Kids' entry wins at Christmas Parade

This high-tech Rudolph the red-nosed Reindeer float, created by Kidz Rock, was awarded the best float at the Rotorua Christmas Parade. Photo/Stephen Parker

The construction of Kidz Rock's award-winning float in this year's Christmas Parade was a real family affair, with Tracey Tutbury's husband doing the engineering and her mum making all the costumes.

Mrs Tutbury, the owner of the daycare, said they always tried to make the float interactive and came up with the idea this year of having a moving head of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

She said the kids at the daycare always really looked forward to the Christmas Parade and getting involved - and this year's float obviously captured the attention of the judges, as well. It was named the best out of the 30 floats entered.

Between 9000 and 10,000 people lined the streets of Rotorua to watch the parade weave its way through inner Rotorua.

Organiser Aaron Gillions said the number of floats was slightly fewer than expected because some people weren't able to get enough helpers. "The road being closed from Tauranga was unhelpful too. We had a few things conspire against us."

But the feedback he'd had was that while the number of floats was down, the quality was better than previous years.

"We're really happy. The weather was perfect."

He said organisers had commissioned a survey this year and the crowd's input would form a report looking at ways to improve the event in the future.

As well as being the overall winner, the Kidz Rock float took out the education section with Selwyn Kindergarten taking second place and St Mary's Catholic School in third place.

In the not-for-profit category, the Philippine Club of Rotorua came first followed by the Kaharoa Trolley Derby and Scouting at Christmas. The business category was won by Bunnings, with Kidz World second, followed by Agroventures.