Nahne Marsters. Photo / NZME
The Rotorua Daily Post is looking back at the stories of 2022. Here’s what made headlines in January:
January 1:
She’s lived through pandemics, war and has outlived two of her children but 107-year-old Ella Wilson still believes in the importance of a positive outlook in life.
As Kiwis set their resolutions for 2022, Wilson was one of three Bay of Plenty centenarians to share what they had learned about how to live well in their collective 311 years on Earth.
January 7:
The “gutwrenching” death of a 5-year-old boy at Minginui prompted warnings from local water safety experts.
The tragedy came as the country’s drowning death toll rose to 14 preventable drowning fatalities for the holiday period.
Emergency crews and helicopters were called to Mangamate Waterfall. The crew’s attempts to resuscitate the boy failed.
The young boy’s death was the third water-related death for that day, others included a 28-year-old man who died while swimming the Waingaro River, a scuba diving accident at Waiwera Beach and a 4-year-old who drowned in Kai Iwi Lakes.
January 12:
The first Covid-positive guests were expected at a new iwi-led community isolation facility established in a secluded lakeside lodge in Rotorua.
Lakes Lodge Okataina, formerly a wedding and conference venue, was sold to Te Arawa iwi Ngāti Tarāwhai, which has been working with Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Rongomai to establish a facility for whānau to safely isolate.
The facility, which had capacity for 78 people, was expected to start housing Covid positive people and their close contact whānau from January 12. Ngāti Tarāwhai Iwi Trust chairman Cyrus Hingston said the isolated location of the lodge - on the edge of Lake Okataina, about 30km from Rotorua - provided an opportunity to provide support to people who needed to isolate away from whānau.
January 18:
Rotorua mothers wanting to protect their children against Covid-19 were left frustrated and tearful after finding the city’s vaccination centre closed on the day the vaccines rolled out to 5 to 11-year-olds.
January 17 was the first day that age group could get the Covid-19 vaccine, but the Lakes District Health Board’s main vaccination centre was closed for the day.
In a statement, a Lakes health board spokesperson said the health board hubs had always been open Tuesday to Saturday.
Rotorua mum Vanessa McWilliams said she wanted to get her daughter vaccinated before she started school again.
January 23:
The reintroduction of the Covid-19 red traffic light setting will lead to a “visible downturn” in tourism, the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive said.
On January 22, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the move to the red traffic light setting.
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard thought people would be hesitant to travel domestically at red.
“When Rotorua was in red previously, it was a visible downturn in domestic tourism,” he said. “It’s a downturn on a downturn.”
January 25:
Amber Brogden was horrified when her 5-year-old nephew picked up what she says was a used needle in a Rotorua park.
Brogden and her mother-in-law were at Kuirau Park on January 22 when her nephew Casey climbed down into an old footpool and saw a needle and syringe.
She said Casey had toy syringes that look similar, so he picked up the needle.
“He picked it up thinking it was a toy, then me and my mother-in-law both yelled at him to drop it.”
January 26:
A Rotorua community leader said people were getting frustrated with changes to the Covid-19 strategy “every couple of weeks”.
Rotorua district councillor, Lakes DHB member and Whanau Ora commissioning chairwoman Merepeka Raukawa-Tait made the comments in response to the Government’s Omicron three-phase approach.
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the Government needed to provide more information and small businesses were confused and worried.
Mayor Steve Chadwick, however, said she was “very comfortable” with the plan.
January 29:
Nahne Marsters had the “spirit of a lion”.
The Rotorua woman was strong, loving and knew what she wanted, even in her final days when she told her family her fight was over.
Tungane (Nahne) Marsters, 32, died on January 25 after a year-long cancer battle. Her mum Koringo Marsters said her daughter was strong throughout the fight.
“She had the spirit of a lion ... Even though outside her body was sick, her mind was still strong.
“When it was time to go she told us. She let us know. She told us she’d had enough and to let her go.”