Coromandel & Bay of Plenty

Resurfacing of the popular Kauri Block Walkway in the Coromandel is slated to be complete by mid-August, says the Department of Conservation.

First round of funding to be up to $140,000.

The 2021 Hauraki Coromandel Business Awards is now open for entries.

Hotel guest nights beat holiday parks and campgrounds for the first time in several months.

Organisers have “flipped the script doing away with scallops altogether,” says Destination Coromandel GM Hadley Dryden.

Boating, sports, food and arts events have secured funding from Destination Coromandel’s $80,000 Signature Events Marketing Fund.

Civil Defence has cancelled its tsunami warning and says there is no threat to the country’s coastlines.

Port of Tauranga saw ship visits decline by 15.3% to 661 for the six months to December 2020.

Whakatāne has launched a new tongue-in-cheek “sunniest place in the world” campaign.

Less litter, cleaner public toilets, happier visitors and more promotion of the Coromandel were the successful outcomes of the $656,566 Responsible Camping Fund granted to Thames-Coromandel District Council.

Event organisers in the Coromandel can now apply for marketing support from Destination Coromandel’s $80k Signature Events Marketing Fund.

The first court appearance for the 13 parties charged by WorkSafe in relation to the 2019 Whakaari/White Island eruption has been moved to next year. 

Tourism Bay of Plenty’s CEO recalls a day of “shock and disbelief” as the tragedy unfolded and the agency swung into crisis management.

A dawn service was held at Whakatane Heads this morning to commemorate the 22 lives lost in the Whakaari/White Island eruption one year ago.

Ownership of Bay of Plenty destination Waimangu Volcanic Valley has been transferred to Te Arawa iwi Ngāti Rangitihi as part of its settlement with the Crown.

White Island Tours and Volcanic Air Safaris are among the parties charged.

Covid-19 restrictions mean many families of the victims of last year’s eruption will not be able to attend the one year commemoration.

German man Horst Westenfelder, 64, died on 2 July at an overseas hospital due to medical complications while receiving treatment for injuries.

Running from Wednesday to Sunday, the festival draws hot rod, classic car, caravan and motorcycle enthusiasts to the area.

Tak Mutu’s MDA Experiences is the penultimate operator to secure funding from the programme.

TCDC has sought public feedback on how important it is that council continues investing in promoting tourism.

Fernland Spa in Tauranga is on the market for sale for the first time nearly 30 years.

Donations made by cruise ship passengers visiting the Bay of Plenty during the 2019/2020 season have funded the hatching and raising of a kiwi chick.

Bay of Plenty operator New Zealand Riverjet is up for sale.

Fullers360 is launching a set of new products and services, specifically tailored to the local domestic market.

It is the first region in New Zealand to be named in the Green Destinations’ Top 100 Sustainable Destination list.

Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency’s Takitimu North Link project is up for tender for construction. 

The Boat Shed at Tarawera has been named the country’s best and most popular bach.

Tourism Bay of Plenty has launched its new Sure to Make You Smile campaign thanks to the $700,000 funding it received through the Government’s Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme.

The Department of Conservation is urging those planning to camp at the Kauaeranga Valley to book early ahead of what it expects to be a busy summer season.

DC’s Hadley Dryden on reconnecting with nature and communities, the importance of Regional Tourism NZ, and ticking something off your bucket list. 

Abu Dhabi private equity snaps up assets in New Zealand tourism’s hottest sub-sector.

The campaign attracted a record number of 425,200 digital visitors to the campaign website, generating 12,400 referrals to operators’ booking sites. 

July through to September were known as the ‘hauling out’ months for seals, with weaned pups coming ashore to rest, sometimes in what seem like unusual places.

Port of Tauranga says it is not budgeting for any cruise ship visits in the 2020-21 season.

The project would see Kōpū developed as a centre of marine servicing operations across the Hauraki Gulf, and act as a connection for water-based tourism opportunities and a growing aquaculture industry.

The cleaning operation required the use of a helicopter and its crew, a septic tank truck and several DOC staff to empty more than 3.5 tonnes of waste.

The Waikato tourism operator has launched a suite of couples-focused gourmet hiking escapes as part of its domestic tourism push.

One person has died after a kayak capsized off the Waikato coast near Miranda.

A section of track at the Fairbrother Loop in Ōhope Scenic Reserve has been made impassable due to a washout, meaning visitors will no longer have a loop option while repairs are made over the next few weeks.

The workshop will support and enhance the work already planned by Destination Coromandel in the coming months.

The RTO chief executive on the region’s resilience, reacting to disaster and moving forward.

The popular Rotorua attraction has formed a new partnership to help its 110 employees.

Matata Campground and Whirinaki Recreation Camp both needed upgrades and safety work undertaken and had extended closures after the Covid-19 lockdown while the work was done.

The environmental projects will benefit locals who are looking for work and who have been affected by the Whakaari disaster and Covid-19 downturn.

Rotorua will receive just over $2m in additional funding from the Provincial Growth Fund as part of a raft of new announcements from the Government last week.

Ōpōtiki will receive almost $4.5m for new footpaths, cycleway extensions and to improve horse trails in the district.

“We have to recreate our future rather than wait for it to come to us,” says GM David Blackmore.

Thames-Coromandel District Council is offering $500 in prize money to Coromandel schools as part of a 60-second video contest showcasing the region. 

The Covid-19 crisis may not have as severe an impact on the Bay of Plenty as other parts of New Zealand, says the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.