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The Ōrewa Beach Sand Castle competition has built into a community favourite since it began 10 years ago.
This year’s event will be held on Saturday March 9.
Organised by Destination Ōrewa Beach business association, participants make sand sculptures on the beach, with the only limit to their creativity being their imagination. Prizes are up for grabs, including cash.
The biggest event saw 55 teams entered, spread along a portion of Ōrewa Beach near Moana Reserve. Each has a roped off section of sand to use.
Families are the main participants, with all ages enthusiastically getting involved; along with groups of friends and individual sand sculptors. A team has come from Tauranga every year, entering the ‘experienced’ category, which they won once.
Over the years there has been a huge range of three dimensional creations with sea creatures and castles being recurring subjects. Some participants stick to using only buckets and spades while others bring sculpting tools. Shells and seaweed are used for decoration.
Local businesses are also on board. Barfoot and Thompson has sponsored the event for seven years and the sand has come from Wyatt landscapes every year. The Goodhub café provides the visiting In Good Form sculptors with free smoothies and coffees throughout their five-day stay.
Destination Ōrewa’s Hellen Wilkins says the secret to the event’s success has been keeping it simple and focused on sand castle building.
One thing that has changed is the way the cash prize is presented. For four years, first prize was handed to the winners as a giant cheque, with a smaller one attached.
“This had to be changed as teenagers didn’t know what it was, and the prize money is now transferred directly online,” Hellen says.
Registration on March 9 starts at 11.30am, at Moana Reserve, with building to begin at noon.
