Opinion: Paul Hickey - Final barbecue, business party and new CBD shops

Winter is coming and it might be time to enjoy the final barbecues of the season. Photo / Getty Images

As we were constantly reminded on cult television show 'Game Of Thrones', "winter is coming".

And we have had a pretty good reminder of that over the past couple of days especially, with some cool winds and at least one night of pretty chilly temperatures around the Rotorua area.

But just a week or so ago we were treated to a throwback to how good our summer was.

This prompted me to decide it was a good time to plan the final barbecue of the season, before giving all the outdoor gear a good clean then packing it away for the winter months.

How typical though that when I checked the gas bottle, it was clearly obvious there was not enough gas left to cook even a quick barbie.

There is nothing worse than having your heart set on delicious barbecue food and then running out of gas partway through and having to resort to the oven, right?

So I needed to get a refill bottle for this one final cook. Easily sorted, but then afterwards it did seem like a waste to put the full bottle away for the next six months.

So my fingers are crossed for some more summer throwback days to come. You with me?

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Is anybody else feeling buoyed with the number of events being scheduled, and the general feeling of 'let's do stuff' that is emanating around the city right now?

I touched on this in last week's column and it has continued this week with the returning Thursday Night Market in the heart of Tutanekai.

What a gem this event is, and locals certainly seemed happy to have it return.

And this week there has been the pretty appealing initiative from the Rotorua Business Chamber and RotoruaNZ planned for next Thursday, which will kick off Easter nicely.

It's the 'Back To Business Party On Eat Street', and I'm sensing a kind of New Orleans Mardi Gras vibe that could make this something pretty special.

Keep an eye on the What's On page at thehits.co.nz for more information on this and all the events we're supporting.

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I continue to be pleasantly surprised with the number of new shops opening up in the Rotorua CBD.

These businesses are taking the plunge, and now it's up to us as locals to get into the downtown area and support them.

One of the new tenants in town is The Cosmetic Clinic, which is open now on the corner of Tutanekai and Eruera Sts.

The Cosmetic Clinic offers a wide range of services from laser hair removal to skin treatments for acne management, rosacea, pigmentation, scarring and sun damage.

To celebrate, The Hits Street Team are holding a grand opening at the store this Saturday morning between 10am and 12pm where they will have heaps of prizes, games and more.

Then next week on my show I'm giving away a 10-step microdermabrasion skin treatment valued at $149, and an Observ skin analysis + Balense skincare pack valued at $179. Listen to my show to find out how to win.

Paul Hickey is your local host on The Hits Rotorua weekdays between 9am and 3pm. Featuring Rotorua news, information, and giveaways, plus trending stories from around the world. Listen on 97.5FM or download the iHeartRadio app. PLUS follow The Hits Rotorua and Paul on Facebook and Instagram.