Traffic control grounds Santa's sleigh in Piopio

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November 9, 2025 • 6 mins

Traffic control and a shortage of volunteers have officially grounded Santa's sleigh in the small town of Piopio in the Waitomo District. At the Christmas eve parade Santa would normally float in via SH3, however the rising cost of closing the highway and managing traffic means Santa will instead park-up on a side street near the village with other floats. Chair of the Project Pio Pio Trust Melanie Simpson spoke to Lisa Owen.

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Traffic control grounds Santa's sleigh in Piopio