Barnardos Aotearoa ambassador Sir Ashley Bloomfield with his wife, Libby Bloomfield, on a walk to the Ōrongorongo River in Wellington last weekend. Photo / Supplied
Barnardos Aotearoa ambassador Sir Ashley Bloomfield with his wife, Libby Bloomfield, on a walk to the Ōrongorongo River in Wellington last weekend. Photo / Supplied
Rotorua’s walking trails are the latest step in Sir Ashley Bloomfield’s campaign to improve young people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing.
The former director-general of health is set to join this weekend’s 33rd Rotorua Walking Festival.
The annual festival involves participants walking through Whakarewarewa Forest, GovernmentGardens and the Lakefront, choosing distances from 10km to 42km.
Bloomfield will participate in the Barnardos walks, which start at 10am each day, and raise funds for the charity’s 0800 What’s Up helpline. Every registration contributes $5 for one walk, or $10 for both days.
The helpline enables young people to call or webchat for free with a trained counsellor about anything they are going through.
Bloomfield, a Barnardos Aotearoa ambassador, described the festival as a “triple whammy” for wellbeing, as walking benefited people mentally, physically and socially.
Young people were facing bullying and peer pressure challenges linked to social media, as well as difficult home environments, he said.
Bloomfield said New Zealand still has “gaps” in support services and young people often just wanted to chat.
Giving them a “really confidential, trusted” service and the opportunity to have someone to talk to is “such a gift for them”.
It’s Bloomfields first festival - though he does “love” walking.
A day walk, an overnight tramp or a 10-day trek along one of the seven wonders of the world.
He was one of six people who took part in the 2025 Barnardos Aotearoa Brighter Futures Challenge along the Great Wall of China and raised $40,000 for the helpline.
Bloomfield “really hope[s]” Rotorua’s youth will come along to the walks.
“I’d love to be able to walk along and talk with some of our children and young people and just hear from them.
“That’s part of the opportunity and the real pleasure of being involved,” he said.
The walking festival is organised by the NZ Walking Association.
Bronwyn Gardiner (centre) completed all 30 Rotorua Walking Festival outings in 2023. She is pictured with fellow participant Ben Lokum (left) and organising committee chairman Deryck Shaw. Photo / Supplied
Festival organiser Derek Shaw said Barnardos did a “great job” supporting young people facing an “increasing range of pressures”.
Adding a charity walk helped ensure those who were “vulnerable” knew support is available, he said.
More than 300 walkers were expected to take part in the main events daily, alongside international participants.
He said live music, food and coffee at Neil Hunt Park create a lively hub, supported by volunteers from Rotorua Rotary Club and Toi Ohomai students gaining event experience.
“Even if people don’t want to walk, they can come over and just sit and enjoy some music.”
The first “nocturnal” walk offers a guided forest experience led by an ecologist. Participants learn about local flora and fauna, spot glow worms and hear the history of Whakarewarewa Forest.
The walk also acts as a fundraiser for the Rotorua Botanical Society, giving people a chance to experience the forest in a different way.
Shaw said the event was “not a race”, but a recreational experience designed to get people outdoors, connecting with others and enjoying Rotorua’s environment.
“Sometimes we don’t understand how good our environment is until we go and do things at other places and realise, oh gee, our walks in our area are pretty amazing.”
The nocturnal walk, Rotorua Plunket and Rotorua SPCA walks don’t require registration, but $5 per family and a gold coin donation per dog.
All walks start and finish at Neil Hunt Park, near the Rotorua Netherlands Society.
Organisers ask walkers to show up at least 30 minutes before their start time for a walk safety briefing.
Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.
