Matawiki or makeover?

Rotorua’s glossy Matariki celebrations can’t hide the rot

Rotorua is throwing a week-long party for Matariki, branded Matawiki, in a bid to rebrand itself as the place to be for the Māori New Year. There’s a dawn ceremony, a drone show, and live music on the schedule. It’s a slick PR job, rolled out like a welcome mat over a town that’s spent the last few years falling to bits.

Rotorua is no longer the glisteni…