Toby Williams, 10, enjoys the Rotorua A&P Show. Photo / Andrew Warner
Toby Williams, 10, enjoys the Rotorua A&P Show. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua was hot, bustling and full of visitors. As holidaymakers make the most of summer, Sandra Conchie finds out how Rotorua benefited.
Hot sunny weather and plenty of great sporting events helped ensure Rotorua's accommodation was at a premium over Auckland Anniversary weekend.
Hundreds of competitors and their supporters fromaround the country poured into Rotorua for the Northern IPS Touch Tournament at Rotorua International Stadium.
Rotorua I-Site manager Graham Brownrigg said accommodation in Rotorua was at "a premium" over the weekend with lots of extra inquiries and bookings filled up fast.
Brownrigg said the I-Site was going "flat tack" to keep up with demand not just for accommodation but inquiries about things to do.
Rotorua i-Site manager Graham Brownrigg. Photo / File
"There was a lot of people in town and many people were taking full advantage of our wonderful Redwoods Forest and the lakes and the other popular activities," he said.
More than 3000 people are estimated to have attended the annual Rotorua A & P Show at the Agrodome on Saturday.
Rotorua A & P Show Association secretary Lyn Tetenburg said she and the other organisers were pleased with the crowd turnout.
"This year we chose to condense the show from two days to one and also put on extra free and educational activities as well which was well-received," Tetenburg said.
She said she was pleased with the numbers through the gates, "which were definitely more than the last year, which was about 3000".
Exact numbers were yet to be finalised.
Willow Price, 11, performs at the Rotorua A&P Show. Photo / Andrew Warner
"Accommodation in Rotorua definitely filled up fast and I even had some out-of-towners staying with me because they couldn't find anywhere else to stay," she said.
"Overall things worked out very well and I think everyone enjoyed themselves."
Pullman Rotorua, Rotorua's first international five-star hotel, had good bookings, including being fully booked on Sunday night, general manager Richard Bungeroth said.
Bungeroth said the hotel complex, which had 130 rooms, officially opened on January 14 but initially only took bookings for 100 rooms to see how things would go.
"We are pleased as our bookings have exceeded our expectations and from Waitangi Day onwards, the hotel, we will run with all 130 rooms open for visitors and go for gold."
Ambrosia Restaurant and Bar's duty manager said they were "busy as" and most days the eatery was half full of tourists and other half locals.
"It was hot and busy but we managed to keep up with demand thanks to having a really strong team who all work together well," he said.
"This area of town was definitely pumping and the restaurants and bars in the Eat Street part of town were full with lots of people," the manager said.
Rotorua's Brew Craft Beer Pub's manager said: "We were very busy all weekend but we were prepared for the influx and had extra staff on over the weekend."
A spokesperson from Skyline Rotorua said they were kept "quite busy" all weekend.
Both Destination Rotorua chief executive Michelle Temper and Rotorua Motel Association's Nick Fitzgerald were unavailable for comment.
