International markets presentation

Tourism New Zealand’s Regional Managers along with their executive team are in Rotorua next month, Thursday, March 5. Given the economic environment, DRTM thought it would be a good opportunity for industry to catch up with them. Chief Executive George Hickton will present on the current situation in key markets, what’s coming up and what’s happening to address these issues. The forum will run from 8am to 11am beginning with a light breakfast at 8am. TNZ will present from 8.30am and the morning will wrap up with a marketing update from DRTM. Held in the Sigma Room of the Energy Events Centre, there will be plenty of opportunity for questions. RSVP to karlene@rotoruaNZ.com or phone 348 4133 by Monday, March 2.

New blood on board

The results of the 2009 Destination Rotorua Tourism Board elections were announced by RDC Electoral Officer Peter Christophers on Wednesday. Re-elected board members are: Warren Harford (Agrodome), Mike Johnson (Nicara Lodge), Pam McGrath (Buried Village) and Kay Clarke (Stay and Play). New board members are: Gregg Brown (Pig and Whistle/Capers), Steve Osborne (Alpin Motor Inn), Marcus Keenan (Heritage Hotel), Alex Leinhardt (Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland) and Phil Barclay (Volcanic Air Safaris). DRTM’s General Manager (Don Gunn), the Deputy Mayor (Trevor Maxwell) and two Rotorua district councillors (Mike McVicker and Karen Hunt) have automatic representation. The board will elect a chair at their first meeting expected to be held next month.   

Work and play

DRTM General Manager Don Gunn has been seeing the tourism industry with his consumer hat on this past week walking the Heaphy Track in Golden Bay along with wife Sue and a party of Rotorua Rotary Club members. He will return from leave on March 2. Communications Manager Jill Marshall has also been on leave enjoying three weeks of motorhoming in Northland and the Far North. C & I Co-ordinator Melissa Gray goes on three weeks leave today, returning as Mrs Clarke on March 23 following her marriage to Scott Clarke on March 7. Not everyone at DRTM has been in holiday mode; Assistant GM Ruth Crampton and C & I Co-ordinator Melissa Gray returned from Australia last week while Domestic and Events Co-ordinator Craig Hammond was in Australia for the weekend – see following news items. Next month DRTM will be in attendance at Consumer Travel Xpos in Sydney (March 14/15) and Melbourne (March 21/22) and Kiwilink North America, Vancouver and Los Angeles, March 27-April 5.

AIME-ing high

Ruth Crampton and Melissa Gray of the Rotorua Convention Bureau were among the Rotorua contingent in Australia to promote Rotorua’s conferencing and incentive potential at AIME (Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo) held in Melbourne on February 17/18. Attracting exhibitors from 50 countries, the annual tradeshow reportedly was a record-breaker both in terms of exhibitors and visitors. According to Ruth, delegates showed a lot of interest in Rotorua, particularly from an incentive perspective. “The feeling in Australia is that conferences and incentives will either cancel or move closer to home, and this is where we are already seeing some inquiries for conferences that were due to go to destinations further afield,” said Ruth. “Once the airport is operational, business will definitely be there.”  The Rotorua contingent was part of 100% Pure New Zealand stand which won the show’s Best Multi Stand Award.

Back from Oz

Rotorua’s attendance at the Melbourne Backpacker Expo last weekend, February 20/22, was worthwhile according to DRTM’s Craig Hammond. He said while the majority of the enquiries were from backpackers already committed to visiting New Zealand in the short term many had no firm plans while in the country nor any detailed knowledge about Rotorua “ . . . so there were some good opportunities to really sell the destination’s multiple assets.” Craig also noted the huge age range of show attendees looking for info including older folk and families, not just the traditional young backpacker type.     

Providing good example

A new brochure providing information to those visiting Rotorua by motorhome and campervan has been put together by DRTM on behalf of the Rotorua District Council. The brochure details facilities motorhome and campervan visitors typically need, such as dump stations, parking for longer vehicles and the location of local holiday parks and camping areas. Also included in the brochure is more general information such as rubbish, recycling, security, roadside assistance and i-SITE visitor information.  The brochure is now available for visitors to pick up from the Rotorua i-SITE, City Focus, local holiday parks, City Assist staff, RDC after hours security staff and regulatory services at RDC. It can also be downloaded from the campervan information page on DRTM’s rotoruaNZ.com website.  

Making our mark

Although we have had some good respond from local tourism operators to our FOC offer in last month’s newsletter to add the ‘Rotorua - Feel the Spirit – Manaakitanga’ brand to their vehicle, there are still opportunities available. The FOC brand decal deal is a new initiative DRTM is trialling. Operators with late-model sign-written vehicles used frequently for out-of-town business travel are invited to make contact with Communications Manager Jill Marshall - jill@rotoruaNZ.com - to discuss criteria.

Get snapping

There is still time to get an entry into the inaugural Spirit of Rotorua photography competition and exhibition that is part of next month’s Te Ihi Te Wehi Arts Festival. The competition closes on March 2 and entries must be delivered to the Rotorua Arts Village between 10am and 5pm on Monday.  Working in conjunction with the Rotorua Camera Club and RAVE, DRTM’s Communications Manager Jill Marshall has played a key role in organising the new competition. She believes it’s an opportunity to not only get a new community arts event off the ground but also bring local talent into the public arena. Click here for competition categories, prize-list, entry forms and conditions of entry information. The results will be seen at public exhibition at RAVE from March 10-21. 

Campaign results in spike

A Google Adwords campaign initiated by DRTM in the New Zealand and Australian market on January 24 appears to be the likely cause of an upsurge in absolute unique visits, new visits and pageviews to rotoruaNZ.com in the past month (Jan 24 to Feb 23). Compared to the previous month (Dec 24-Jan 23) visits were up by58.7%, absolute unique visitors were up by 64.9%, pageviews were up by 21% and new visits were up by 8.7%. More than 200,000 page impressions were generated with our AdWords teaser; of those 6600 users opted to click through to the site and find out more. Compared to other browsers in the past month, the quality of these users appears to be superior as they stayed longer and viewed more pages than the average browser – 10:9 minutes on the site compared to an average of 5:51 minutes and 10.19 pageviews compared to an average of 7.77. The same upward trend is evident when comparing the past month to the same time last year; visits up 86%, absolute unique visits up 84%, pageviews up 77%.  

Most viewed

Aside from the home page and accommodation options like motels, hotels, holiday parks, self contained and apartments) the most popular pages on the rotoruaNZ.com site in the past month (Jan 24-Feb 23) were: geothermal wonders (1), adventure (2), family fun (3), sightseeing (4), activities (5), culture and heritage (6), spa and wellness (7), tours and daytrips (8), Hells Gate and Wai Ora Spa (9) and backpackers (10).

Big brother is watching 

DRTM utilises Google Analytics to get an accurate picture of who is using rotoruaNZ.com; not just number of users and length of stay but all sorts of information is able to be gleaned from the stats. Compared to the previous month, the Jan 24-Feb 23 period saw a 72% increase in direct visitors to our site i.e. those who typed rotoruaNZ.com into their browsers. If we combine new iPhone and iPod Touch stats they were the fifth largest visiting device in the past month. Windows led with 44,247 followed by Macintosh (3067) and Linux (299). We also had one new visitor to the site from Nairobi in Kenya who spent 38 minutes looking at 23 pages. The site recorded 627 pageviews of the cruise page (added Dec 9), 581 pageviews of the campervan page (added Dec 23) and 244 pageviews of the Eat Streat page (added Jan 19).

The widget

A widget developed in-house by our web man Adrian Hodge in conjunction with International Co-ordinator James Fitzgerald is proving a popular option with local operators. Featuring Rotorua text and imagery, the widget can be loaded to any local operators’ website as a fully complete option designed to promote Rotorua as a destination in addition to the individual operator’s own products. Following a simple process, operators can upload the new widget directly off the trade section of our website. Launched last week, a number of operators as well as event organisers have already jumped at the chance to utilise this FOC option.

Airport update

You may have seen a bit of media recently about the Rotorua airport extension. To reconfirm: the runway extension and CAA approvals are on track to be completed by the end of June 2009. This will allow for the Trans Tasman operations of larger aircraft including A320 and 737-800 models. With the withdrawal of Qantas domestically from June, there is ongoing discussion with Qantas and Jetstar to reintroduce domestic services once the runway is completed. George White from Rotorua Airport is spearheading the airline discussions and is in regular contact with them.  
Two working groups have been established to take the airport development to the next stage. One group represents the seven regions around Rotorua who are collectively working on a regional brand and marketing strategy to launch into Australia when an airline is confirmed while the second cluster is a Rotorua District Council group ensuring all divisions of council are doing all they can to secure an airline, handle any barriers and, when the time comes, have a co-ordinated approach to launch.

UK couple announced engagement in Rotorua

A young British couple on holiday in New Zealand used Tourism New Zealand’s ‘Have Your Say’ mobile film studio to announce their engagement to friends and family back home last month. Kate Mills and Stuart Evans from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, broke the big news via a video diary from Rotorua on January 29. Once they had recorded their news at the mobile studio (that was based at Agroventures that day) it was immediately posted to TNZ’s ‘Have Your Say’ YouTube channel, as well as the couple’s Facebook pages. Watch it here at YouTube.
Stuart reckoned it was the perfect way to let their loved ones know about their special news in person. TNZ Chief Executive George Hickton said that as the mobile studio was designed to capture the personal experiences of tourists in New Zealand and share them with a wider audience “. . . it’s fantastic to have this couple choose to use our studio as a way of telling their friends and family back home that they are engaged.” The mobile studio spent four days in Rotorua, January 27-30, as part of a nationwide tour visiting around 40 New Zealand towns.

Ronald’s retreat ready for sick kids

The very first Ronald McDonald Family Retreat was officially opened by Rotorua mayor Kevin Winters on February 14. The $1.5m retreat comprises two lakefront houses on a single site on the edge of Lake Rotorua at Ngongotaha. The new retreat means critically ill children and their families now have access to great holiday accommodation for up to a week free of charge. Ronald McDonald House Charities’ chairman Lionel Whitehead said the Rotorua retreat would not have been possible without the incredible support of the Rotorua community, led by Ray Cook and the Rotorua Lions. “We chose Rotorua because it is a place where there is something to do any time of the year, including going to therapeutic hot pools and experiencing some of the amazing natural wonders in the area,” said Lionel. The Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust contributed $200,000, while BayTrust and First Sovereign each contributed $100,000 towards the project. Families can apply to stay at the retreat through referral from a hospital or medical professional, by phoning 0800 112 282 or emailing retreat@rmhc.org.nz. DRTM joint ventured with Ronald McDonald House Charities’ to produce a pared down version of the annual Rotorua Visitor Guide including special discount offers from local operators specifically for the families who use the Rotorua retreat.

Six months in the big seat

Keen to hear what Prime Minister (and Minister of Tourism) John Key has to say about the state of the nation’s economy after his first six months in office? Join the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce’s Focus on Business luncheon being held at the Distinction Hotel on Thursday, March 12. Prime Minister John Key will be the guest speaker at the noon to 1.30pm function in the Fenton Conference Centre ballroom. Tickets, $35 including lunch, from the Chamber. Click here for details. Link to PDF here Minister of Local Government, Minister of Regulatory Reform and Associate Minister of Commerce Rodney Hide will be in the hot seat a week earlier at another business lunch organised by the Chamber. Rodney will discuss ‘Making Councils More Accountable’ in the Kauri Room at the Distinction Hotel 12.30pm to 1.30pm on Friday, March 6. Tickets, $25 includes light lunch, from the Chamber. The Chamber is also running a four-hour ‘How2 Avoid Disaster in the Difficult Times’ seminar over two days on March 5 and 12. It’s free for members and $100 for non-members.

Go down to the woods

Whakarewarewa Forest is the place to be this weekend, February 28, for a children’s and family fun day. The fun day in The Redwoods combines two annual Rotorua District Council events - Children’s Day and The Redwoods Family Fun Day. Activities, challenges and prizes including 'Pimp My Bike', bike course, trolley races, inflatable kiosk, tree planting, sack races, music and stories will be on offer between 10am and 4pm on Saturday. Redwoods Forest Visitor Centre manager Julianne Wilkinson says the free fun day celebrates children, families and recreation. “The day promises something for everyone in a fantastic location. City Ride bus service is also offering free rides for children on all regular trips around town, so kids will be able to get to the Redwoods, and then use a free Long Mile Road shuttle.”

Insight to wearable art participation

The Wearable Art team are offering a free workshop for interested parties who may be keen to get behind the scenes and into the minds of the artistic talent of past participants of the Rotorua Wearable Creations ‘n Colour Awards. To be held at RAVE at 10.30am on March 7, the workshop will be an opportunity to see how some previous wearable pieces were created, how to bring an idea to fruition, using lighting to add ‘life’ to a piece on stage. Previous participants will discuss their experience and chief judge Terry Wheeler will give a rundown of awards requirements/criteria and what judges are looking for in each category. There will also be a chance for attendees to experiment with various materials and products.
Check out the awards website www.rotoruawearable.com then book a place by contacting Barbara Cook at barbara@rb.co.nz or 021 797 049.

Historic moment for Te Puia

Kupe Sites, an exhibition developed and toured by Te Papa, will be on show at Te Puia from April. Kupe is regarded by many tribes as one of the ancestors who discovered this country and Kupe Sites celebrates the great Polynesian voyager’s connections with New Zealand. The exhibition explores the stories of Kupe’s encounter with New Zealand through names of various landmarks and places including the name Aotearoa. It is the first time that this historically and culturally significant exhibition has been shown outside of the traditional museum setting, which recognises the role of Te Puia in preserving and showcasing the nation’s cultural heritage. Kupe Sites will open at Te Puia’s Ngā Waru Pū Manawa Gallery on April 9 and run for approximately two years.

Many nations in blind sailing battle

A late entry from France now means 19 crews from 10 countries will battle it out for championship glory at the IFDS World Blind Sailing Championships being held on Lake Rotorua, March 13/21. A French team will join contingents from Norway, Finland, Italy, Canada, Japan, UK, Australia and the US along with defending world champions, New Zealand.

Guide to Qualmarked businesses

Qualmark New Zealand announced the launch of the inaugural Qualmark 2009 New Zealand Travel Guide this week. The newly printed guide, soon to be distributed to via the country’s i-SITE offices, is designed to make it easy for travellers to identify quality-assured accommodation options according to the star grading they are looking for, as well as quality visitor activity, transport and service experiences. “As the guidebook only includes Qualmark assured tourism businesses, this is a ‘first’ for New Zealand visitor information resources. It means that visitors on the look-out for a free guide book with a wide range of quality assured places to stay, things to do and ways to get there need look no further,” said Qualmark Chief Executive Geoff Penrose. In addition to being available to the i-SITE Visitor Information Network, Tourism New Zealand has an international distribution plan under way for the guides. Planning for the guide’s second edition has already started, and will include the new Qualmark Green enviro-logos alongside star grading and endorsement logos.

Soaking up praise

The UK edition of Conde Nast Traveller, one of the world’s most prestigious travel magazines, has named Polynesian Spa in the top 10 thermal, natural or medical spas in the world. The 2009 Annual Spa Awards honour comes via reader votes. Polynesian Spa Managing Director Martin Lobb says being the only spa outside Europe to receive this accolade is “prestigious and gratifying. This sort of publicity definitely boosts interest in New Zealand tourism.” The spa has made Conde Nast’s top 10 thermal, natural or medical spas in the world list four times previously - in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Each year Conde Nast readers are invited to rate their favourite spa according to criteria that include ambience and decor, body treatments, cuisine and service. Conde Nast Readers’ Travel Awards nominated New Zealand as No.1 destination in 2008.

Best in Oceania

HostelWorld has named Rotorua’s YHA Treks hostel the best hostel in Oceania for 2009. The award is based on customer evaluations from 800,000 backpackers on 18,000 hostels around Oceania. Evaluation categories are character, security, location, staff, fun-factor and cleanliness. Treks Manager Haylee Bloor said the award came as a ‘very pleasant surprise’.  “We were all very excited when it was announced. The award recognises that the team here is doing a fantastic job and I am very proud of them.”  Opened in central Rotorua in August 2004, the purpose-built hostel has 187 beds, a modern spacious kitchen, large outdoor deck with barbecue and a comfortable lounge and TV room. It became one of New Zealand’s 52 YHA hostel in November 2008.

One of world’s top 10 bargain destinations

Rotorua was named one of the top 10 bargain travel destinations in the world by Trip Advisor last month - the only New Zealand destination to make it into the top 10. “Tourism capital and Maori cultural centre for the North Island, Rotorua is a city like no other,” a Trip Advisor member says. “At 900 feet above sea level and boasting 16 freshwater lakes within 20 minutes of the city, a fantastic museum, more hotel, motel and backpacker beds than any other city in New Zealand and a host of activities, there is truly something for everyone. It really just depends on what you want. For scenery, not only are there lakes, but forest trails, scenic gardens and of course the thermal areas. For those on a budget, bubbling mud can be seen for free at either Government Gardens or Kuirau Park.” Treks Backpackers, Kuirau Park and Fat Dog Café all rated mentions. DRTM General Manager Don Gunn reckons the publicity is great news for Rotorua. “It highlights the extensive range of fantastic activities available in the region, and proves that Rotorua has a lot to offer whatever the budget.” Trip Advisor is a travel planning site that comprises member opinions and reviews. It is visited by 25 million people a month.

Milestones for kiwi

It’s been a productive few weeks at Kiwi Encounter at Rainbow Springs. The kiwi conservation in action facility is this week celebrating the safe arrival of 253.6g Whiturau (hatched just before midnight on Monday night), the 700th kiwi chick born there since they began participating in the kiwi recovery programme in 1995/6. The hatch was uneventful and the husbandry team at the National Kiwi Trust (Kiwi Encounter) are ecstatic at achieving the milestone after what has been a record breaking 2008/09 season. “This is a stunning achievement for the entire National Kiwi trust team and an amazing result for our kiwi. We could not do this work without the help of all the Trust volunteers and supporters,” commented Kiwi Husbandry Manager Claire Travers. Whiturau’s egg come from Ohope and will be re-released back into the wild there when it reaches its goal weight of around 1kg. Kiwi Encounter also welcomed their 100th kiwi chick of the 2008/09 season at the end of last month, a 256g North Island Brown kiwi chick named Mātāmua, pictured. Mātāmua, meaning first born in Maori, hatched on January 28 and is the first offspring of resident breeding pair Billie and Artha.

Changes at estate

Kim and Andrew Martin said goodbye to their lodge lifestyle this week with the sale of Hamurana Country Estate to New Caledonian couple Steave and Graziella Novella. After six and half years as lodge hosts, the Martins are keen to look at other opportunities. Kim says she and Andrew have “had a blast . . . there are some great people out there in local industry and we want to thank them for their support over the years.” She adds they wish the Novellas all the best with their plans for HCE. The Martins new contact details are 027 280 5198 or themartys@xtra.co.nz . Kim and Andrew Martin are pictured with their daughter Abigayle.

Cutting ties with daily show

As of last Friday (February 20) Kiwi Lumberjack have discontinued their daily shows at their Rotorua base. Owner/lumberjack Ben James says “Since establishing our home base in Rotorua in 2007 we have seen recognition of the Kiwi Lumberjack brand grow beyond our wildest expectations.” He says the demand for their mobile Kiwi Lumberjack shows has been amazing with their summer calendar full and the demand for their fun demos showing no sign of slowing down. Ben says in order to meet that demand they have make the hard decision to stop their daily shows. Kiwi Lumberjack’s current Fairy Springs base and office will remain through to the end of April.

Gallery will be missed

It was sad to see the closure of Te Raukura, June Grant’s wonderful Red Feather Gallery at the end of last month. Opened in September 2004, the gallery has been a superb showcase of local and national Maori art over the past few years.  

It is official

The grand opening of Skyline Skyride’s new $3m chairlift and luge extensions next month marks the completion of the company’s three year $24m redevelopment programme. Prime Minister John Key will officially declare the newest redevelopments open on March 12. To increase capacity and efficiency on the luge, Skyline Skyrides commissioned a second chairlift system in October 2008 that upped capacity from 935 to 1850 luge runs hourly. In addition to the new double chairlift, three new luge entry points were created to alleviate pressure at the start of the luge runs by dispersing riders in several different directions. The new options include a suspended overpass when entering tracks and a 500m extension to the scenic track.

Babymoons the newest trend?

The Novotel Rotorua Lakeside has released a babymoon package, offering expectant couples some well-earned time to themselves before the birth of their child. It is believed to be the first package of its type available in Rotorua, and one of only a few babymoon packages available in New Zealand. A babymoon is taken by couples before the arrival of their first child so they can relax and enjoy each other’s company before their lives change forever. It is a trend that is slowly gathering momentum. In 1996 a survey in the US by Liberty Travel and BabyCenter showed that 59% of new parents took a babymoon vacation. Recent growth may be due in part to the mature age of parents today, who are more likely to have higher disposable income and enjoy regular travel. The Novotel Rotorua Lakeside package includes one night in a junior suite, fruit bowl on arrival, a 1pm check-out and a food and beverage gift voucher. “The hotel overlooking Lake Rotorua adds to the relaxing environment we offer,” says Novotel Rotorua Lakeside’s sales and marketing director Andrea Richards.

