Paul Hickey: Easter family time, sad and happy songs, tour with Kia

Have a safe and happy Easter, and enjoy your chocolates and hot cross buns. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION

And just like that it is Easter, and hopefully the start of a busy couple of weeks in Rotorua, along with maybe a few more restrictions being eased.

We all know just how much our hospo and tourism businesses need things to be a bit easier!

After making a major error last year and forgetting to buy hot cross buns, I'm not going to make the same mistake this year, so I have stocked and frozen already.

I'm looking forward to lots of those and a little bit of chocolate, but most of all my wife Katie and I are looking forward to having both our kids home in Rotorua for the long weekend.

As recent 'empty-nesters' we love the new freedom that allows, but we also notice how we miss the family dynamic.

It's the first time we've all been in the same place in nearly six months, so it will be pretty special to share a few days together.

So I hope you have a safe and happy Easter too. Enjoy your chocolates and hot cross buns, and I might even see you and your whānau at Paradise Valley Speedway, because that's where we'll be!

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What's the absolute saddest song of all time?

REM's 1992 hit "Everybody Hurts", according to a survey of 2000 adults in the UK.

Second is Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" and Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven".

Also in the top five saddest songs of all time: Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and "Yesterday" by The Beatles.

Some other interesting findings from the poll: 36 per cent choose a sad song when they are feeling nostalgic, 24 per cent play sombre music after a breakup, and almost half, surprisingly, believe that a sad song can brighten their day.

And just so we don't wrap this up on a downer, the top three happiest songs according to survey respondents are, in order: Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now", "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, and "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and The Waves.

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A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to have the loan of a shiny new Kia Sportage LX Plus Diesel All Wheel Drive from Ebbett Rotorua.

After an enjoyable few days driving it around, I was certainly disappointed having to hand it back to Ricky at Ebbetts!

But we did decide that we'd give one lucky listener of The Hits the same opportunity, with a few extras.

So forget the Grand Tour, it's time for Your Tour! It is two nights away for two at Chateau Tongariro including breakfast, and of course the use of the all-new 2022 Kia Sportage LX Plus Diesel All Wheel Drive to get you there.

To be in to win, head to thehits.co.nz/win, and take a guess at how many kilometres I travelled in the Kia while I had it.

• 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.