Cathedral Cove Kayaks announced as Tourism category winner at 2021 Business Awards

Pictured above Cathedral Cove Kayak's Aimee Daniels and Mike Grogan with Megan Nunn from Destination Coromandel. 

Tourism Category Winners – Cathedral Cove Kayak Tours

After 22 years in business the Hahei based Cathedral Cove Kayak Tours team has achieved significant national and international attention. They have built an excellent reputation as a Coromandel Peninsula experience that visitors should not miss. The business has had to navigate the significant reduction in the tourism visitor market due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Team is key to Kayak Tours owner Mike Grogan who feels that this 2021 Business Awards win is testament and a big thanks to his world class staff. 

Our team are delighted to win this Tourism award. It really is great to get recognition at a challenging time like this and its a tribute to my staff as they make the business into the product that it is. 

– Mike Grogan, Owner Cathedral Cove Kayak Tours

Supreme Award winners 

Business owners Daniela Suess and Paul Schneider won both the Supreme and the Manufacturing & Trade category at the gala evening. As Supreme Award winners, they receive a $1000 mentoring package from Te Waka: the Waikato Regional Economic Development Agency, and $1000 towards digital and/or radio advertising from MediaWorks

Individual category winners 

• Emerging Business – Coastal Bins
• Hospitality – Gastronomics Restaurant and Bar
• Professional Services – Woof Woof Ranch
• Retail – Coastal Bins
• Rural & Primary Industries – Splinta’s Firewood
• Tourism – Cathedral Cove Kayaks
• Community & Not For Profit – Te Whariki Manawahine o Hauraki; Hauraki Women’s Refuge
• Service to Business – Jo Tilsley
• The People’s Choice – Maddcutzz.

For photos of all winners and a list of all finalists view Hauraki Coromandel Business Awards. 

The Gala Awards Evening

This year’s guest speaker was Waikato businesswoman Annah Stretton. She spoke about her fashion empire and her charity work, particularly RAW, or Reclaim Another Woman, which helps female offenders transition from a life of crime to a life of promise through education, employment and intensive peer support.

As ever, the standard of businesses in Hauraki Coromandel was excellent. There have been many challenges facing businesses over the last year and a half, so it was fantastic to get together to recognise and celebrate the hard work these people are doing in our communities. Successful businesses mean successful communities and we are delighted to be able to support local through this event.

– Kate Rigg, Chair Hauraki Coromandel Business Awards Organising Committee. 

The gala evening was hosted at the Grand Mercure Puka Park in Pauanui. Organisers would like to thank the judging panel and the generous sponsors of the event who made it all possible: BNZ, Hauraki District Council, Thames-Coromandel District Council, Agrisea, Bachcare, Destination Coromandel, Hikaka Investigations, Placemakers Thames, OceanaGold, Read Bros. Hardware, Richardsons Real Estate and Thames Centre Pharmacy.