Rotorua Daily Post

Night market up for grabs

Rotorua Lakes Council has opened the door to transferring management of the city’s night market — the latest potential shift for the longrunning Thursday event. There is no guarantee the market will remain at the traditional Tūtānekai St site, where...

Body found after man goes missing at lake

Aman has died at Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) near Rotorua, in the second water death in the Bay of Plenty over the weekend. Police were called about 10.30pm on Friday to a report of a man who had not returned from a swim. The man’s body was found...

‘I don’t feel safe’

Aneighbour of a live-in parolee rehabilitation facility in Rotorua says she feels so unsafe in her generational family home that she avoids spending time there. The Pūwhakamua programme, which supports paroled exprisoners reintegrating into the...

Singer with cancer swaps mic for bike

When cancer forced Rotorua entertainment legend John Macrae to stop singing, he thought he’d never find another passion. But he swapped the mic for a bike and kept making records — this time on wheels. He’s beaten cancer three times and has another...

The story of a Rotorua business icon

Jeremy Wells thought he’d closed the book on business eight years ago. In October the retired Kilwell Group director was back in the spotlight, named Business Person of the Year at the Tompkins Wake Rotorua Business Awards. He “did not have a...

‘It’s just hopeless ...’

Pressure is mounting on the Government to put Rotorua’s new courthouse build back on its urgent “to-do” list. The city’s lawyers say people accused of murder are being granted bail while they wait three years for their trials, while other defendants...

Rotorua’s pipe dream

In the 1990s, Rotorua was the place families flocked to for hours of hydroslide fun. Leisure World, with its towering cascades – including the terrifying “Black Hole” – attracted locals and visitors from around the Bay of Plenty. But after a steady...

Nurses shouted and sworn at

ARotorua Hospital nurse who has been verbally abused at work says frontline staff are “often” shouted and sworn at during long wait times in the Emergency Department. New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) delegate and Rotorua Hospital Emergency...

‘Losing Sakura has shattered our family’

Christmas was cancelled for one Bay of Plenty family who couldn’t face celebrating without their cherished little girl. Sakura Hall, 2, died on May 22 after the car she was in collided with a parked rubbish truck on Dansey Rd, near Ngongotahā. Her...

‘We need to back ourselves’

ROTORUA MAYOR TANIA TAPSELL As mayor and a mum to a 2-year-old, Tania Tapsell said it came naturally to want a better Rotorua for everyone. Tapsell said she wanted to honour the city’s past by reopening the Rotorua Museum, while also protecting its...

Lifetime of service

Rotorua’s Leith Comer lives by the philosophy that he’d rather be on the field playing than watching — or worse, standing on the sidelines criticising. That mindset stuck after reading a book called Being by Vikram Murthy, which Comer said encouraged...

‘Monopoly bullying’ complaint rejected

The Commerce Commission has declined to investigate a “monopoly bullying” complaint made by liquidated health and wellness centre QE Health in Rotorua. QE Health’s former interim chief executive Craig Wilson submitted a complaint against Health New...

Author's debut thriller parallels Phillips case

Three months after Zoe Rankin’s debut novel shot to New Zealand’s No 1 spot, reporter Annabel Reid revisits the whirlwind launch where fact and fiction collided for the Rotorua author. Rotorua author Zoe Rankin “never intended” her debut thriller to...

Warriors return?

Rotorua hopes to be involved in conversations about hosting a New Zealand Warriors game as early as 2027, with a fixture potentially earning the city up to $5.5 million. The Warriors visited Rotorua as part of a Warriors Community Foundation roadshow...

What people tried to take to court — guns, meth, tasers

Keys, wallet, phone . . . a gun, a taser, some methamphetamine, cannabis and a bong, a round of ammunition and a can of beer. Sadly for some people, these are potentially the must-haves when walking out the door to go to court. The items are among...

‘EXTRAORDINARY’

Kindness has come in many forms this Christmas and it has added up to almost $90,000 raised by Rotorua locals for struggling families. The Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal kicked off on November 15, teaming up again with The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM to...

‘Miracle’: Gran saved

ARotorua family is rejoicing in a “miracle” after the chance arrival of council workers saved the life of 78-year-old Sandra Bristowe. Bristowe reunited with her saviours last week, when they recounted the dramatic day. About 2.45pm on Friday,...

Dementia care village hailed for innovation

On a sunny December morning, residents of Rotorua’s CARE Village sit outside under gazebos and shade sails, listening to live musicians perform. They have gathered for a preChristmas barbecue, enjoying sausages, salads and cake. Overlooking Lake...

QE Health ‘unsaleable’

The potential sale of Rotorua’s QE Health collapsed because Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora refused to transfer its contracts, rendering the business “unsaleable”, the business’s former chief executive says. The government agency disputes this, saying...

