More than 30 people from Rotorua spent months preparing for last weekend's Auckland Pride Parade. Photo / Rotorua Chamber of Pride
Rotorua was proudly represented in front of thousands of people at Auckland's Pride Parade.
The annual event down Ponsonby Rd on Saturday attracted more than 50 floats and is the country's biggest gathering of the self-described "Rainbow Community" (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender).
Local float Proudly Rotorua had more than 30
people on board after months of organisation and practice.
"It was brilliant, as with any event, it was nerve-racking and was stressful, but on the day we pulled together and it was awesome," group spokesman Tamati Coffey said. "The highlight was at the start, everyone was a bit nervous, but the sound and light guy cranked in the sound system, everybody in the street heard us and we became hyped up right through to the end."
Mr Coffey said they were third to last in the procession of the parade and started moving forward in the dark but were well equipped with sound and lighting rigged on their float. He said they had strong support from local businesses such as Euro Scaffolding and tourism operators sponsored their float by advertising on pamphlets that were given out to the thousands in the crowd. The group was one of three that were not from Auckland. "We had 2500 pamphlets to give out to encourage them to come Rotorua and they were gone in the first half. We had a really great reaction, the people in the crowd were shouting out, 'Rotorua'."
