View of Paihia from Maiki/Lookout Hill, with Salt Air helicopter pad, Maritime Building, Paihia wharf and Motumaire Island, Paihia, Bay of Islands. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf
A surge of visitors into the Bay of Islands since Christmas is just what the tourist hotspot needs after years of disruption, business owners say.
Donna Smith, co-owner of The Hideout, a café/restaurant on Paihia's Kings Road, said the town had been ominously quiet until 27 December.
That day it was as if someone had flicked a switch.
"We had a very slow season coming up to Christmas, then between Christmas and New Year, it changed overnight. Everyone arrived. I think a lot of people were spending Christmas at home instead of coming out, but it seems people have really made that effort now. Paihia is just booming."
Donna Smith, owner of The Hideout in Paihia, says businesses need a good summer after the disruption they've been through in recent years. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf
Smith said accommodation providers were also busy and lots of people were "out and about" in the town centre, with the crowds boosted by cruise ship passengers.
"So even though it's been a late summer starting, I think it's really going to ramp up and get going. It's got a really good feel to it. It definitely feels like it's going to be busier than last year."
Smith said after five years of closed borders, lockdowns, storms, highway closures and power outages, Bay of Islands businesses were in desperate need of a good summer.
"Everyone, whether they're in hospitality, accommodation, whatever, all businesses have really been hit. It's just been one thing on top of the other. So to have that real summer feeling back in Paihia this week, it's been brilliant."
Smith was not concerned about the lacklustre New Year's Eve weather forecast, saying there had also been some rain at Christmas but it blew over quickly.
"I think people will be out enjoying themselves anyway," she said.
The Bay of Islands tourist hotspot of Paihia is packed with visitors, locals say. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf
Across the water in Russell, Duke of Marlborough owner Riki Kinnaird said accommodation was fully booked but the restaurant was still about 10 percent down on the pre-Covid era.
He expected it would take one more summer to restore business to pre-pandemic levels.
"But I think people are relaxed and enjoying themselves, which is the main thing. After what we've been through and the increased cost of living, we can't fault it."
Kinnaird had also noticed an increase in the number of restaurants in Russell, which was now higher this summer than before Covid.
Some existing eateries were also opting to stay open for longer.
"That's a really good sign of confidence and businesses putting their foot forward. So there's more choice and that's good for the customer."
Kinnaird said fewer walk-in customers at the Duke could be a result of diners being spread over a greater number of establishments.
"What we're seeing might just be a function of people having a bit more choice than in the past, I'm not sure. But we're happy and I think hopefully the others are happy as well."
Like Smith, Kinnaird was not concerned about forecast showers denting New Year's Eve trade - but he said this summer's strong winds had had an effect, because they made the outdoor tables along the Strand unappealing.
Customers instead sought shelter on the restaurant's deck.
However, if it was windy on the Strand side of Russell, it was always "amazing" on the Long Beach side, he said.
Meanwhile, Business Bay of Islands confirmed it was going ahead with its annual fireworks display to welcome the New Year.
The pyrotechnics would be launched at the stroke of midnight from a barge moored in the channel between Paihia and Russell.
Fireworks are launched from a barge moored between Paihia and Russell, in the Bay of Islands, to mark the start of a new year. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf
Fireworks are launched from a barge moored between Paihia and Russell to mark the start of a new year.
Optimum viewing areas included Paihia's wharf and Maiki Hill lookout, and almost anywhere along the town's waterfront.
The fireworks could also be seen from Waitangi, Ōpua, and Russell.
The display had been funded by Bay of Islands businesses every year, except during the Covid pandemic, since 2002.
MetService is forecasting a windy start to the last day of 2024 in the Bay of Islands with southwesterlies gusting up to 80km/h.
The day is expected to be partly cloudy with a few showers late morning and afternoon, and the sky clearing in the evening when it matters most.
New Year's Day is shaping up to be fine in the Bay of Islands with a maximum of 23C.
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