Major league tournaments leave Rotorua

Rotorua’s events calendar has suffered a blow after the Aotearoa New Zealand Māori Rugby League pulled five of its six major tournaments from the city. Organisers have said they hope to return the events to Rotorua but would like to see the Rotorua...

‘Stoked’: Cyclist blasts

021 362 019 07 348 6199 ARotorua cyclist has set the fastest known time for a bike ride from Auckland to Wellington. Sam Shaw, 33, cycled 638km on Monday and completed the trip in 17h 21m 34s with an average speed of 36.8km/h. A time of 23 hours was...

‘Take a mask’

A toilet block at one of Rotorua’s most popular tourist spots has been labelled an “embarrassment”, while Rotorua Lakes Council admits the facilities fall below standard. “Take a mask” was the advice from tour bus operator Murray Guy regarding a visit...

Golden Mile returns

• Contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua have officially ended. • Rotorua police and leaders say the city is reclaiming its reputation and improving safety.

Weed cost battle brews

Afunding battle is brewing over lake weed control in Rotorua as the three-week, 780-tonne clean-up of the latest stinky stranding in Lake Rotorua wraps up. Local environmental leaders argue there is a disparity in Crown funding compared with Otago and...

Night Market to return home

Rotorua’s Night Market will return to the inner city after Rotorua Lakes Council voted to end a trial move to Kuirau Park, two months after it began. Elected members voted eight-tothree to return the market to its previous Tūtānekai St location “as...

Teen’s 13 years of perfect attendance

Every morning for 13 years when the alarm clock went off, Casey Paul sprang out of bed and got to school. She didn’t miss a single day during her entire primary, intermediate and secondary school years. Now her incredible record has been recognised...

‘It’s been a beautiful ride’

It’s school assembly. The Madagascar movie’s hit song I Like to Move It blares from the speakers. In bursts Westbrook School principal Colin Watkins, dancing like the ultimate embarrassing father. The kids roar with laughter at his cringey dance moves...

New whare joy for essential workers

Rotorua parents Hori and Pep Mana will be celebrating Christmas in “a new whare”, thanks to a rental development designed to be affordable for essential workers. The couple stepped into their new three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on Bennetts Rd in...

Broken bore forces families to move

Transitional housing residents are being forced to move out of a Governmentowned former motel in Rotorua because a broken geothermal bore caused heating and water issues. About 16 households were living at 2six5 on Fenton – the former Boulevard Motel...

Veteran Rotorua car dealer calls it a day

If the perimeters of Barry Grouby’s Rotorua car yard could talk, the long-standing Rotorua businessman reckons he’d have enough for a book. There have been loads of happy customers, beaming first-car owners and repeat customers. But there’s also been...

Notorious landlord’s home up for sale

The family home of a controversial Rotorua landlord has been put up for sale in a mortgagee auction. The Glenholme house, owned by Stephen Chiman Bhana and his sister, Jasu Mati Bhana, is listed to be sold later this month. The 814sq m site has a...

You filled the bus!

Sally Hoskins wasted no time when she spotted the familiar green bus at Rotorua’s Redwoods Centre, darting into the nearby fruit and vegetable shop to grab a donation before the Fill the Bus appeal moved on. Hoskins led the way as the first donor...

QE Health: What the liquidator has to say

Beleaguered company QE Health owes at least $13 million to 132 known creditors, the first liquidator’s report has revealed. Eleven parties have expressed interest in buying the Rotorua icon after it went into voluntary liquidation last month, according...

‘An exciting future’

Rotorua’s business community has signalled rising confidence in the city’s economic direction according to the latest Rotorua Business Pulse Survey. Local leaders are increasingly shifting attention from safety and social concerns to economic...

‘Death was preventable’

Asolo diver who surfaced without his mask on was distressed and struggling to breathe when he called to his friend on the beach for help. The friend threw a rope to Aaron Richard Michael Matthews, who then said words to the effect of “it got me” before...

Debate flares over Te Arawa 2050 role

Rotorua Lakes Council has agreed on salaries for councillors, but a discussion about its committees and standing orders led to disagreement in the chamber. The council met on Wednesday for the first time since being sworn in last month. Remuneration,...

Mayors embrace Government’s reforms to regional councils

The Government’s sweeping overhaul of local government has been welcomed by the mayors of the Bay of Plenty’s two biggest councils as a long-awaited chance to “fix a broken system”. But questions remain about environmental work and Māori...

