Thousands of people leave Auckland for Auckland Anniversary Weekend. PHOTO/FILE
While the region's mayors are ambivalent about the Bay of Plenty having its own anniversary weekend, the Rotorua public have been quick to back the idea.
The Rotorua Daily Post asked some of the region's mayors if they thought the Bay of Plenty should have its own anniversary weekend, considering Rotorua and Tauranga were expanding rapidly.
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said Aucklanders came to Rotorua for the weekend and had a great time, "this is a place where people come and make a great long weekend of it".
"I've never hard anyone mention it or do it. Our focus right now is to get back into Easter trading, so I don't think it's needed.
"But this story could stimulate some conversation about it," she said.
Tauranga City mayor Greg Brownless said he had mixed feelings about the idea.
"I guess for families you want to get together so we'd have different days off than people in Auckland - we are all so close together I don't see the point," he said.
"If we were to, I would tend to have the one anniversary for the whole country, because now we have Wellington with a different day, a different day for Otago and a different day for Auckland.
"I'd be more interested in having them on the same day," Mr Brownless said.
Whakatane mayor Tony Bonne said he was easy either way.
"We are used to having a weekend off, whether it's Auckland anniversary or Wellington anniversary.
"I expect if we had a Bay of Plenty anniversary, we'd want to have it on the same weekend.
"We don't need a different day, but if we call it Bay of Plenty anniversary weekend, I would not mind."
But, he said, with regard to the regional economy, "we'd be mad to change the day as a huge amount of Aucklanders come down for the weekend, because they want to get out of that crazy place and spend time in the best part of the country".
Western Bay of Plenty mayor Garry Webber said his view was very much in line with the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
"New Zealand is a pretty small country and I think it works pretty well when our anniversary weekend is shared with Waikato and Auckland together.
"We are kindred regions and that allows family and friends to get together across the regions."
Auckland Anniversary Weekend is also observed in Northland, Coromandel, Gisborne and the East Coast.
"I know when you are in an area elsewhere in New Zealand and your own family and friends can't get together because their region has different anniversary weekends," Mr Webber said.
"Whether you call it a Northland, Waikato or Bay of Plenty anniversary weekend, I don't think it really matters a lot. Everybody recognises what it is and pretty much makes it their own."
Facebook comments:
- I like the idea of having our own anniversary.
- We should. Rotorua is becoming its own. With being the tourist capital in this country and being known for our Maori culture, it's time we do our own.
- Absolutely agree with having our own day/weekend, celebrating the BOP's uniqueness among all the other regions! Yes Rotorua Daily Post, get the momentum going on this subject for sure.
- Now that's a thought. Love it.
- Yeah I reckon, that's really good idea!
- Both places are expanding due to the influx of Aucklanders ... I think they will want to keep celebrating Aucks [sic] anniversary.
- That just silly - one country, one day. What are you going to run up to Auckland for their day and then come to Rotorua as well?
- Sure, as long as it's on the same day as Auckland or Wellington day. We don't need a month worth of Mondays that parts of the country are closed.
- Of course, two days would be better to prove life's better down here in the Bay of Plenty.
- That's an awesome idea, it shows how we are unique in Rotorua for sure.
- Killing tradition for the sake of one day? Not to sure about this. Unless you make it the Tuesday and we get Monday and Tuesday off.
- Hawke's Bay tag their anniversary day on to Labour Weekend. Smart eh?