Santa generally switches his hot red outfit for cool board shorts when making his Christmas deliveries in the scorching summers of the winterless North. But when he cruises into Whangarei from the North Pole later this month both he and his reindeer will find one spot in the city where they can chill out.
An ice skating rink will be set up in a big marquee at the Town Basin, open from 10am to 10pm daily from December 20 to January 26, except for Christmas Day. "This will be the first time an ice skating rink will be brought to Whangarei and we expect it to be an enormous hit," Whangarei District Council marketing and events manager Rachel O'Gorman said yesterday.
Rink operator Ice World will freeze about 30,000 litres of water into a 30m by 16m skating rink under its marquee in the carpark between Riverside Dr and Dent St. Admission will cost $20 for adults, $15 for children and $50 for families.
Ice World has previously taken the rink to Porirua, Christchurch, Wellington, Rotorua, Palmerston North, Nelson, Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland. The ice rink is part of the council's Endless Summer Festival. And Mrs O'Gorman said if it proved as popular more activities could follow. "Support for the ice skating will encourage the council to bring more events to the city," she said. Along with cool skating fun, the Town Basin ice rink will bring jobs, with staff needed. Details and how to apply are at: www.sjs.co.nz/job/103095365.