The coolest town in NZ
Paradice operator Chris Blong watches on as water slowly freezes on the coils to create Taupō’s annual Winter Festival ice rink. Photo / Dan Hutchinson
The shortest days of the year have arrived and Taupō is officially on ice.
By Dan Hutchinson
One of the features of the annual Malcolm Flowers Insurances Taupō Winter Festival which officially opens on Friday night is the Wairakei Estate Ice Rink, which is operated by Paradice Events.
The company has been running ice rinks for 50 years, with the company and its first permanent facility in Auckland, established by Ross and Nell Blong.
Son Chris Blong, now general manager, was busy erecting the marquee and freezing the water in the portable marquee at Tongariro North Domain this week when Taupō News caught up with him.
He says the whole set-up fits into a 40-foot shipping container.
It is real ice in the rink and to create it they first put down a layer of insulation and then a big liner with sides to make a basin. The aluminium pipes go in to circulate glycol at about minus eight degrees Celsius.
“Then we just flood the basin and that freezes the water.”
Taupō’s cooler temperatures help keep the water frozen, and halves the running costs compared with warmer Auckland, but the power bill still runs into the thousands for the two weeks it is in town.
He says there are synthetic rinks, and they use those sometimes for smaller events elsewhere but it’s the real deal in Taupō.
“The real ice is way better. It's just way more complex to put together.”
They have two permanent rinks in Auckland, and portable ones they use in Aotea Square, Wellington and Taupō and one they lease out at Ayrburn near Arrowtown.
Chris is a seven-times senior national figure skating champion and an experienced coach. Other staff are all experienced skaters so people are in good hands and they have frames available for those trying it out for the first time.
The Taupō Winter Festival holds a special place in their calendar.
“This particular one in Taupō just seems to just have a great vibe with it, with the Winter Festival. All the little things they have with it and the light shows and all the other shows.
“They do a great job of organising it, and so it's quite a special one, really.”
The festival runs from June 27 – July 13 and there are no fewer than 26 events happening over that time.
The popular Mercury Light Hub fills the southern Tongariro Domain with a sea of colour and spectacular displays, all free to the public thanks to generous sponsorship.
Other events include concerts like The Highwaymen on July 6th, the Towncentre Treasure Hunt, More FM Midwinter Swim on July 5 and some adult-focused entertainment including The Gincident on July 11, Mocktails and Menopause – on tonight - and a curiously named “drag bingo” experience called Real Lady Ping Pong on July 11.
Tickets have been on sale for more than a month, but some shows still have spaces available. Head to www.taupowinterfestival.co.nz for more information.