Mixed bag for Waitangi celebrations
Dawn service off but event in historic village continues
The Tauranga Moana Waitangi Day dawn service has been cancelled due to expected bad weather but a number of other events are set to go ahead this long weekend.
It has been a week of heavy rain, causing widespread damage and disruption to roads, properties and businesses. A red heavy rain warning was issued by Metservice for parts of the Bay of Plenty earlier this week and slips across the Bay have closed roads and put residents on alert.
Looking ahead, Metservice says there will be a few showers today and tomorrow, while more “settled” weather was expected on Tuesday.
The Tauranga City Council has confirmed the Tauranga Moana Waitangi Day Dawn Service at Hopukiore (Mount Drury Reserve) has been cancelled due to poor weather expected over the weekend.
The service will instead be broadcast live on Moana Radio, 98.2FM and 1440AM, from 6.30am on Monday. The service will also be live-streamed through the council channels. Updates will be available on the Facebook event page.
The council has also confirmed the Chinese Folk Culture Festival has been postponed due to poor weather, with no new date confirmed yet. The festival was meant to take place today in the Historic Village.
Live Nation New Zealand announced this week that the Sol3 Mio and Friends concert at Wharepai Domain was “no longer proceeding” due to the “extreme weather across the North Island”.
“Weather conditions across the country have made it logistically impossible to deliver the shows.”
Refunds would be issued to all ticketholders in the next five to seven working days. Any questions should be directed to Moshtix, the post said.
However, there are several events in Tauranga set to go ahead this long weekend.
The council confirmed the Tauranga Moana Waitangi Day Festival is on Monday from 10am to 4pm at the Historic Village to celebrate, acknowledge and pay respect to what the day means “and the unity we seek moving forward”.
“It is a free event full of live music, entertainment, workshops, laughter and much aroha.”
Today on Wharf St, singer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist Camila Lenhart plays from 1pm to 4pm while tomorrow at 7pm there will be live music at the Mount Hot Pools.
The Volleyball NZ Secondary Schools Beach Volleyball Championships are taking place on Mount Maunganui Main Beach today and tomorrow.
The Classic Flyers open day is celebrating 18 years of operation this weekend on Saturday from 10am.
“This is the perfect day out if you and the wha¯nau have cabin fever, with face painting, fire truck rides and aircraft rides.”
The Tauranga Farmers Market is celebrating 20 years today. From 8.30am, there will be stallholders, birthday cake and spot prizes.
And tomorrow, food trucks will be at Matua Park for Dinner in the Park. There will also be live music.
Bay Venues confirmed the Waitangi Day BBQ is still going ahead on Monday from 12pm to 3pm at the Memorial Pools in Tauranga. There will be inflatables, music, games and a free sausage sizzle. There is a general admission charge to get into the pool.
Metservice meteorologist Karl Loots said it would be “quite muggy” for the long weekend in Tauranga, with a maximum of 24C. There would also be a few showers today and tomorrow.
“Overnight Sunday to Monday morning, there’s going to be a brief period of rain . . . and then it all clears out . . . towards the evening.”
Loots said more “settled” and cooler weather was expected on Tuesday.
Waimarino Adventure Park owner Blair Anderson confirmed the park would be open this weekend after it flooded during last weekend’s wild weather.
“All the facilities will be open but it won’t be looking like its normal 100 per cent perfect self. It is looking like it’s been through a flood stage and we have lots of areas fenced off just so that people don’t walk on the mud and traipse that around,” he told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend yesterday.
“But it is looking ten-fold better and it will dry out as soon as we get some dry weather.”
Anderson said he had had “great support” from the community for the clean-up.