A fun day out at Tauranga's Memorial Park proves a winner

Blake Lee, 3, was one of the youngsters enjoying the Memorial Park water fountain. Photo / George Novak

Blake Lee, 3, was one of the youngsters enjoying the Memorial Pak water fountain yesterday. Photo /George Novak 281219gn16bop.JPG

Hundreds of families and holidaymakers poured into Tauranga's Memorial Park to have a relaxing day in the sun over the weekend.

Among the crowds who visited the park on Saturday was newly married Aucklander Dana Lee, sons Blake, 3, and 11-month Hudson, plus her two nephews, a niece and her mother Sheryl Kuka who live in Welcome Bay.

Lee said the park was packed with lots of families who had the same idea as they did, and it was great to see so many family groups enjoying themselves and so chilled out.

She and her sons arrived in Tauranga on Christmas Eve and were spending the festive season with her mother and her brother and sister-in-law and their children.

Unfortunately, her husband Richard had to stay behind in Takapuna, Lee said.

"It's great to be able to spend Christmas and New Year with my extended family and a great way to try to recharge my batteries before the start of another busy year for us."

Lee said they chose to go to Memorial Park over the beach because it's safer for the kids.

"It felt nice and comforting to visit the park again, and we set ourselves up at a wee possie and had a little picnic and ending staying several hours... Memorial Park has always been a great place for families to spend some time," she said.

According to the MetService's forecast, the fine weather is expected to continue for the next three to five days, with temperatures ranging in the mid to high 20s.

Apart from cloudy mornings, a high of 25C is expected today with a low of 14C, and a high of 24C tomorrow, and reaching 28C on New Year's Day.