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The record high temperature for Rotorua is 31.5C and has stood since January 11, 1983.<\/p>\n
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Harris said the \u201cbeauty\u201d of camping at Blue Lake (Lake Tikitapu) was that it felt a bit \u201ccooler\u201d than other regions, such as her home base in Hamilton.<\/p>\n
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![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RMOZBSKGTRBB5ORIWFMZTJIA3I.jpg\")
Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park camper Jenny Harris has been making the most of the shade as Rotorua heads into a run of hot summer weather. Photo \/ Annabel Reid<\/p>\n
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She said a friend at home had reported it was already \u201ctoo hot\u201d at 7am to be out walking, but Harris had her hiking boots on ready to hit the Blue Lake loop.<\/p>\n
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She said the wind would make the about 5km trail bearable.<\/p>\n
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Fellow campers Camille Reboul, from Auckland, and Dean Blair, from Wellington, had arrived the night before and were preparing for a bike ride around the lake.<\/p>\n
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Blair said finding shade when camping in the summer could be a challenge, and tents could get \u201creally hot\u201d if stuck in the sun.<\/p>\n
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He tended to get up bright and early to avoid the tent sauna, with the pair swimming in the lake by 8am.<\/p>\n
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Blair said he often chose campsites like the Blue Lake Top 10 where he could \u201ccool off\u201d by swimming or mountain bike under the trees.<\/p>\n
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![\"Christina](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/KGCLOM3BYFAZ7BNIDNQGQGIWTI.jpg\")
Christina Joe stops for ice cream with her family at Lady Jane\u2019s Ice Cream Parlour as temperatures climb in Rotorua. Photo \/ Annabel Reid<\/p>\n
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Christina Joe, who was visiting Rotorua this week with her family from Hamilton, stopped for ice cream at Lady Jane\u2019s Ice Cream Parlour as they paced their day around enjoying the \u201cnice\u201d sunshine.<\/p>\n
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Alexas Dabalos, a staff member at TearifficNZ, a food truck on the city\u2019s lakefront known for its drinks and desserts, said the sunny weather this week had brought a noticeable lift in customers.<\/p>\n
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Dabalos described the past few days as \u201cso busy\u201d, with people stopping in for cold, refreshing drinks to offset the heat.<\/p>\n
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Milk tea and non-dairy options were especially popular in the heat.<\/p>\n
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January was typically the busiest month, and this week already felt like one of the \u201chottest\u201d so far.<\/p>\n
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Dabalos expected business to continue booming with the weekend heat.<\/p>\n
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