Piping hot competition (+video)

PIPES: The Auckland police pipe band performed at the Central North Island Highland Pipe Band Competition over the weekend. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

The 57th annual Central North Island Highland Pipe Band competition was hot fun under the sun on Saturday, and according to a local club president band members of all ages had a great time.

Rotorua Highland Pipe Band president Graham Parkinson said they were really pleased about the weather because the forecast hadn't been promising.

"We had a good turn out of about a couple 100 people, and that was just the public. Everyone had a great time and some even got a little burnt."

He said a highlight was definitely the police band who came down from Auckland.

"We had seven bands perform, they came from the central North Island. Everyone enjoyed themselves.

"One of the bands from Hamilton had an age group from 6 to 87, I thought that was a good representation of age groups there.

"It doesn't matter how old you are you can join in and carry on."

Mr Parkinson said they would be hosting it again next year and they had hopes to host the National Highland Pipe Band in 2018.

"We are going to put our names forward and we have a pretty good chance of being able to host it. It would mean up to 64 bands in Rotorua," Mr Parkinson said.

The two grades competing on Saturday were three and four, the Auckland police band won grade three, and Tauranga won grade four with Hamilton number one coming second.