Letters to the editor: No defined carpark at Blue Lake

When events like the pictured Legend of the Lake are held at Blue Lake, the carpark fills. Photo / Simon Watts

Yet another large and successful sports event has been held based at the Blue Lake.

Seemingly hundreds of cars, most with bike carriers, park on the grass. These events draw competitors, support crews and spectators from Rotorua and far beyond yet there is no defined carpark to accommodate the masses.

Yet about 1km up the road is a forlorn and very expensive 400-space carpark, supposedly established for mountain bikers, that is hardly used.

Twenty cars on a very good day. Two or three on a bad one yet every day there are many cars with and without bike carriers parked on the grass at the Blue Lake.

Can someone please tell me, and all those others also wondering, why what was spent on the Forest Hub 2 was not spent constructing a carpark at the Blue Lake because in that location it would get an enormous amount of use all the time?

Paddi Hodgkiss
Rotorua

Tribute to Māori Battalion

On January 24 I attended the hikoi march to observe the 75th anniversary of the Māori Battalion B company return from World War II.

What a magnificent sight as the Rotorua Pipe Band, Willie Apiata VC and the regular force led off about 1000 relatives and friends.

Wonderful Bom Gillies, still a surviving member, was able to be there. Tremendous Mick Kenny QS, renowned full back of Māori Rugby Team 1949 era, mentioned this to me. He was in the Wellington 22nd regiment.

He said as the barrage of something like 3000 cannon erupted at El Alamein against Rommel's forces above the noise he heard the haka and chant of the Māori Battalion. He said it was awesome.

There's a personal observation and tribute to the Māori Battalion for all whānau to know today. Pleased to meet Willie Apiata. In 1995 I took a citation from Rotorua to Mick signed by all surviving Māori Battalion members including Sir Charles Bennett and Sir Howard Morrison.

L/BDR Alan Lord
Fort Dorset, 1951
(Abridged)

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