Mayor of Beppu, Hiroshi Hamada, and Steve Chadwick, Rotorua mayor. Photo / Stephen Parker
Mayor of Beppu, Hiroshi Hamada, and Steve Chadwick, Rotorua mayor. Photo / Stephen Parker
Big plans to build a communal steam kitchen alongside Rotorua's Kuirau Park footpools have been unveiled by mayor Steve Chadwick.
The new development will form part of the park's planned massive redevelopment and will be jointly developed with Rotorua's sister city Beppu, Japan.
Beppu mayor Hiroshi Hamada said, through an interpreter, a Kuirau Park steam kitchen alongside its famous foot pools would make it a world-class facility.
Mrs Chadwick said the steam kitchen, called Beppu Onsen, would be part of the Rotorua District Council's spa and wellness tourism vision.
"This redevelopment is for the public and tourists, and is part of the overall park development plan," Mrs Chadwick said.
The concept is a wooden construction - in line with Rotorua's WoodFirst initiative - incorporating existing lake-edge foot pools, a wooden platform extending over the lake and a communal steam kitchen.
Situated by the lake, it is envisaged the Beppu Onsen development will link with the activity hub in that part of the park, incorporating the children's playground, the area used for the weekly Rotary markets and the former tea house used by Friends of the Rotorua Library for fortnightly book sales.
The concept was developed with Mr Hamada after Mrs Chadwick's recent trip to Rotorua's Japanese sister city where she was impressed with the city's Onsen facilities.
The lake and footspa as it is currently. Photo / Stephen Parker
"The idea of having a Beppu Onsen kitchen in Rotorua came to mind immediately," she said.
Council group manager for strategy and partnerships Jean-Paul Gaston said people would be able to cook food in steam baskets.
Mr Hamada, who was with a delegation in Rotorua this week, said he saw many opportunities for further development.
"The steam kitchen is not only possible, I see a lot of possibility after seeing the park today," he said.
Mayor of Beppu, Hiroshi Hamada, and Steve Chadwick, Rotorua mayor. Photo / Stephen Parker
Mrs Chadwick said the steam kitchen development would celebrate Rotorua's ongoing, 27-year relationship with Beppu.
"In Beppu there is a Rotorua house, but there is nothing marking Beppu in Rotorua, so this will be done in Kuirau Park."
Mrs Chadwick drew parallels between Rotorua and Beppu, and said we could look to Beppu for new ideas to take full advantage of Rotorua's unique environment.
"They are ahead of us in aspects of how they use geothermal. They have a 100-year tradition of spa, and we have the same if you think of Tarawera and the Pink and White Terraces, but a kitchen is something we have never thought about before."
A date for the completion of the steam kitchen depends on funding. "We will now look to attract investors and partners to make this happen," she said.
