Lake Okareka skies to light up for New Year

PHOTO/FILE

A community-funded event looks set to return to light up the sky with bursts of colour on New Year's Eve.

Fireworks display organiser Dennis Falconer said the Lake Okareka New Year's fireworks display had been done several times over the years, but not for the last four or five years.

It would return this year, in addition to the fireworks display on the Rotorua lakefront, he said.

"It will be a free event but is funded from donations which would be gratefully received."

Fireworks displays cost from about $2500 and upwards, so in weeks to come they would get a tally of what the budget was looking like and the display would be set accordingly, Mr Falconer said.

"The interest has been huge and we are expecting the display to be reasonably substantial."

He said it was likely to be a "pyro-musical" display, set to music with a sound system floating on a barge on the lake.

"Anybody can come and see it, but primarily it was for the community [Lake Okareka]."

He said it was a close community at the lake, and during the Christmas and New Year period the whole place took on a different vibe.

"It's a great time to have a community celebration and a great time to have a fireworks display."

He had been approached by several people over the last six months asking if there was going to be fireworks this year, and it turned out he was available to do it.

"People love fireworks displays, and this one is special as it's on the water which lets us do things that are difficult on land."

He said Boyes Beach was the best place for the public to view it from while most of the Lake Okareka community would be able to see it from their houses.

An earlier display is being looked at for families with young children, at about 9pm or 10pm, before one at midnight.

If the weather is bad there may be an option of holding it the following night.

Mr Falconer said the Lake Okareka Rural Fire Force was instrumental in the set up and build-up of the display.

He said it was all in the planning stage and the more people donated the bigger and better it would be.

To help fund the display go to http://www.okarekaruralfire.com/donate.html