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Ōrewa Beach was once again the site of frenzied digging earlier this month when families gathered at Moana Reserve for the annual Barfoot & Thompson Ōrewa Beach Sandcastle Competition.
Perfect weather and a relaxed atmosphere helped draw a strong crowd, with children and adults working side by side to create castles, sea creatures and imaginative sculptures in the sand.
Thirty teams took part in the official competition, with judges circulating to talk with contestants before selecting the winners.
The experienced category was won by Team 17 with their creation Two Faces, taking home $250 and a Barfoot & Thompson hamper.
In the novice section, Team 6 claimed first place with Serpentine, winning $200 and a hamper.
Runner-up prizes of $100 went to Team 19 for The Walled Fortress and Team 18 for Shelled Turtle.
Team 5 also received a special mention for their entry Shark vs Swimmer, along with a Barfoot & Thompson hamper.
A professional sculpting team from In Good Form – Asheley Henning, Annette Griffiths and Helen Beswick – created a large feature sculpture during the week, which visitors were able to watch take shape before the final reveal of baby dinosaurs at play.
The sand was delivered to the reserve earlier in the week by Wyatt Landscaping in Snells Beach and prepared with the help of Hibiscus Coast Cricket Club members.
Free face painting, a clown and a bouncy castle helped keep younger visitors entertained while spot prizes and bags of lollies were handed out throughout the afternoon.
Destination Ōrewa thanked Mark and the team at Barfoot & Thompson Ōrewa for supporting the competition.
