Today we continue a month-by-month feature looking at the stories that shaped Rotorua during 2011.
July 1
Two Rotorua high school students charged in connection with the death of their mate in a jetskiing tragedy on Lake Okareka are convicted and discharged.
Seventeen-year-old Bishop Thompson died after being flung from a jetski being driven by his uncle, Ricardo Maaka, 18, and was then struck by a jetski being driven by his friend, Teimana Harrison, 18.
Bishop sustained serious head injuries in the crash on January 8. Family and friends kept vigil on the shores of the lake until his body was found by police divers five days later.
Maaka and Harrison were charged with operating a ship in a manner likely to cause unnecessary danger to persons or property and pleaded guilty in March. They were sentenced in the Rotorua District Court by Judge Phillip Cooper, who told them they would have to deal with the tragedy for the rest of their lives.
July 8
Samantha Bettany-Taylor was among hundreds of people who lined up for a job interview for the city's new Wendy's Old-Fashioned Hamburgers. The restaurant held an open recruitment day at Kingsgate Hotel to find 45 staff.
Construction of the restaurant on the corner of Maisey Pl and Fairy Springs Rd began on February 28 and it is likely to open early next month.
Miss Bettany-Taylor said she had moved back to Rotorua about a month ago after doing seasonal work in Dannevirke.
Since the 21-year-old's return to Rotorua, she had applied for about eight jobs and yesterday was the first time she had got an interview. She was hoping to get a job at Wendy's.
Debra Pickett, 44, said she had been out of work for three years and had lost count of the number of jobs she had applied for. "I lost count at 36." Many of the positions she had applied for were shop assistant roles and she was hoping to get a job yesterday.
July 14
Support for Hone Harawira's fledgling Mana Party is building in the region, with members searching for a candidate to represent them in the Waiariki electorate.
A group of Rotorua residents have banded together to get the party off the ground in the city in time for November's general election and referendum.
One of those people is Grace Hoet who said the party's policies resonated with allpeople - not just Maori, but anyone looking for a fair deal.
Ms Hoet, well-known political activist Bernie Hornfeck, Rotorua's Dotty Raroa and a small group of party members have been working behind the scenes preparing for their first official hui.
"[Hone Harawira] speaks at a level we can all understand. For me, he is a man with integrity [and] not too many politicians can say that. He is a rare one, a man of his word," Ms Hoet said.
July 18
Rotorua's Okeroa Douglas was taken on her last drive through Te Kura o Te Koutu as students and staff performed an emotional haka to farewell their colleague.
The 18-year-old was killed in a car crash on State Highway 5 near Rotorua on Friday night. Police said the car she was driving hit a power pole next to the Lake View Golf Course just north of Rotorua at 9.55pm.
Rotorua police sergeant Pauline Jones said the car crossed the centre line and left the road before crashing into the concrete pole. Okeroa died at the scene, while the front-seat passenger was taken to hospital with head injuries.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash.
Tribute messages are already flooding in for Okeroa, and the Bay of Plenty Under 18 hockey team has pledged to dedicate this week's hockey tournament to the victim, who was a representative hockey player. The talented teenager received a Daily Post Youth in Excellence Award in 2009 for having many positive qualities, being able to speak three languages - English, Maori and Spanish - and being a proven leader.
July 21
Most of Rotorua Maroons weren't born the last time the team won rugby's Tai Mitchell Shield.
Yesterday, they wrote themselves into the record book after beating defending champions Tauranga West 24-20 in the Bay of Plenty Primary Schools Rugby Union competition.
It was the third time Maroon had beaten Tauranga West this season and clashes have ended with a similar scoreline. In a pre-season game, Maroon won 25-24 and in the opening round of the Tai Mitchell Tournament at Edgecumbe last Friday it was 24-19.
"It was a game of two halves," coach Wayne Fell said of yesterday's final. "We streaked out to 24-0 in the first half but in the second they kept us down by the try line. We knew they would come back but we said it was far from over."
July 26
Snow fell in Rotorua and Taupo as a cold wintry blast hit the country - and temperatures are not expected to warm up until later in the week.
Off Road New Zealand owner Carol Tew said snow fell for up to 15 minutes about 9.30am yesterday at their Mamaku business on Amoore Rd. "It was nice thick snow. Nothing settled unfortunately. Some of the guys here were quite excited to see it."
Tarawera's Anaru Rangiheuea said he could see "quite a sprinkling" of snow on Mt Tarawera late yesterday morning but it was not as heavy as it had been in previous years.
But it was Taupo that got a much a bigger fall of snow. The Barnett family went outside when snow began falling at their Loch Views Rd home about 7.30am.
Michelle Barnett said it was the first time she had seen snow falling in Taupo since 1996 and it was really exciting for her two daughters Charlotte, 5, and Emily, 2.
July 30
The first stage of Rotorua Hospital's $83 million redevelopment was opened yesterday with a ceremony that began in the early hours.
Health Minister Tony Ryall and Ngati Whakaue kaumatua Pihopa Kingi opened the new $36 million three-storey building, which marks the completion of stage one. Known as Whakaue Rauoranga, the new building will feature surgical, orthopaedic and medical units, and intensive care and coronary care departments on its second and third levels.
The ground floor will house facilities for a range of specialist outpatient clinical services, including chemotherapy and audiology.
Johnson suffered critical injuries after he was hit on a pedestrian crossing.