Rotorua: Waitangi Day event set to go ahead, showers expected this long weekend

Waitangi Day at Ohinemutu in 2020. Photo / Stephen Parker

Rotorua’s official Waitangi Day event is set to go ahead on Monday despite a number of long weekend events being cancelled in the region due to bad weather.

It has been a week of heavy rain, causing widespread damage and disruption to roads, properties and businesses. A red heavy rain warning was issued by MetService for Rotorua earlier this week and parts of the Rotorua Lakefront boardwalk were closed due to damage and washouts.

Looking ahead, MetService says “a couple of showers” are expected in Rotorua for the long weekend but no heavy rain.

Te Paratehoata Marae (Tūnohopū) chairwoman Norma Sturley said Rotorua’s official Waitangi Day event, “Mō te Aroha o te Iwi, For the Love of the People” was set to go ahead.

The event, which will be held at Ōhinemutu on Monday from 10am to 3pm, was already being set up as of Thursday afternoon. It will include guided tours, specialist talks, entertainment, food and merchandise stalls and interactive displays. )

Sturley said if the event was to be cancelled, a decision would be made on Sunday.

MetService meteorologist Karl Loots said there would be “a couple of showers” in Rotorua for the long weekend.

“Nothing in terms of heavy rain or anything like what we have been seeing.”

Loots said it would be fine on Monday night, with dry weather expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.

However, in Tauranga, several events have been cancelled or postponed due to the weather.

Tauranga City Council confirmed the Tauranga Moana Waitangi Day Dawn Service at Hopukiore (Mount Drury Reserve) had been cancelled due to poor weather expected over the weekend.

The service would instead be broadcast live on Moana Radio, 98.2FM and 1440AM, from 6.30am on Monday. The service will also be livestreamed through the council channels. Updates would be available on the Facebook event page.

Live Nation New Zealand announced this week that the Sol3 Mio and Friends concert at Wharepai Domain was “no longer proceeding” due to the “extreme weather across the North Island”.

“Weather conditions across the country have made it logistically impossible to deliver the shows.”

Refunds would be issued to all ticketholders in the next five to seven working days. Any questions should be directed to Moshtix, the post said.

The Tauranga City Council also confirmed the Chinese Folk Culture Festival had been postponed due to poor weather, with no new date confirmed yet. The festival was meant to take place today in the Historic Village.

Loots said it would be “quite muggy” for the long weekend in Tauranga, with a maximum of 24C. There would also be a few showers today and tomorrow.

“Overnight Sunday to Monday morning, there’s going to be a brief period of rain ... and then it all clears out ... towards the evening.”

Loots said more “settled” and cooler weather was expected on Tuesday.

Waimarino Adventure Park owner Blair Anderson confirmed the park would be open this weekend after it flooded during last weekend’s weather.

“All the facilities will be open however it just won’t be looking its normal 100 per cent perfect self. It is looking like it’s been through a flood stage and we have lots of areas fenced off just so that people don’t walk on the mud and traipse that around,” he said.