NEWS
Thursday, August 21, 2025 | hcpost.news
Hauraki-Coromandel Post 3
Paradise Lost: Can Local Support Reignite Calls For A Tourist-Friendly Name Change?
OPINION
PHOTO: SHAUN FAY
Lakes Resort Pauanui is one of the host courses for the Paradise Cost Classic.
withdrawal: “It doesn’t fit our criteria,” Kerr said adding, “This (was) after a lengthy wait, which reduced our time to attract other sponsors.” This seems short-sighted given that in the Queenstown region is a multimillion-dollar international golf resort where Australians spend on average $700 a night, with only 20 per cent of that derived from golf fees. Why wouldn’t we get some of that?” The golf tournament will return in November, retaining the Paradise Coast name and continuing to receive support from three additional sponsors. Some in Council has suggested that once the forthcoming elections are complete, the Paradise Coast branding concept could be revisited; howver, eight years down the track, it may be hard to generate the 2017 level of enthusiasm.
areas) may have been discussed informally in board meetings at the time, but it didn’t come to the boards or Council for their formal consideration. A name change for a ward falls under central government legislation, which requires a specific process to be followed, ” added the Spokesperson. Then in 2023, the idea of a golf tournament using the unwanted moniker was initiated by Enterprise Whangamata, the local business association. A three-day tournament based at courses in Whangamata, Tairua and Lakes Resort Pauanui, catering for 120 golfers. It had a great name, The Paradise Coast Golf Classic – and the entries poured in. Council even lent a hand the first two years, but in 2025 declined to help. I asked the chair of Enterprise Whangamata, Patrick Kerr, what the reasoning was behind the
Staff work is clearly directed by the Long Term Plan, Annual Plan or Council resolutions.” The spokesperson then gave some background on the retro proposal and the reasons why it wasn’t adopted: “In 2017-18, members of the community, including Tairua- Pāuanui Community Board member Sarah Campbell, presented information and updates on the Paradise Coast branding initiative to both the Tairua-Pāuanui and Whangamatā Community Boards in the public forums of board meetings, and for Ms Campbell, in the members’ updates section of meetings.” “In 2017 and 2018, the Paradise Coast organisation received nearly $6,000 in community board grants to help produce marketing material. “Changing the name of the South East Ward (which takes in the two community board
area area coined the Southeast Ward? The Paradise Coast concept was on the move. There was just one problem: While the seaside community was keen, the perception was that the western side wasn’t. Some have said that TCDC and Destination Coromandel were concerned that any change to marketing would impinge on the broader Coromandel branding of Good For The Soul . In effect, the name stalled after seed money had come from the community boards. It seemed the council weren’t prepared to contribute any further, and so over the next 5-6 years, the idea has sat in the bottom drawer. After approaching TCDC to query whether the concept could be re-visited, a spokesperson told me that they don’t have a position on Paradise Coast “simply because it’s not currently part of our work programme.
A pod of orcas cruising close to shore thrilled beachgoers at Waihi Beach last week. The orcas were first spotted off Brighton Reserve before moving north past the beach towards Orokawa Bay. Surfer Ben Haarman, who photographed the moment, said it was a dream come true. “Orca are very intelligent and know the difference between seals, sharks and surfers,” Haarman said. “I saw them from about 500 metres away, which gave me time to recognise the fin shape and blowing — so no shark! One of my mates had one go underneath him and pop up just behind him. The male orca’s fin is massive, maybe five feet high. So amazing!” Haarman said he had photographed orcas from the beach in the past but had always hoped to be in the water when they passed through. “They just cruised right through the line-up, thrilling all the surfers. Later in the day they were in Whangamatā, and I saw online they’d been at Whitianga the day before.” by S haun F ay A n ambitious plan to rebrand the southern Coromandel as The Paradise Coast is still in limbo, eight years after it was first proposed. The idea was initiated in 2017 by then-Pauanui councillor Sarah Campbell and current Deputy Mayor Terry Walker, who suggested replacing the name “Southeast Ward” with something more appealing. The concept quickly gained traction, with grants secured for marketing, several locals and businesses registered company names and others created promotional materials, town- specific artwork, and a theme song by New Zealand music legend Tina Cross was recorded. It was extensive and expensive for the business community, but you couldn’t blame them. Who wants to live, let alone holiday, in
Surfers Have Close Encounter With Orca Pod Off Waihi Beach
PHOTO: BEN HAARMANN
PHOTO: BEN HAARMANN A surfer at Waihi Beach got up close and personal with a massive orca.
The fin of one orca was estimated to be five feet tall.
Swimmers should exit the water calmly if orcas approach, and boaters should idle engines and avoid sudden movements. Authorities say encounters should always happen on the animals’ terms — without chasing, surrounding, or disrupting them — and to remember the ocean is their home.
Portugal, sometimes causing damage. The motivation for this behaviour is still being studied, but it highlights the unpredictability of wild animals. The Department of Conservation advises people to stay at least 50 metres from orcas in the water, and 200 metres if calves are present.
In New Zealand, orcas are regularly sighted close to shore, often hunting stingrays and fish in bays and harbours. Encounters can appear playful — with orcas breaching near surfers or gliding alongside kayakers. Internationally, pods of orcas have been recorded ramming boats in Spain and
Orca or Killer whales, the largest members of the dolphin family, are found in oceans worldwide and are known for their intelligence, social bonds, and powerful hunting skills. While attacks on humans in the wild are extremely rare, experts warn that they are still apex predators and should be treated with respect.
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