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Nearly 500 people of all ages gathered at Ruakaka Beach on October 25, linking hands along the shoreline in a spirited attempt to break a Guinness World Record – and to send a strong message to the company looking to sandmine in Bream Bay.
Organised by the Bream Bay Guardians (BBG), the event aimed to surpass the existing record for the most people simultaneously making sand sculptures on a beach, previously set in Belgium in 2019 with 396 participants. By the end of the day, the final count stood at 485.
BBG spokesperson Mary Sinclair says although the record-breaking feat is yet to be officially confirmed, organisers are thrilled.
“It was a fantastic turnout.”
Although the event had a festive atmosphere, it also served a deeper purpose – to raise awareness about the ongoing threat from Auckland sandminers McCallum Brothers and their Fast Track proposal to dredge more than eight million cubic metres of sand from Bream Bay.
With this in mind, Sinclair said the rally was an opportunity to engage with young people and discuss their ideas on what a healthy ocean looks like.
“Children and their families were encouraged to build a marine-themed sand sculpture,” she says. “Some of the designs included turtles, whales and even a cheeky bare bottom with the words “leave our bottom alone” etched into the sand.”
The rally was also attended by newly-elected Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper and new Kaipara Mayor Jonathan Larsen, as well as Northland Regional Councillor Amy McDonald and Green MP Huhana Lyndon.
Couper says Bream Bay holds a special place for his whānau and while he supports Fast-Track legislation in some ways, he believes McCallum’s proposal would do more harm than good.
“There is no economic benefit that we can see and no jobs,” he says. “That’s why I’m against sandmining at Bream Bay.”
Larsen echoed this concern and also highlighted the environmental impact.
“Bream Bay sand is a finite resource, so if we take the sand off the coast, the sand beside the coast moves to fill the hole,” he says. “We need to keep the sand on the beaches.”
Sinclair said the support from Northland’s politicians was encouraging.
“We are yet to find a local politician in Northland who isn’t against sand mining and having these guys take time out of their long weekend to come and show their support means a lot.”
