Opinion - Paul Hickey: Glam night for Hospice, exciting prequel, Tough Guy & Gal

Paul Hickey as co-host at Harcourts Dancing for Hospice, with dancers Alex Evans and Paige Poihipi-Fladkjar. Photo / Andrew Warner

It never ceases to amaze me just how our Rotorua turns it on and glams it up each year for Harcourts Dancing For Hospice.

Last Saturday night was once again a pretty special night out, and to the 20 dancers who braved the stage, you did yourselves proud.

And also to the wider Rotorua community, who once again turned out to support this very worthy cause and made this THE night of nights in our city.

You could tell that it was building to something special, with Rotorua needing a glamorous night like this to make us feel great!

Everybody looked amazing, the vibe was spine-tingling, and we proved we can still do big in Rotorua.

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I missed all the early hype around Game of Thrones, finally getting hooked into it with a big binge watch just before season four.

Like many fans I was a little disappointed with the ending, so it was with a little apprehension that I approached this week's debut of the prequel House Of The Dragon.

But my god, how good was it? Despite the new characters and storyline, it felt like welcoming an old friend home.

From the Westeros scenery, Kings Landing, the Red Keep and the Iron Throne, to the soundtrack and of course enough blood, gore and naked bodies to remind us why GoT was so great, and to show that this has the potential to match it.

I'm excited to see where this leads.

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I'm pretty lucky to get to host so many great events around Rotorua and even further afield too, like the Tough Guy & Gal Challenge.

This event started here in Rotorua 20 years ago, and is now held in multiple locations all over the country.

After spending weeks away at other locations, it was a bit of a downer last year to not have the local events, as they coincided with the lockdowns and mass event restrictions.

So it has been great to have been involved with the event back here in Rotorua this week.

While the adults event wraps it all up this weekend, it has been the two days of primary and intermediate school kids that has been a real highlight this week.

Seeing these kids doing something that for many is right outside their comfort zone, and having fun while doing it, is pretty cool.

And the proud parents on the sidelines despite their kids being extremely muddy is also neat to see.

Thousands of our kids have taken part. If you were there with your kids or grandkids, I hope you all enjoyed the experience. We did!

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Next week on my radio show, I'm teaming up with Stihl Shop Lakelands and helping you to put a smile on dad's face with the Father's Day Spring Service!

Springtime means the lawns grow quick, so this is a chance to make sure dad's mower is up for the challenge.

I'm giving away a 'full lawnmower service' which means they will replace blades, oil, filters, and spark plug. Plus set the rev settings, check and replace wheel bearings, clean the carburettor and have the full mower cleaned and ready to go for spring.

And since they do the work, it means more time for dad with YOU!

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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.