Northland businesses cautiously optimistic after busy Matariki weekend

Lisa Lu (far left), Savanah Erdos and Tiree Gilroy from Circus Kumarani add some colour to the Light and Lantern Parade with lit hoops. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Northland businesses are cautiously optimistic after a busy weekend of trading over the Matariki long weekend now the Brynderwyns are open.

Thursday saw the main road into the region finally open after a nail-biting wait following slip damage in April. Works were supposed to last just nine weeks from February 26 until May 12.

The long-overdue reopening came just in time for Matariki, when businesses and tourist destinations planned to welcome visitors with open arms and pockets.

Hannah Mitchell has a purrfect outfit with a lit parasole at the Light and Lantern Parade. Photo / Michael Cunningham

NorthChamber president Tim Robinson was pleased to see the Brynderwyns reopened.

“The impact has been significant, there’s no two ways about that.”

He quoted a recent NZEIR survey which found the daily loss for businesses was between $3.3 million and $14.6m.

Now the Brynderwyns were open, many businesses were reacting with “cautious optimism” as they move into the quieter midwinter period, he said.

Robinson said Whangārei seemed quiet on the retail end on Saturday. However, he was aware the hospitality had done well.

“Whether or not it’s visitors or locals, it’s good to hear [hospitality] is doing well. We need that.”

However, he said the “jury was out” regarding whether the reopening will spell a significant change for local businesses.

He was concerned that during the period of the closure, people travelled elsewhere to places such as the Coromandel and had picked new favourites.

“There seems to be a perception right now that it’s hard to do stuff in Northland. And it’s going to take a while for people to build the confidence to spend time and spend money.”

Tim Robinson from the Chamber of Commerce is cautiously optimistic about the Brynderwyns opening. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds held a free open day on Sunday, June 30, while on Friday night, Whangārei was pumping with activity for the inaugural Light and Lantern Parade.

At The Crafty Local in Paihia, owner Karen Smith said the township was a hive of activity over the weekend.

The bar and bistro opened in November, and Smith joked they only had a few months of a “honeymoon period” before the Brynderwyns closed.

She said those choosing to eat at her business were a mixture of locals and visitors, some from Auckland and further afield.

Smith said it was hard to judge whether it was busy because of Matariki or the Brynderwyns being open, but it was good timing for the upcoming school holidays.

“When it’s busy and everything’s open and at full capacity, it’s amazing,” she said. “It’s a great tourist destination.”

The winter period can hit areas such as Paihia particularly hard, and Smith hoped the opening would give her township more of a boost.

At the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, head of commercial development Charles Parker said the free open day on Sunday saw 1300 people come through the doors.

“That’s bigger than any summer day,” he said.

Parker said it was a strong weekend and staff were looking forward to the future now a vital link to the north was open.

“The Brynderwyns is our vital connection to Auckland and further south, and it is essential to have that road open.”

While there were alternative routes, he said it was off-putting for commuters to use them.

He was cautiously optimistic about the coming months.

“We’ve still got tough economic times out there, and that will continue to be a challenge - this is just one less challenge.”

Further north in the rural township of Rawene, Boatshed Cafe owner Melanie Gielen said Saturday proved busy.

She believed her customers were mostly visitors from further south coming up north to spend time with family.

Brynderwyn Hills State Highway 1 was open in time for the Matariki long weekend. Photo / Michael Cunningham

During the period where the Brynderwyns were closed, Gielen said she noticed customer numbers were slightly down.

Periods that would usually be busy were quiet as well, though she noted coming into winter, things drop off anyway.

“We’re really happy that it is [back open], especially for other businesses [that rely on it more].”

For her, the bigger worry was Mangamuka State Highway 1, which has been closed twice in recent years after a series of slips.

It was a frequent question that came up when talking to people wanting to travel further across the motu, she said.

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Northern Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.