Spring at the hostel

Ah, Spring. It's one of my favourite times of the year, and in Rotorua, it's one of the best places to be in New Zealand. There's nothing quite like a sunlit evening wandering around the Redwoods, or taking in the bright colours and smells of the Government Gardens in bloom.

Unfortunately, due to the ongoing lockdown in Auckland and parts of the North Island, there aren't as many folks travelling through Rotorua to enjoy the beautiful weather. In light of the ongoing questions we're often asked, I thought I'd do a special Covid-edition of the Rock Solid blog this month to let you know what we're up to in the face of the pandemic. 

We're thinking of all our friends and whanau in Auckland, Waikato and Northland as they fight against the ongoing outbreaks. I know this can't be an easy time for anyone, and we send our support to everyone affected by the lockdowns. We can't wait to see you all again when it's safer to travel. In the meantime, we urge everyone to follow the official guidance and get vaccinated as soon as you can.

How we're fighting the virus:

The August lockdown was a good opportunity for us to review our methods when it came to keeping the hostel clean and safe for guests visiting from across New Zealand. We set up sanitisation points throughout the hostel, including self-spray stations and hand sanitiser pumps, and our staff keep a regular routine of wiping down all common areas and rooms. 

But as the Delta strain changed the rules, we had to adapt too. We added additional measures to reduce the potential for infection, including the use of face masks throughout the hostel for our guests and staff, and a mandatory sign-in for anyone coming through. We're very grateful for all of our guests for being so understanding and supportive with us. 

It's also exciting that all of our staff have received their first dose of the vaccine, and 50% have had both!  

Guests passing the alert-level boundaries

With the country at different alert levels, we've had a lot of questions from folks with exemptions asking if they're able to stay with us. The answer is: yes! However, in the interests of the safety of our guests and staff, we ask all guests travelling from inside a lockdown boundary to provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 test taken within the last three days AND a valid exemption letter.

Rock Solid gets Covid-Safe!

We're also thrilled to announce that Rock Solid Backpackers has achieved the Covid-Safe accreditation in collaboration with Qualmark. This is achieved by putting down measures that meet and exceed the government's safety and hygiene standards. That we've gained this is a huge achievement, and means that we stand the best chance possible of preventing an outbreak here at the hostel, so you can relax and enjoy your stay with us.  

That's all from us this month! You can always get in touch with us by phone or email, or by dropping us a DM on social media! 

Posted by Dale Thomas on October 27, 2021