Aroha Williams was again a superlative Santa at Raetihi's Christmas Carnival. Photo / Mario Buchboeck
Raetihi really has the perfect Santa, its Christmas Carnival organiser Lucy Conway says.
Aroha Williams took on that role again on December 8, when floats paraded up and down the town's wide main street.
"Our Santa was again fantastic, calling the kids by name, multilingual, jolly, loved and loving," Conway said.
It was a good day, with lots of happy faces. The sun shone, and Ruapehu District Council staff dressed in historic costume were very hot indeed.
There were stalls and people lining Seddon St to watch as shiny trucks, tractors and floats paraded up and down.
The new McIntosh Dance Company float won first prize, in the first year of the company's existence. Ruapehu District Council's float took second prize, with TCB Ski Board & Bike coming third.
One stall raised funds for snowboarder Tui Wikohika's attempt at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. And Raetihi's volunteer fire brigade raised $450 toward sending a team of four to the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge in May next year.
“Relying on overseas doctors to fill our rural workforce gaps is not sustainable."