Support for sand sculpture comp building up

JULIA WADE

Mangawhai’s latest creative event, which will see the local surf beach turned into a landscape of sculptured sand, is building momentum with two local artists offering their talent, buckets and spades, to create an inspiring pre-event publicity sculpture.

Sculptor Brett Sutherland and girlfriend Joanna Bagley, herself an accomplished painter/ceramic artist, are currently working on a design which they say will have a ‘natural or sea theme’, to help promote the Mangawhai Sand Sculpture Competition at Mangawhai Heads surf beach on March 27.

Construction will begin on March 15 at the vacant corner site of Molesworth Drive and Moir Street in Mangawhai Village, currently owned by Foodstuffs.

A number of other businesses have also signed up to support the event with Wyatt Landscape Supplies Mangawhai providing sand for the publicity sculpture, and local restaurants Mangawhai Tavern and The Dune donating vouchers for second and third winners of the competition, organiser Dennis Emsley says.

“We are having two cash prizes for the winners, $300 for first prize senior competitors and $200 cash for first prize junior competitors. Northland Creative have also donated $500. We could have a sign company that will provide signage for the event too, but not confirmed at this stage.”

Children’s entertainment company, Kidz Time, will provide plenty of fun with bouncy castles and candy floss machine along with two vendors selling ice creams and soft drinks.

“All vendors will make a donation to the surf lifesaving club on the day as will the gold coin entry fee for the sand sculpture competition,” Emsley says. “We’re also having a meeting with Gail Fotheringham from the council to go over the logistics… so it’s all coming together.”

n Join in the fun and help support the Mangawhai Surf Life Saving Club by registering on the day, March 27 between 10am and 12 noon with sand creations starting at 1pm till 3pm.