Wide range of activities for Waitangi Day

A cultural day will be at WHAKAnuia, the Waitangi Day event at Whakarewarewa Thermal Village. Photo/File

Rotorua will be a hive of activity during Waitangi Day with a range of activities to entertain locals and tourists alike.

Whakarewarewa Thermal Village is busy preparing for their seventh WHAKAnuia day, with this year's theme set to showcase the diverse cultures in our community.

"It's a celebration of all the cultures, with kapa haka from Tuhourangi-Ngati Wahiao, Cook Islands dancers, rapper Justin Wilson and the group Breakthrough, which were on New Zealand's Got Talent," marketing manager Renee Raimona said.

Food, arts and crafts stalls will be set up along with a wearable arts show, which will be a parade of traditional national costumes.

"Waitangi Day is a New Zealand day but for us it is about promoting and acknowledging the diverse cultures in our communities," Ms Raimona said.

"We will have our usual guided tours and concerts, so for a lot of tourists who do come along it's a bonus for them to experience this as well as experiencing our geothermal village."

WHAKAnuia will run from 10am through to 3pm and entry is a gold coin for locals with proof of address. All proceeds will be donated to charity Love Soup Rotorua Community Kai. Entry for national and international visitors will be $18.

Other activities taking place from Thursday include the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Lake Rotoiti Hot Pools. It will feature a floating bouncy castle, sausage sizzles and ice blocks over the weekend, and outdoor movies on Friday and Saturday nights.

A free water taxi service will run from Thursday to Sunday from the boat ramp at the Amora Lake Resort at Okawa Bay, departing at 12pm, 3pm and 6pm.

The 34th Lake Rotoma Kiwanis Open Water Swim will also be under way on Waitangi Day from 9am. Open to all age groups, the 20 race options range from 100 metres to 15km, with the course fully craft-supported with power boats and guide canoes.

Music, bouncy castle, crafts and entertainment will be some of the highlights of the Kiwi Culture Day at Ngongotaha Railway Trust.

The free event will run from 10am-3pm and will be the official launch of the railway park's new motorised trolley.

Rotorua will also host the Inaugural National Basketball Tournament under NZ Maori Basketball, Aotearoa. Held at the Energy Events Centre, teams will be representing their iwi-rohe throughout New Zealand.

The three-day event will conclude on Saturday night.

MetService has predicted a break in the fine weather the region has been experiencing this week, with a chance of rain and light winds for the Rotorua area on Thursday.