Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Tauranga's AIMS Games, Kopurererua Valley project win NZ Recreation Awards

Carmen Hall
By Carmen Hall
Bay of Plenty Times·
26 Oct, 2018 01:11 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Tauranga Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout and Anchor AIMS Games tournament director Vicki Semple at the 2018 New Zealand Recreation Awards. Photo / Supplied

Tauranga Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout and Anchor AIMS Games tournament director Vicki Semple at the 2018 New Zealand Recreation Awards. Photo / Supplied

The Anchor AIMS Games and the Kopurererua Valley project have nabbed top honours at the 2018 New Zealand Recreation Awards held in Auckland on Thursday night.

But the good news did not end there. The Mauao Historic Reserve got a merit in the outstanding park category.

The outstanding event category went to the Anchor AIMS Games and tournament director Vicki Semple said it was a fantastic achievement for all involved.

Although she accepted the award, Semple wanted to credit the amazing team she worked with, including the Tauranga City Council.

AIMS Games opening ceremony at ASB Arena earlier this year. Photo/File
AIMS Games opening ceremony at ASB Arena earlier this year. Photo/File
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The event had gone from strength to strength and caused food for thought.

''As I was sitting there and they were talking about the event and I started reflecting. I thought if someone had said to me back in 2004 you know you are going to be here tonight and win this award, I would have said 'not in a million years'.

''It was quite exciting and absolutely amazing.''

''What I love about the AIMS Games now is the pride that Tauranga has in the event as everyone buys into and celebrate the event when its on and I think that is the point of difference.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ironically, on the day of the awards, Semple was in Auckland having planning meetings for 2019 ''so it all starts again''.

Buddy Mikaere said Kopurererua Valley, which won the outstanding project award, was only going to get better.

Kopurererua Valley was the largest restored wetlands river enhancement project in the Southern Hemisphere, he said.

''It's just amazing ... there are so many other enhancements also going on like all the walkways, cycleways the new pedestrian bridge and you are starting to see the return of rare birds that we haven't seen for years.''

Discover more

Claims of 'partial truths' in annual report refuted

30 Oct 10:42 PM

Halloween treat trail draws cute and creepy

28 Oct 01:05 AM

Credit was also due to successive councils which supported the whole concept alongside major stakeholders and Rotary that were involved in obtaining and planting native plants, he said.

''It's just wonderful.''

The night was quite emotional, Mikaere said, considering Mauao Historic Reserve also picked up the merit.

More than one million people a year visited Mauao, he said.

''That must be the most highly visited park reserve in New Zealand.''

The awards were good advertisements for the city, he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''It just shows what we can do with big community buy-in for projects.''

Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout, who attended the awards, said it was a fantastic effort and great for Tauranga.

''I thought it was a real feather in our cap.''

NZRA is a charitable body and the Recreation Awards have been held annually since 1991 to recognise individuals, organisations, programmes, and facilities that have made exceptional contributions to improving recreation and sport for New Zealanders.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

10 Jul 12:40 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Pedestrian injured in Pāpāmoa crash

09 Jul 10:40 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

The amalgamation debate: Mayor claims 'no one’s prepared to act'

09 Jul 09:20 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

10 Jul 12:40 AM

An orange warning has been issued for Coromandel and Waikato from 11am tomorrow.

Pedestrian injured in Pāpāmoa crash

Pedestrian injured in Pāpāmoa crash

09 Jul 10:40 PM
The amalgamation debate: Mayor claims 'no one’s prepared to act'

The amalgamation debate: Mayor claims 'no one’s prepared to act'

09 Jul 09:20 PM
Truck driver dies in BoP crash

Truck driver dies in BoP crash

09 Jul 09:01 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP