Taupō welcomes visitors as summer holiday hotspot
It’s been a bumper Christmas and New Year summer break for the Taupō District with bustling events, packed retail stores and cafes, as well as thousands enjoying the AC Baths facilities.
Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas said it was fantastic to roll out the red carpet for domestic tourists over the summer break.
“So many Kiwis were out exploring their own backyard, thanks to those that chose Taupō as their place to explore or relax by the lake. And of course, the locals who had a staycation, enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere in our town and shopped local.”
Towncentre Taupō chairman Ben Westerman said some retailers and hospitality businesses reported positive figures for Christmas and New Year trading.
“There is no doubt that town has been busy over the holiday period. Large numbers of people were moving about town with shopping bags in hand, buying coffees, dining out and having a good look around town.
“Some of the hospitality businesses have recorded a significant lift when compared to the same time 2019, which suggests the domestic tourism has been strong.
“Although official figures have yet to be released, it’s great to hear how busy many places have been. It will be interesting to see if the activity shows an increase in dollars spent at our local businesses.”
Locals and domestic tourists also flocked to the lakefront on New Year’s Eve. District events manager Steve Giles said it was one of the busiest New Year’s Eve celebrations Taupō has seen.
“There was a great atmosphere on the lakefront with people coming out to watch the Big Bang fireworks and enjoy the entertainment to welcome in the New Year. It was incredibly popular with possibly the biggest crowd ever.
“After a year of uncertainty, it was a privilege to be able to come together as a community and celebrate, especially being one of the few places in the world where we’re able to do so,” Mr Giles said.
It’s been all go at Council venues over the summer too, with the AC Baths seeing more than 30,000 visitors in December and the Rockwall recording its busiest holiday period in ten years.
Business and operations manager Scott Attenborough said it’s great to see so many locals and visitors making the most of summer, despite the disruption caused by COVID-19.
“Our teams have been delivering across the district - Turangi Turtle Pools, Mangakino Pool, the Events Centre, Swim School and of course our awesome cleaning staff. I salute them all for making it a great summer!”
People were also generally well behaved with police reporting only 12 arrests over the holiday period.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.8% Summer
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36.7% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
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