Amazing weather, world-class women’s surfing and the festive atmosphere saw thousands of spectators come down to the beach throughout the duration of the festival. The surf conditions were again terrific, and showcased the skills from the likes of Sofia Mulanovich of Peru, local favorite Paige Hareb, and winner Courtney Conlogue from the United States.

Sustainable Coastlines had a slightly different presence in Taranaki this year, with a stronger focus on educating people about the challenges of marine debris we face in New Zealand and around the world. The team used the Education Station as the educational hub on the beach, also moving out into the community delivering presentations to over 200 school students in the area about the issues – doing what we do best.

Not only clean-ups occurred on the beach and around the festival this year, but we also had practical activities to keep kids busy and interested. Making artwork from collected rubbish was a popular one, with lots of kids making all sorts of creations from colourful hard plastics and hot-glue.

This year we found less rubbish on the beach, which was a good sign. Aside from event litter, we were very interested in the frequency at which certain items turned up on the coast. Common items that Sustainable Coastlines find around the entire country were also widespread on the Taranaki coast. These included 2,850 food wrappers, 590 caps and lids, 190 parking tickets and a disturbing 500 cigarette butts. The total haul of rubbish over the festival was 56.65 kilograms, which equated to 406 litres or over 6,000 individual items removed from the coast.

We would like to extend a huge thanks to TSB Bank, Surfing Taranaki, New Plymouth District Council, Sacred Heart Girls College, Fitzroy Primary School and all the organisations that made the New Zealand Surf Festival such a memorable success.

An enormous thank you also goes out to the local folk of Taranaki for hosting an event of this nature, and accommodating the people associated with the event. Overall, we thought the event was run very smoothly and were pleased to again see sustainable initiatives incorporated into an experience where this beautiful coastline is shared with a worldwide audience.

Thank you

A huge thank you to everyone who turned-up on Saturday to help us clean-up in Thames, Coromandel Town, Whitianga, Pauanui and Whangamata. Around 160 of us worked together to remove rubbish from coastlines around the Peninsula. Combined with the nearly 400 volunteers from schools and community groups in the weeks leading up to this Saturday, we have left the Coromandel’s beaches a whole lot cleaner.

A massive thank you also to our Team Leaders, Clean-up Station helpers, and of course our fantastic sponsors. Without you all, we could not have achieved what we did. Over the next few days our team will be in Thames going through the rubbish we collected with a fine-toothed comb. A massive thank you to Smart Environmental for transporting all of the rubbish, and thanks to Pat from Carson’s Bookshop for generously provided the site for our data collection. Watch this space for a full detailed breakdown of results, as well as photos from the day.

Enter our Photo Comp!

We are looking for photos from the day and would love to see yours. Send your best pics to us at [email protected] or — if you’ve got high-res shots that are a battle to email — upload them straight to our swish dropbox system by clicking here.

Some very fancy prizes are up for grabs from PhotoCPL, Arnette and the grand prize from local photographer and photo comp judge Kevin RIchards. So show off your photographic prowess and send us your pics! Check out photos from previous winners here. Make sure you get them in before entries close at 5pm on Wednesday 21st March. We’ll be announcing winners the following week.

The legal stuff: By submitting photos into the Great Coromandel Coastal Clean-up Photo Comp you are agreeing to grant Sustainable Coastlines Incorporated, any media and partner organisations a license to use, distribute publish or exhibit these photos in any manner either now known or subsequently devised and without any restrictions, in perpetuity. If you request, your photo will be duly credited whenever used in this way.

Final event details

We’re ready for this weekend’s Great Coromandel Coastal Clean-up and want to make sure that you are too. Below is all of the latest information about the event including where to be, what to bring and what’s planned.

Where to be

All you need to do is turn up at any time from 10am to 2pm this Saturday 10 March at one of our five meeting points around the Coromandel Peninsula (look for our big blue flags). We’ll have friendly crew waiting for you at the Long Bay Boat Ramp in Coromandel Town, Kuranui Bay Reserve in Thames, outside the Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club, outside the Pauanui Surf Life Saving Club, and at the Whitianga Wharf.

