Mayor Rick Cooper says lets focus on the positives

Leading up to the Visitor Industry Forum on Friday, Mayor Rick Cooper says the community should be thinking about some of the positives and focusing on the good work that is being done by organisations like Bike Taupo.

At a meeting earlier this week, the Mayor said “Businesses need to start thinking about the positives this district has to offer and capitalising on them. Some of the negative comments in the media of late don’t represent the heart and soul of this community.”

Mayor Rick says 10 years ago people went to Fiji on holiday and sat around by the pool drinking Pina colada’s. “Now things have changed – people are getting active and going hiking, biking, camping and tramping. And what better place to do that then here in the Taupo district,” he said.

The Mayor talked about the significant contribution that organisations like Bike Taupo make to this community. “This Council is committed to working with organisations like Bike Taupo, to accentuate the Taupo district,” he said.

Bike Taupo member Mike Langley said that Bike Taupo’s biking and walking tracks are attracting people to Taupo. “Approximately 50,000 cyclists used Bike Taupo tracks during the last year – that is a phenomenal amount of bikers,” he said.

Mayor Rick commented that two of his peers – the Mayor of Whakatane Colin Holmes and the Mayor of Kawerau Malcolm Campbell - have come to Taupo with their bikes and talked highly of the bike tracks.

Bike Taupo is an advocacy group that started in 2002 over a cup of tea. Now the fast-growing organisation has over 1,400 members and is maintaining most of the 100 kms of biking and walking tracks around the Taupo district. Local volunteers and businesses make a major contribution to the Bike Taupo organisation.

Mayor Rick encouraged families to get out and make use of the fantastic walking and biking tracks around Taupo in the school holidays and spread the word around. “Check out the Bike Taupo website www.biketaupo.org.nz to find out more – it’s so Xciting.” he said.