Inaugural Return of the Westland Petrel Festival takes off

Organisers of the first “Return of the Westland Petrel Festival” in Punakaiki say it will definitely become an annual event after a weekend featuring good crowds, great entertainment, excellent community involvement and conservation efforts.

The brainchild of Punakaiki and Barrytown residents Patrick Volk, Jed Findlay, Leon Denzil and James Washer, the festival started with a beach parade on Friday, just south of Punakaiki.

“We had about 140 people come along to the beach parade around sunset to watch the petrels fly in. And then about 50 people turned up on Saturday morning at the Conservation Volunteers area just south of Punakaiki to plant natives. It was a fantastic community effort,” Patrick said on behalf of the organisers.

A street market on Saturday at the Punakaiki shops drew in tourists and Coasters alike, and gave local artists, artisans, crafters and other stallholders a chance to sell their wares at a time of year that’s traditionally a bit quiet.

Barrytown School reported they made approximately $1000 with their cake and refreshments stall. Children’s activities including horse and wagon rides, a clown show and bouncy castles in the afternoon were followed by around 500 people turning up in the evening for some local acts and headliners Newtown Rocksteady.

One of the weekend's highlights was the unveiling of a huge model petrel in a tree above the entertainment stage.

“It’s been a great weekend to mark the arrival of the Westland petrel and the end of the tourist season, to put some time into our local environment, and bring the community together to celebrate the great things about Punakaiki and its people,” Patrick said.

Organisers were assisted by a $2000 grant from the Buller District Council, contributions from stall fees and the evening’s ticket sales.

“We’re thrilled with what we achieved on a shoestring. Next year we hope to attract even more stalls and will build this festival so it brings visitors from Christchurch and Nelson, as well as the length of the Coast. We’re determined to keep it family-friendly, affordable and non-profit – so if anyone in the community has ideas or wants to be involved in some way next year, they should get in touch,” he says.

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