E-bikes, stand-up paddleboards, yummy food and ice-cold drinks are on the menu this summer as Whakatāne District Council activates one of our district's top waterfront locations.
From this Saturday, the council's Port Ōhope waterfront building and surrounds will transform into a new attraction called 'Wharfside', serving as a base for VMAC Rides, which rents e-bikes and e-scooters, and Ōhope SUP and Kite, which rents stand-up paddleboards.
Wharfside will also be supported by a number of food and drink providers.
The council's manager of tourism and events, Nicola Burgess, says Wharfside is a trial to find the best way to utilise the space for our district's communities. It also aims to support local businesses as part of the council's tourism recovery programme.
"Ultimately, we want to create a destination that appeals to locals and visitors alike," says Nicola.
"We're keen to find out if Wharfside will add to our district's many tourist attractions while also serving as a great place for locals to take their whānau."
To minimise costs to ratepayers, the council spruced up the building to a limited extent and developed the Wharfside branding in-house.
"This is very much a work in progress, and we hope to keep improving it as we go along," says Nicola.
"After the trial finishes in early autumn, we'll assess how things went and develop a long-term strategy for the site."
The council is keen to hear from additional food vendors and service providers interested in using the site.
Wharfside opens at 10am this Saturday (4 December), and will be open most days over the holiday season.
Visitors will be asked to observe the requirements of central Government's 'red' traffic light setting, which will be in effect from Friday morning.