Te Arawa Lakes Trust chairman Sir Toby Curtis. Photo/File
Te Arawa Lakes Trust chairman Sir Toby Curtis. Photo/File
Te Arawa Lakes Trust chairman Sir Toby Curtis Haramai! Haramai! Haramai!
On behalf of Te Arawa Waka mai Maketu ki Tongariro, I join our esteemed mayor and the people of Rotorua, including Doug Leeder, council chairman of the Bay of Plenty region, to simply say it is a privilege of a lifetime to extend a warm welcome to our most special guests, their Royal Highnesses, Prince Harry and Meghan.
Since the first royal visit in 1874, Rotorua has been privileged to host - including this occasion - eight such visits. Every visit by any member of the royal family never fails to enhance and strengthen the bond between the tangata whenua, the Māori people and descendants of English forebears, who arrived some 180 years ago.
The agreement that they struck in 1840, and enshrined in the Treaty of Waitangi, continue to guide our future direction and active participation in the international arena.
Again, on behalf of Te Arawa iwi, thank you for coming and sharing this wonderful and memorable occasion with us. God willing, may you enjoy a safe journey home.
As a servant of the Waiariki people, I welcome you as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex into our community.
I do this on behalf of a people proud of Rotorua's reputation as Aotearoa's heart of Māori culture, natural wonders and mannakitanga.
Te Arawa has had a long political relationship with England.
We signed the covenant at Kohimarama, to work alongside the Crown and in 1877, Ngāti Whakaue gifted our taonga tupuna whakairo 'Pūkākī' as a symbol of trust.
Queen Victoria's statue stands between Tamatekapua and St Faith's Church.
Currently, the only marae in England is 'Hinemihi o Te Ao Tawhito'. After sheltering whānau during the 1886 Tarawera eruption, her carvings were purchased by Lord Onslow from Surrey.
Ngāti Hinemihi and the UK National Trust are currently in talks to return her home.
During your visit to our city, as spokesman for Ngāti Hinemihi, I look forward to formally inviting you both to the repatriation ceremony in London and continuing your relationship with our people into the future.
Rotorua National MP Todd McClay
National Party MP Todd McClay. Photo/File.
Dear Harry and Meghan,
Welcome to Rotorua, one of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand.
We are proud that you have chosen to visit our city on your short stay in our country. While here you will see many things of beauty - our numerous lakes, impressive forests, mountains and wonderfully kind and generous people. Rotorua is the birthplace of New Zealand tourism, we are the mountain-biking capital, and we're rich in Māori culture.
Rotorua is a vibrant city full of friendly locals. We are rich with clubs and community groups all of whom make this a better place. Our young people are ambitious for the future - they are excited by your visit this week.
We are also home to people from all parts of the world - in fact, people from every Commonwealth country live here, and we've adopted many Brits as our own.
Rotorua is already on the world map – we continue to win many international awards. Your visit will share all we have to offer with many others around the world.
Thank you for visiting, we are honoured to have you here, and please come back and visit again soon.
New Zealand First MP Fletcher Tabuteau.Photo/File.
I was thrilled to hear the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be making a special visit to Rotorua as part of their 2018 royal visit to New Zealand, making it the eighth official royal visit to Rotorua.
The royal visit to New Zealand is a timely reminder of New Zealand's place in the world as one of 52 Commonwealth countries, a diverse group of nations totalling 2.2 billion people.
Rotorua really does provide such a valuable opportunity for the royal couple to experience the unique landscape, culture and people that make up the Commonwealth.
Rotorua is also increasingly recognised internationally. Rotorua has one of the top experiences according to Trip Advisor's half a billion users, and the hāngi experience is considered up there with breakfast at the Vatican and a bicycle street tour of Berlin. It is absolutely right that Rotorua continues to be part of the royals' itinerary.
Having another royal visit to Rotorua is something we can all be proud of, and long may it continue! I certainly hope the Duke and Duchess enjoy the beauty and hospitality of this great city.
It's a great privilege for Rotorua to host the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and to welcome the large media team accompanying them and the thousands of visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.
Rotorua's royal itinerary will showcase many of the attributes that make this such a special destination. The couple will be immersed in the culture of the Te Arawa people at Te Papaiouru Marae and experience the manaakitanga that visitors have been offered here for more than 150 years.
At Rainbow Springs they'll learn more about the conservation story that is so central to the work of many of our tourism operators and they'll go on to enjoy the beauty of our forest and gain an appreciation of its importance to the local and international mountain biking community.
Most of all, they'll encounter the genuine warmth of our hospitality when they meet locals at the Government Gardens.
The media coverage of all of these activities will help to convey the beauty of Rotorua to audiences around the world and we look forward to welcoming many more visitors who will come here to follow in the royals' footsteps.
