Lake cancellations major blow

It would normally be their busiest time of the year but accommodation providers relying on major events at Lake Karā piro in Waikato may struggle to make it through summer.

Waipā District Council decided the Mighty River Domain at the lake would not host events in December while Waka Ama NZ announced it would not run the annual Te Wā nanga o Aotearoa Waka Ama Sprint Nationals, also at the lake, in January.

Uncertainty around the new Covid19 traffic light system prompted the council’s decision while Waka Ama NZ was worried about the 1500, under-12 paddlers competing at the event who were unable to be vaccinated.

Events scheduled in December at the lake included Te Puku O Te Ika Regional Sprint Championships (waka ama) and the Karā piro Rowing Christmas Regatta.

The waka ama sprints were to be held in late January. The event would normally attract more than 10,000 people staying in accommodation in nearby Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Hamilton.

Destination Cambridge chief executive Miff Macdiarmid said the cancellations represented a ‘‘large blow’’ for the visitor industry in

Cambridge.

The events would have brought much needed revenue to the town, she said.

‘‘The cancellations are, however, understandable. I know that those involved have been trying their hardest to bring these events to town.’’

A Cambridge hotel owner, who did not want to be named, said she had been busy taking cancellation calls yesterday from customers booked in for events at the lake.

‘‘We’ve been returning thousands of dollars worth of deposits which is really going to hurt our business.

‘‘We’re now running about 55 per cent occupancy when normally we would be up to 95 per cent.’’

The owner said the hotel hoped to pick up holidaymakers over summer but it would unlikely fill the void.