praised Mr Kemp for his "magnanimous gesture" of loaning the two sculptures.

"It's such beautiful, beautiful work but it's the spirit of that work which is so tangible, it just captures you," he said. "Hopefully the city or someone within the city will actually buy it and give it to the city."

Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Roger Gordon said the idea was "absolutely marvellous" and would "put a soul into the centre of the city".

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said the day was a "symbol of change".

She thanked Castlecorp workers for their hard work getting the revamped intersection completed in just three weeks.

Castlecorp co-ordinating foreman Mark Cooke said his staff had worked long hours but the project had been great fun.

They had plenty of help on Saturday, with Keep Rotorua Beautiful co-ordinator Rose Agnew-Hiha saying tourists and locals had each been given a marigold to plant.

"It was an amazing response," she said. "They can now say 'I have my own little plant in the city'."

Roger Bird, who owns an inner city building, was out all afternoon with his water blaster.

He said he'd been part of the Inner City Focus Group from the outset and was right behind the revitalisation efforts.

Whitcoulls supervisor Sacha Fields got to work at 7am to paint and clean the Tutanekai St store.

"Down here was getting really deserted, but now it looks nice it might draw people back."

Mr Steiner said the day's success was down to the unique Rotorua spirit.

"[It shows] how we can pull a city together in a very short period of time," he said. "The contribution from the whole city has been phenomenal."