After waiting for a bus to take me on a long-winded trip from central Mount Maunganui to Tauranga on Sunday of the long weekend I was looking forward to the entertainment downtown, as it was the arts festival. What a disappointment, it was dead.

Times passed it would have been a buzz of activity. No wonder the city is dying.

It was a beautiful day with an amazing waterfront but no people because there was no reason for them to be there. I found out the next day in our local paper that the entertainment was happening at the Crossing. Why?

The last few years the Mount has had no fun activities either. I never used to go away over the Christmas/New year period as the Mount was so much fun with promotions, games on the beach, sands bar and lots going on every day for 10 days at Mt. Drury.

Not anymore and New Year's Eve downtown is all fenced off.

It seems to me that if you want to eat out in restaurants continuously that's all there is nowadays.

I McIlroy, Mt Maunganui.