Shipwrecked for fun in Mangawhai

Throngs navigated their way to a unique open-air music and arts event, based on Europe’s festival scene, with a Kiwi flavour and a focus on caring for the environment.

Shipwrecked Music & Arts Festival, held at a private Te Arai property February 7-9, offered party-goers a chance to immerse themselves in a weekend of underground music and celebrate ‘nature, art, education and life itself’.

Although this year’s drought conditions and council time-frame restrictions added pressure to the usual tasks of creating a large scale public event, organisers Jay Thomas and Logan Baker say overcoming the difficulties made them ‘that much more proud of the absolute success’ of the festival.

“It is with the help of multiple teams and individuals that we are not only able to create a boutique festival, but also introduce to New Zealand a type of festival they may have never experienced before,” Thomas says. “The feedback we are receiving from the public is fantastic.”

Operating since 2016, the Shipwrecked site ‘has been lovingly curated over the years to transform into a spectacular playground’, complete with swimming holes and attendees are encouraged to think eco when preparing for the festival.

“Thanks to the Waste Wizards team and cooperation of our exceptional guests we were able to divert 90 per cent of our waste from landfill,” Thomas says. “Our reusable stainless steel cup system meant no disposable cups were used and all food and serviceware waste was fully composted by We Compost.”

All drinks were served in Club-Mate cups, purchased with a $5 deposit and partial refund offered at the end of the weekend, the reminder of the money going towards sterilising the cups as well as being donated to the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.

Looking after festival-goers and providing a sense of comfort and safety was also a priority Thomas says, with ‘our amazing team’ of security staff and a ‘crew of awesome humans’, the ‘Public Good Crew’ and ‘Jellyfish Rangers’ being on board to offer support and help for those who became a bit overwhelmed by the experience.

“We are so pleased with how Shipwrecked 2020 ran, we’re looking forward to moving into 2021’s event with fresh ideas and new perspectives on how we can continue to evolve into a festival that is clean, safe, beautiful, respectful and incredibly fun.”