Sustainable economics in business

Commentary on sustainability is often focussed on all things green, rather than also including socio/cultural and economic aspects. However, in these times of uncertain economic futures perhaps it is time to take a more critical look at potential cost savings. Electricity often comprises one of the largest expense items for tourism businesses and while a long term goal might be in moving towards renewable sources of energy, significant cost savings can be achieved in the immediate future by reviewing your electricity supply. Large electricity consumers are likely to benefit from an energy audit and in some instances will qualify for a subsidy from EECA - learn more about energy audits from the Rotorua Energy Champion, Kevin McGrath, click here. Home based businesses and residential households will benefit from visiting the www.powerswitch.co.nz website; have a recent power bill on hand, fill in the easy to use calculator and then compare the estimated annual electricity cost of your current provider with other electricity providers in your area.

Small changes, big gains

The Jade Factory joined the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter in May 2008. Since then they have taken incremental steps to become a more sustainable business. One way was to substitute microfibre cloths for chemical-based glass cleaners to ensure display cabinets stayed sparkling. Other actions they have undertaken include turning off lights and air conditioning when not required, emailing instead of faxing and double sided printing. “There are many ways in which we can do better,” says Sabine Willemsen, Marketing Manager for The Jade Factory. Addressing chemical use is one action she feels strongly about. Sabine says they are trying to reduce the use of chemicals in general but if still required they have chosen environmentally friendly Eco Store products as an alternative. The business has opted to minimise the use of plastic bags and also changed to a biodegradable alternative. Their recycling efforts have seen a dramatic (at least 50%) cut in the amount of general rubbish being sent to the landfill each week – and they have also started discussing the issue of packaging with their suppliers. Sabine says “It’s important to let them know about the company’s packaging issues and to discuss possible solutions. Sabine believes that being a sustainable business is important to both staff and customers.

For information on becoming a member of the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter please contact Gina George by email gina@rotoruaNZ.com or phone (07) 349 7289. 

Fully energised

The Rotorua District Council has appointed a part-time Energy Manager on a 12 month contract. Kevin McGrath, engineer and accredited energy auditor from local electrical and energy consultants Power Solutions, has taken up the role to focus on reducing council’s energy usage and expenditure. Kevin will be setting up systems and reporting processes and will be looking in detail at ways that energy consumption and costs can be minimised at RDC. Kevin is the husband of the RDC’s Kim McGrath, a support service person in Corporate Services. The entire McGrath clan ‘volunteered’ to assist DRTM with a photo shoot at Hells Gate last month where the family lolled about in mud and hot water for a couple of hours. One of the mud shots has been used in DRTM destinational advertising in the Australia Woman’s Weekly and also in support of a Travel and Leisure campaign in Australia. The ads, pictured, use the tagline ‘Where the muddy hell are you’– a take off of Tourism Australia’s own ‘Where the bloody hell are you’ destinational advertising campaign tagline.  

Energy audit for TIA members

The Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand (TIA) has partnered with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority to offer half price energy audits for TIA members. Fourteen half price audits are available this year under TIA’s Tourism Energy Efficiency Programme (TEEP). Twelve tourism businesses completed audits last year and the success of the programme has seen it extended into 2009. Check out www.tianz.org.nz/Current-Projects/teep.asp to find out what those businesses learnt from their 2008 audit. TIA members interested in considering a discount audit for their business can email Sarah Berry at sarah.berry@tianz.org.nz. Audits must be completed before June 2009.

Noelex 25 National Championships, yachting action, Lake Rotorua.
March 6-7

Te Ihi Te Wehi – 2009 Rotorua Arts Festival
Shows, events, exhibitions and street theatre, various Rotorua venues.
March 7-21

Kingsgate Hotel Rotorua Half Marathon
Half marathon and fun run options, Waipa Mill Car Park, Whakarewarewa Forest.
March 8

2009 IFDS World Blind Sailing Championships
International crews will be competing in this prestigious event, Lake Rotorua.
March 12-21

Rotorua Walking Festival
10km, 20km, 21km, 30km and 42km distances, Neil Hunt Park, Tarawera Road.
March 21-22

AY UP Lights 24-hour Rotorua
MTB relay, Whakarewarewa Forest.
March 28-29

NZDBA National Dragon Boat Championships
Blue Lake.
March 28-29

For more information on these and other events, go to rotoruaNZ.com/events

We have collected your contact details. This information is collected to enable us to keep you up to date with tourism news pertinent to the Rotorua tourism market and keep you informed of the activities of the Destination Rotorua Marketing office. We will not disclose your contact details to third parties.

Jill Marshall
Communications Manager
Destination Rotorua Marketing
Private Bag 3007, Rotorua
Phone +64 7 349 7285
Fax +64 7 349 4133
jill@rotoruaNZ.com