Tūrangi’s Turtle Pools will reopen two days ahead of schedule and to celebrate locals will enjoy free access for a day.

The pools have been closed to the public since 25 August for planned maintenance and will reopen on Saturday, 24 September at 11.30am.

The maintenance work included preparing, grinding and painting all bulkhead surrounding and internal surfaces of the Learn to Swim and Activity pools.

The bulkheads surrounding the 25m pool were also prepared, ground and painted, but the pool did not require any work on the internal surface.

Taupō District Council staff also used the time to do general and plant maintenance, and deep cleaning of the building and surrounds.

To celebrate the early completion of the work, locals will have free access to the Turtle Pools on Saturday, 24 September.

Taupō District Council events and venues manager Steve Giles said it was a fantastic effort by all involved to get the work done ahead of schedule.

“This work was all part of the general maintenance of the pools which must be done every few years to keep them up to standard,” he said.

“It’s great that it went smoothly and we’re looking forward to welcoming locals for free on Saturday to show how much we appreciate their patience during the last month.”

The Turtle Pools will be closed, along with the rest of Taupō District Council’s venues, on Monday, September 26 as New Zealand commemorates Queen Elizabeth II with a state memorial and one-off public holiday. The pools will be back to their normal opening hours after that.

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