Taupō District Mayor rolls out the welcome mat
Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas is today rolling out the welcome mat for all New Zealanders, as the country’s battle against COVID-19 moves into alert level two and regional travel resumes.
Mr Trewavas said his district had been one of the hardest hit, given a third of its employment was related to tourism and, for the time being, its recovery was going to be reliant on the rest of New Zealand coming to visit.
“Now, more than ever, we need people exploring what is in their own backyard,” he said. “We are only a three hour drive from the North Island’s major centres and only an hour and a half from Napier, Tauranga or Hamilton. We want people to come and reconnect with our district, whether it be visiting their bach, or coming to enjoy what our tourism, accommodation and hospitality providers have to offer.
“We also have a full range of accommodation options from five-star luxury lodges and family motels to budget accommodation. We have amazing food and beverage and retail options, all of which I know are opening and looking forward to welcoming you back.
“Hopefully soon you will be able to come and enjoy the Central Plateau and Mount Ruapehu too,” he said.
While there was still a number of restrictions in place under alert level two, Mr Trewavas was more than confident his district would be able to provide visitors with a “quintessential Kiwi holiday”.
“We’ve all spent an extended time in our bubbles but now we can hit the road, and I can guarantee there is no better place to be. There are hidden gems in all four corners of our district and a Great Lake Taupō road trip provides some of the most picturesque scenery in New Zealand.
“We can’t wait to welcome you.”
ENDS
Lisa was born in Auckland at the start of the 1970s, living in a small campsite community on the North Shore called Browns Bay. She spent a significant part of her life with her grandparents, often hanging out at the beaches. Lisa has many happy memories from those days at Browns Bay beach, where fish were plentiful on the point and the ocean was rich in seaweed. She played in the water for hours, going home totally “sun-kissed.” “An adorable time to grow up,” Lisa tells me.
Lisa enjoyed many sports; she was a keen tennis player and netballer, playing in the top teams for her age right up until the family moved to Wellington. Lisa was fifteen years old, which unfortunately marked the end of her sporting career. Local teams were well established in Wellington, and her attention was drawn elsewhere.