Forget everything you have ever learned about weather and seasons – as far as Taupō is concerned, it’s Labour Weekend and summer is here.
From the editor Dan Hutchinson
While the rest of the country is transitioning through spring, savouring the flowering blooms and pottering in the garden with seedlings, here at the great lake we are cleaning the boat and firing up the jet ski.
There is plenty to keep us amused this weekend with art at Waiora House, the Kinloch Market on Sunday, and the regular Taupō market is on a Saturday.
A dozen artists will be busy in one of Taupō’s lesser-known alleyways over Labour Weekend as the Graffiato street art festival begins a new chapter in its popular story.
People can check out the action by heading down the laneway that starts at U Go petrol station on Titiraupenga St and exits at Tūwharetoa St.
Check out the story on page 5. Festival director Sean Duffell and wife Evelyn are busy preparing the walls for their new artwork this weekend.
Also, if you are a boatie or have feelings for someone who regularly heads out on the lake, then maybe this weekend is your chance to contribute to the Coastguard that covers the southern end of Lake Taupō and provides cover for northern areas too.
It requires nothing more than a fun trip around Tongariro Domain on the Taupō Lakeland Lions Train and a donation to the cause.
Even if you don’t fancy a trip on the train, the donation will help fund equipment that could make the difference between finding someone in time or not.
While we are usually about looking forward, not back, we did have to climb into the celebrations of a season well played by the King Country Rams, who have paid former legend Sir Colin ‘Pinetree’ Meads the ultimate compliment by winning the Heartland Championship and the trophy named in his honour.
King Country supporters head south to Ashburton to help spur the Rams to victory. Photo Boris Nogtev
While Taupō narrowly missed out on the final, plenty of locals made the trip to Ashburton and the team and supporters returned home victorious.
On page 3 we look at the absurdly long route being taken to develop a commuter service between Tūrangi and Taupō.
This seems like a no-brainer to most people. Surely everyone knows someone who regularly commutes between the two towns. Why is it so difficult to provide a daily bus service between the two towns.
If ever there was a case to subsidise a bus service that must sure be it.
We visited our daughter in Melbourne earlier this year, a few months after war broke out in the Middle East. To compensate for the high fuel prices, the state government removed the fare for all public transport. Trains and trams were free to all, no questions asked.
Meanwhile, a commuter service between two neighbouring towns at opposite ends of the same lake must endure years of trials of a different kind of service before conversations can even begin on what is actually required.
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