This morning Kristyl Eru had no plans to get vaccinated against Covid-19. She made her way to Fordlands Community Centre to help put together food parcels for those being vaccinated there.
"I'd been debating it for a long, long time ... being among the vibe here I made a quick decision. I went home and put on a T-shirt and came back to get vaccinated."
She said the fact the hub was in her community was part of the reason she chose today to get her first dose.
And she wasn't the only one.
Janine Kippax also had no plans to get vaccinated but having the option to get the dose in her own community pushed her across the line.
"I wasn't going to get it done but it's only because it's here. Otherwise, I would've kept waiting. I don't know what I was waiting for."
Kippax said one reason behind her decision was her young daughter.
"Do what's right for you and your family. I'm doing what's right for me and her."
The community centre was giving hangi and food parcels containing bread, fruit, milk, tea bags, crackers and masks to people who got vaccinated. Krissie Knap was performing and about 30 vaccines were administered at the hub within an hour of opening.
Nancy Littler, who is on the Fordlands Community Centre committee, said the centre would be opening for second doses on November 27.
"The reason we wanted to have it here was to bring it to the community and make it easy for them."
Lakes District Health Board pou manukura, relationship engagement, Phyllis Tangitu said while the Māori vaccination rate was progressing well nationally, in Rotorua it was at 36 per cent.
"We've got to do things differently and go into the heart of the communities and take the service to the people. I've spoken to people who said 'I heard the music, I heard Auntie Krissie and we had to come down and get the vaccine.'"
Meanwhile, 212 vaccines were administered within two hours of opening at the main Covid-19 Rotorua Immunisation Hub at Central Mall. Vaccinators at the Taupō hub had administered 206.
Site manager Heather Lang said this was more than they would expect on a normal Saturday and the goal was to issue 1200 at the Rotorua hub and 1000 in Taupō today.
She said the day had been "fantastic".
"What's really cool is we've got the backing of the community.
"We've got volunteers from St John, business community backing us. Everybody is happy and thrilled to be on board. It's like a big party in here."
She said the biggest objective for the day was to get as many people vaccinated as possible to push the community closer to the 90 per cent mark. The hub was accepting walk-ins until 6pm.
"We urge anybody eligible that hasn't had their first dose or is eligible for their second to come down today.
"It's about not only protecting ourselves but our loved ones and our community. The more vaccines the better immunity we've got to beat the virus."
Lang said local businesses and authorities had all got on board Super Saturday and community providers were also administering vaccines.
"We all want to get back to some form of normality. Rotorua is a big tourism city and we thrive on it. Right now we can't share the beauty of what's on our back doorstep with the rest of the world because the borders are shut.
"We can't do it on our own."
Edward Young was at the main vaccination hub in Rotorua with his children Indie Young, 12, and Madsen Elkington, 14. They were getting their second dose after bringing their original appointments forward.
Edward Young said they moved their appointments for the "community spirit".
"It's the right thing to do for our family, friends and the community as well.
"It's easy. You walk in and you're out within 20 minutes. People are positive and there's lots of community spirit with different businesses supporting.
"We hope today is successful in terms of numbers."
Elize Smith, 12, was also at the main Covid-19 immunisation hub in Rotorua with her mum to get her first dose.
"My grandma has been pestering me to get it to be safer and I've wanted it for a while because I want to be able to not wear a mask."
She said the process was smooth and she was happy to take home a Warehouse voucher and a free hot chocolate.
Her message to others was simple: "Get it."
Bay of Plenty based Labour MP Tamati Coffey delayed his second dose by a week to support Super Saturday and went to the Te Arawa drive-through hub to be vaccinated at midday.
"I did want to make it significant. I was due for my last one last week but I saved it for Super Saturday to join the rest of the country and contribute to the big goal of 100,000 vaccines across New Zealand. I wanted to be part of that."
He spent the morning handing out muffins to workers at vaccination centres and the Te Arawa call centre. After his dose, he planned to stay at the drive-through hub volunteering.
Coffey said it was important to make the vaccine accessible.
"A drive-through, sitting in your car offers safety and security ... I've volunteered there the last few Sundays and when people are in their cars people feel safe."
Coffey said the vaccine was the best way to protect families and "get back to normal" and after today the whole Labour caucus would be vaccinated.
At the Fordlands Community Centre vaccination hub Coffey said he had spoken to one woman who had gone to the centre to see what was happening after hearing the music. Once there she had made the decision to get vaccinated then gone home to get her son so he could do the same.
He said that illustrated "if we come to their spaces they will show up".
"Going to the places and spaces our cultural communities are is how we get to those communities ... going to places where they are is the best way of giving them the opportunity to get vaccinated. Expecting them to go to centres can be too much of a barrier for some. Creating safe ways for them to get vaccinated is key."
Coffey said the local Rotary club was also supporting Super Saturday by shuttling people from local supermarkets to the drive-through vaccination hub.
Three pharmacies and a medical centre were operating on Super Saturday in Rotorua. Owhata Pharmacy administered about 20 vaccine doses in the three hours it was open.
Ranolf Medical Centre was open until 2pm while Unichem Central Pharmacy was open until 4.30pm by appointment and Unichem The Mall was open until 5.30pm by appointment.