Find out what’s on in the region

NOVEMBER Thursday, November 27 to Sunday, November 30: ● International Surf Rescue Challenge, Mount Maunganui Main Beach, 9am-5pm daily. Free entry. Friday, November 28 to Sunday, November 30: ● NZ Blues & BBQ Festival, Rotorua Village Green....

Safety fears prompted removal of city trees

The removal of four large trees in central Rotorua has been welcomed by neighbouring businesses. Four sweet gum trees were felled last week, with a section of Amohia St closed from Monday until Wednesday to allow for their removal. Despite social...

‘Sorry would have gone a long way’

‘The word ‘sorry’ would have gone a long way,” a judge has told a woman whose driving on the way home from Rhythm and Vines caused a crash that killed her friend. On New Year’s Day last year, Jasmine May Donaldson and Jade Nicole Richards were...

QE Health: Hopes for a positive solution

The liquidation of Rotorua wellness icon QE Health has been described as “deeply saddening”, as financial records point to the strain it was under. The charity-owned business ended the 2023-24 financial year with a $1.345m deficit, according to the...

‘Only a matter of time’

Rotorua sexual violence survivor and advocate Louise Nicholas says she’s “disgusted and saddened”, but not surprised over the actions of some police bosses — including the country’s then-top cop Andrew Coster — after sex complaints were made about one...

‘Don't put it off’

Rotorua mother Beccy Ganley says she was “relatively young” when diagnosed with breast cancer. At 47, she had just had her second routine mammogram under the national breast screening programme. Ganley was diagnosed in May last year after a 7mm...

‘Prowler’ and isolation leave pensioners fearful

Awoman was left “shaken” after a prowler tried to enter her Rotorua pensioner flat amid reports of homeless people sleeping around empty council-owned units. The incident happened early last Saturday on Kahikatea St and has sparked security...

‘We can’t protect them’

Firefighter trainers fearing for the safety of new recruits have shut down Fire and Emergency NZ’S only operable facility for training inside burning buildings. RNZ can reveal specialist trainers in September refused to put a new batch of recruits...

Tamariki crying, older children trying to stay strong

Shaken children involved in a fatal crash between a bus and car in Rotorua were taken to a nearby fast-food restaurant following the collision. A passenger in the car was killed, and the driver and a second passenger were critically injured in the...

New supermarket brings 50 new jobs

Rotorua’s newest supermarket has opened at Rotorua Central Mall, with two other businesses now confirmed for the site of the mall’s previous supermarket nearby. Ribbon was cut and treats shared as Rotorua Central Mall Freshchoice was officially opened...

Village in flames

As flames tore through Rotorua’s Mitai Māori Village, owner Wetini Mitai Ngatai rushed towards the blaze, fire extinguisher in hand. Flames climbed the fence bordering trees before leaping into the village’s performance area. He saw a single kauri...

Flooding threat exposed

Almost 63,000 Bay of Plenty residents live in locations exposed to flooding from “one-in-100-year” rainfall events, new research led by Earth Sciences New Zealand reveals. This number could increase to 72,500 with a further 3C of warming. Researchers...

Cause for shell-ebration

Rotorua’s oldest weather forecaster has spoken and the reptile has good news for anyone hoping for a scorcher summer. At 95, owner Alf Hoyle said he and his family’s pet tortoise Herman are about the same age. And Hoyle reckoned she was as reliable as...

Rotorua runner blazing trail on US college tracks

Hannah Gapes had an “itch” to run from the moment she saw others racing, and was determined to be the one lining up next. From Rotorua’s forest trails to storming across American finish lines, the 21-year-old has come a long way – literally and...

‘Truly iconic’: Te Puia wins NZ tourism’s top accolade

Rotorua’s Te Puia has claimed the country’s highest tourism honour. The 63-hectare geothermal and cultural attraction was named Supreme Winner at the New Zealand Tourism Awards on Wednesday night. Judges described Te Puia’s offering as “truly iconic”...

Changing of the guard

No sooner had council election campaign signs disappeared from Rotorua roadsides than new signs started popping up for a different election. Voting is open now to elect six trustees to the Rotorua Trust, a notfor-profit organisation that manages...

Queen’s wait nearly over

The new owner of Rotorua’s Lakeland Queen hopes to have the final boxes ticked to open for business next month – but it might initially be unable to serve alcohol. The iconic paddle boat is back on the water but is sitting idle at its jetty at the...

‘Atrociously poor advice' forces migrant out of NZ

Aforeign worker on an essential skills visa was forced to leave New Zealand and an established life here because of an immigration adviser’s “atrociously poor advice”. The Filipino man was seeking residency so he engaged licensed immigration adviser...

Blue Baths could be revived by law change

Proposed changes to earthquake strengthening laws could pave the way for reopening Rotorua’s heritage Blue Baths building, Mayor Tania Tapsell says. The Government estimated its proposed changes to New Zealand’s earthquake-prone building rules would...

