Athletes race into the water at the start of the Blue Lake Multisport Festival sprint triathlon in 2021. Photo / File
Athletes race into the water at the start of the Blue Lake Multisport Festival sprint triathlon in 2021. Photo / File
Back-to-back long weekends are expected to pump millions of dollars into the local economy as thousands of people flock to the region for big events.
Elite sport, a near-sold-out reggae festival, and cultural celebrations are on the cards for the Bay of Plenty over the Auckland Anniversary and Waitangi Day weekends, and Rotorua accommodation is nearly at capacity.
The weather forecast threatens to put a damper on the fun, however, with heavy rain warnings issued for the Bay of Plenty west of Whakatāne for Friday and Saturday.
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard said the tourism and hospitality sectors loved long weekends as people flocked to the city.
He said some were “playing catchup” for holiday bumps lost during Covid.
High inflation did not appear to be slowing holiday spending with post-Christmas reports “pretty positive”, and nearly all in the sectors reporting an upturn in business and bookings, and some now running ahead of pre-Covid levels.
RotoruaNZ chief executive Andrew Wilson said the two long weekends were always busy for Rotorua and expected this year would be “much better” than last year.
Last year, approximate visitor spending during Auckland Anniversary weekend was $3.5m, followed closely by Waitangi weekend at $3.45m.
Wilson said accommodation data showed the city was close to capacity for both weekends.
Rotorua NZ chief executive Andrew Wilson. Photo / Andrew Warner
Bookabach travel expert Daniel Finch said only 10 per cent of properties were left in Rotorua and 6 per cent in Tauranga over the Auckland Anniversary weekend.
For Waitangi weekend, Rotorua had 16 per cent of available and Tauranga 30 per cent.
Finch said it was “great to see confidence is back this year”.
He said more Kiwis had been looking for spacious and private holiday homes or baches over the last 12 months, where they could “really make the most of being together with their family and friends”.
In Rotorua, there an “exciting” lineup of elite athletes was expected at the 37th edition of the Blue Lake Multisport Festival this Saturday and Sunday at Tikitapu, Blue Lake.
Event Director Carol Harwood said the festival, one of New Zealand’s longest-standing triathlon festivals, was known for attracting elite and up-and-coming New Zealand triathlon talent, and this year was no different.
The Blue Lake Multisport Festival in 2020. Photo / Andrew Warner.
Hannah Knighton, who has competed internationally and locally, winning local triathlons in the last couple of months, would be at the festival alongside New Zealand Commonwealth Games member Ainsley Thorpe.
Thorpe’s brother Trent was also lining up after taking the men’s title at the Eves Surfbreaker Triathlon in Tauranga three weeks ago.
James Corbett had also entered the Festival, coming off his debut at the Word Triathlon Champion Series in Cagliari, Italy in October. Samuel Parry and Alex Brackenbury were also up-and-comers to watch in the men’s series.
The festival will have six events across two days, including an aquathon, open water swim and triathlon, with a fun run, kids triathlon and some shorter distance events for beginner athletes.
Due to the festival, Tarawera Rd will be closed between the intersections with Okareka Loop Rd, and the full inside lane of Okareka Loop Rd will be closed from Saturday 8am to Sunday 10am.
Further afield, the popular Bay of Plenty reggae festival One Love is set to pack the Tauranga Domain over Saturday and Sunday.
The event had increased punter capacity from 20,000 to 22,000 - the biggest since it started in 2014.
The One Love Festival at Tauranga Domain in February 2021. Photo / Andrew Warner
With less than 48 hours to go, yesterday there were fewer than 100 tickets remaining according to the event’s social media. About 95 per cent of tickets had sold as of mid-December.
The acts included local and international fan favourites including UB40 ft Ali Campbell, L.A.B, J Boog, Fiji, Sons of Zion, Kolohe Kai, Rebel Souljahz, Katchafire, and Sean Kingston.
It was set to be Glenn Meikle’s first One Love festival as the owner - though he had worked on the bar since the first event - with last year’s show cancelled five days out due to Covid.
Meikle said the festival boundary had been extended to give everyone more space and places to sit in shaded areas.
There will be between 700 and 800 staff, with many of the same contractors from over the years.
He said it had been “a tough couple of years” and he was excited to bring the festival, which he described as a place everyone felt “a lot of love”.
Tauranga City Council event facilitation manager Jenna Quay said a post-event report in 2020 showed visitors to the festival spent $7.2 million in the city.
She said the city was experiencing “one of its biggest event seasons to date” and both long weekends were expected to be “buzzing”, especially in the CBD.
The following weekend, Rotorua’s official Waitangi Day event, “Mō te Aroha o te Iwi, For the Love of the People”, will be held at Ōhinemutu, free for locals and visitors on February 6 from 10am to 3pm.
It will include guided tours, specialist talks, entertainment, food and merchandise stalls and interactive displays.
Te Paratehoata Marae (Tūnohopū) chairwoman Norma Sturley said the focus was on bringing the community together to promote and celebrate its people - Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa waka (mai Maketu ki Tongariro), and ngā tāngata katoa (all who live in Rotorua) - “our place and our community”.
“This whānau community event is for the people, by the people that aims to be a day of fun, learning, sharing, cultural awareness, unity, understanding, community building, remembrance, reflection, strengthening relationships, interaction and inspiration, enjoyment for everyone.”
Sturley said the event would go ahead rain or shine as there were also indoor activities.
The weekend would include a 28th Māori Battalion film, specialist environment talks, exhibitions, stalls, food, talks, walking tours, entertainment and more including family and child-friendly activities.
“It will be a colourful and vibrant day.”
For the Love of the People at Ohinemutu village in 2020. Photo / File
Sturley encouraged people to bring sun protection, chairs and umbrellas as well as cash in case stallholders do not offer Eftpos.
Metservice yesterday issued heavy rain warnings for Bay of Plenty west of Whakatāne between 4pm today and 4pm Saturday and for Coromandel between 10am today and 10am Saturday.
The areas could see between 100 and 140mm of rain about the ranges and 60 to 90mm elsewhere.
Once the heavy rain eased, showers were expected through the rest of the weekend, MetService said.
