Wednesday 24 February saw 34 people join Jamie McDell, singer and songwriter, and event partners Contiki to take a trip out to Motuihe Island for a beach clean-up and BBQ lunch, followed by an intimate acoustic gig from Jamie.

Volunteers met at Sustainable Coastlines’ The Flagship Education Hub for a presentation about plastic pollution and marine debris given by Sustainable Coastline’s Ryley Webster, and were gifted a reusable metal water bottle, thanks to Contiki.

After boarding the Fullers ferry from downtown Auckland we arrived at Motuihe Island, where we were met by Department of Conservation rangers Dave and Pio for a briefing on the restoration and ecology work being carried out on the island.

After a snack of All Good Bananas and Whittaker’s Chocolate santé bars (unwrapped, of course!) we split into two groups to hit the coastlines.

Volunteers then hit the beach, gathering 200 litres / 25 kg of rubbish in little over an hour, the majority of which was single-use food packaging, including straws and lollipop sticks. Volunteers were astounded at the number of nurdles, (pre-production plastic pellets) which were found all over the island. This led to some great discussions about single use plastic packaging and how we can make more responsible choices.

At 1pm, volunteers headed for the shade for a delicious BBQ lunch, with tea and Eighthirty coffee. Volunteers spent the afternoon swimming and investigating the rubbish collected from the beach before returning to The Flagship to eat some more chocolate and listen to Jamie sing.

“It was the best day of my life,” said one of the volunteers.

A huge thank you must go to the staff at Contiki for enabling this event; to Fullers for their support with ferry logistics; to Jamie for her passion and using her voice for a purpose; Panuku Development Auckland for hosting us in Wynyard Quarter, and to Mathias Godert from the Wooden Spoon Daily for his epic BBQ lunch.

Further thanks to All Good Bananas and Whittaker’s Chocolate for providing delicious sustenance to our clean-up crew, and Madeleine De Young for her photos (@madicattt).

Click here to view Contiki Story Tellers tag board to see more photos of the event.

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Join Sustainable Coastlines, Contiki and Jamie McDell for a day out on Motuihe Island, followed by an acoustic gig with Jamie McDell at The Flagship Education Hub. Please note this event is R18 so leave the kids at home.

Meet at The Flagship Education Hub for a presentation about plastic pollution and a health and safety briefing, before we ride the Fullers ferry to Motuihe Island for a beach clean up and a BBQ lunch. We’ll return to Auckland at 3.00pm for a private acoustic gig with Jamie McDell.

When: Wednesday 24 February, 9.15am – 5.00pm

Where: Meet at The Flagship Education Hub, corner Halsey and Jellicoe St, opposite the ASB Building in the Wynyard Quarter.

Ticket cost: Free. All attendees must register using the form below.

What to bring:

• Sturdy shoes: this area has some challenging coastal terrain. You’ll need closed-toe, sturdy shoes (such as sneakers, sports shoes or tramping boots).
• Warm and waterproof clothes: NZ weather is unpredictable. Bring at least one warm top layer and a rain jacket.
• Sun hat and sun cream.
• Reusable water bottle (filled-up and ready to go).
• Packed lunch and snacks.
• Camera (optional) – this is a unique and beautiful location and we’d love to see your photos. Use #loveyourcoast on social media or email to [email protected]

You will be briefed in health and safety considerations on the day, and will need to sign a health and safety form before we head off to Motuihe Island.