Virus outbreak escalates

Low measles vaccination rates in the Bay of Plenty and Lakes should be a concern after six confirmed cases in the country, an immunology lecturer says. Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is responding to an “escalating national measles outbreak” after...

50-year-old Rotorua club saved

Anonymous members have saved a 50-year-old Rotorua club from a financial bind, offering a loan so it can pay its bills until it gets back on its feet. The Rotorua Commercial Travellers’ Club on Moncur Drive is a bar, restaurant and gaming facility,...

People ‘right behind’ club

If ever there was a sign the future of the Whakarewarewa Rugby Community Sports Club will be okay, it was found among the charred remains of the destroyed building. Almost everything went up in smoke when the building caught fire early Tuesday...

‘No one wants to strike’

Most Bay of Plenty schools are closed today as primary and secondary teachers and support staff join the nationwide multi-union mega-strike. Nurses, midwives, allied health staff and other healthcare workers, along with about 50 ACC workers, will also...

‘‘Devasttattiing’’

Rotorua’s oldest rugby club has lost its clubrooms in a devastating fire that tore through the building, destroying photos, trophies and precious club memorabilia. The fire gutted the Whakarewarewa Rugby Community Sports Club off Te Ngae Rd early...

Govt pledges 300 new social homes for Bay

The Government says more than 300 new social homes will be delivered in the Bay of Plenty by 2027. They would be delivered by two community housing providers (CHPS) – Accessible Properties and Emerge Aotearoa – in Rotorua’s Ngongotahā and Lynmore, and...

‘Sent a clear message’

An application for a liquor store in Rotorua’s city centre has been denied after being deemed likely to worsen alcohol-related harm and disorder. Business owners described issues with public drunkenness, urination, nudity, and brawls. The Sethi Group...

‘ ABSOLUTE STAR’

‘Diversity is a poorly defined word”, says 15- year- old Kendall Chiwawa. The Rotorua John Paul College student believes the term has been reduced to a buzzword that often masks token gestures rather than genuine inclusion. That argument earned her a...

‘Back yourself’

Six years ago, Geraldine Atichio clasped her Rotorua Young Achievers’ certificate in her hands with a dream of a career in medicine. In four weeks’ time, she will officially graduate from the University of Auckland’s medical school as a doctor. She...

New faces on council

New Bay of Plenty regional councillor Raj Kumar says the council’s relationship with Rotorua Lakes Council must be repaired. The dairy owner and former Rotorua Lakes councillor is part of a complete refresh for Rotorua’s representation on the Bay of...

The big walk-off

Nurses, midwives, other healthcare workers and primary and senior teachers are among more than 8000 Bay of Plenty workers planning to join a mega strike. October 23 is shaping up to be New Zealand’s largest strike in decades, says NZ Council of Trade...

Firefighters stranded on their way to crash

Rotorua firefighters were left stranded on the roadside after their truck broke down while responding to a crash. Firefighters noticed a “burning” smell coming from their “frontrunner” truck, which overheated on its way to the October 5 car crash on...

Steamers storm into semis

‘Our whole world changed’

ARotorua teenager battling aggressive cancer was given two weeks to live nearly three weeks ago. But her mother is not afraid. She calmly says her daughter will live. Janie Taiiringa- Roimata Bennett, 15, was living a normal teenager’s life — playing...

Mayoral hopeful hits out at video complaint

ARotorua mayoral candidate has had a campaign video hauled off Youtube, following a copyright and electoral breach complaint by the council he wishes to lead. This complaint was one of 10 processed by Rotorua Lakes Council related to election breaches...

Police Ten 7 host dies, 78

Graham Bell, a veteran former detective inspector and the former host of Police Ten 7, has died. Bell, 78, died on Tuesday after a battle with cancer, 1News reported. Bell had a police career spanning 33 years, mainly focused on criminal...

Thieves leave trust workers’ lives in limbo

They were supposed to spend this week preparing to celebrate their nomination at the Rotorua Business Awards. Instead, Te Arawa Wallaby Kāhui Charitable Trust members have been left heartbroken after thieves broke into their base and stole everything...

‘Disgusting’ gas find

A Bay of Plenty woman was disgusted to find about 50 nitrous oxide containers “dumped” near Rotorua. Maxine — who did not want her surname published for safety reasons — told the Rotorua Daily Post she was headed to a natural hot spring in Waiotapu...

Hospo backlash over Night Market move

An original organiser of the Rotorua Night Market has slammed a “short-sighted” decision to trial moving it to Kuirau Park. However, Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said an alternative solution was needed to reduce the weekly event’s running costs. The...