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Ōrewa came alive at the weekend as the Wintery Festival drew thousand of locals and visitors from as far away as St Heliers and Half Moon Bay. Despite the forecast, the turnout was heartwarming, proof that a little weather couldn’t dampen the community’s spirit, says Hellen Wilkins of Destination Ōrewa.
“The wild gusts did mean some changes on the day,” she says. The bouncy castle and towering 4-metre inflatable snowmen had to be sidelined, and we shuffled the event layout around to shelter activities behind supplier trucks. It was tight, but what could have been a challenge created a lively, close-knit experience buzzing with energy.”
She says one of the biggest crowd-pleasers was the Polar Swim, which saw 77 brave swimmers run into Ōrewa’s 14-degree surf lured by the restaurant vouchers and cash prizes with $100, $50 and $20 prizes for adults, and $10 and $20 for children. With 40 prizes up for grabs, swimmers had a one-in-two chance of walking away richer – as well as wetter and colder.
The snow play area was in huge demand, with queues stretching far longer than in previous years and the huge demand meant the snow quickly compacted underfoot. Hellen says they’ll brainstorm ways to improve the snow experience for next year.
“However, the joy on children’s faces showed that the magic of snow by the beach was still very much alive,” she says.
Other free events on offer organised by Destination Ōrewa Beach included arts and crafts to face painting.
The festival was made possible thanks to Destination Ōrewa Beach’s events budget, Harcourts Cooper and Co (Ōrewa, Silverdale and Millwater), and support from the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board.