Just sign-in with our team, get your clean-up equipment (all provided free), and head out on foot, by car or boat to remove rubbish from stunning coastlines around the Coromandel Peninsula.

In Coromandel Town, volunteers will also have the opportunity to head out on boats for clean-up activities on the islands from Rangipukea in the south to the Happy Jacks in the north. Just meet at the boat ramp in Long Bay at 10am.

If you are keen to bring your vessel along to lend a hand on the day, then please contact Sam Judd on 021 058 9349 to discuss the details further. Some fuel may be available for boat owners.

What to bring

This clean-up will be a great adventure, but it is important that all event participants are well prepared so as to make the most of the day. Bring:

• Sturdy shoes: Coastal areas can be slippery and have sharp, loose rocks. You’ll need closed-toe, sturdy shoes (such as sports shoes or tramping boots).
• Warm and waterproof clothes: NZ weather is unpredictable. Please bring at least one warm top and a rain jacket in a backpack.
• Your car (optional): Some beaches we will be cleaning-up are driving distance from meeting points. If you’re happy to drive to a clean-up location, please bring your car and a tarpaulin for your boot to transport rubbish back to us! If not, then don’t worry, there are heaps of areas to access within walking distance of our meeting points.
• Sunscreen and a hat
• Plenty of food and water: Clean-up can be physically challenging so come prepared!
• Camera: Capture memories of a fantastic day and enter your best shots in our photo competition.
• We provide all clean-up equipment, including rubbish sacks, gloves and other safety gear.

Post clean-up celebration

All participants are invited to join us after the clean-up on Saturday afternoon at the stunning and secluded Tucks Bay, just north of Coromandel Town. From 5.00pm we’ll have live music and a BBQ for the first 100 people. Bring a gold coin donation for the BBQ and BYO drinks. This is a great chance to come together and celebrate what we have achieved. Volunteers can also camp here for the weekend – see ‘Camping for volunteers’ below.

Camping for volunteers

A bunch of you have told us you’ll be camping at our Tucks Bay volunteer campground on Friday night, Saturday night, or both. This info is for you:

• Arriving on Friday night? You’ll need to get to Long Bay Motor Camp office before 10.30pm. After this the campground gates will be closed for the evening.
• Tucks Bay has running water and composting toilets but no power, so bring a torch!
• Kitchen, toilet and shower blocks are 5 minutes walk away in Long Bay where there is power.
• Tucks Bay has a total fire ban, so no campfires are allowed.
• There is a wedding at one end of Tucks Bay from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, so please be respectful of their space during this time. This area will be marked off from Friday afternoon so that you’ll know where to set-up your tent.

Remember to bring:

• Camping gear: tent, sleeping bag, camping mattress, torch and spare batteries etc (remember Tucks Bay has no power).
• Food, drink and cooking equipment for your stay.
• 50 cent coins for hot showers.
• Surfboards, dive gear, fishing gear, bicycles etc for your own missions!

Getting there

Well, that all depends on where you are. We’ll assume that if you’re in the Coromandel you already know how to get to your clean-up location. So for out-of-towners…

Ferry to Coromandel Town: There is a regular 360 Discovery ferry sailing departing Auckland at 6pm on Friday 2 March, and a sailing leaving Coromandel (from Te Kouma) at 4.30pm on Sunday 4 March. See the 360 Discovery Coromandel page for full timetable and fare details. There is a free bus service from the ferry to Long Bay Motor Camp, just let them know that you’re part of our event.

Driving times: Auckland to Thames 1.5 hours, Auckland to Coromandel Town 2.5 hours, Auckland to Whangamata 2 hours, Auckland to Pauanui 2 hours, Auckland to Whitianga 2.5 hours. Get together a group of friends and car pool over for the weekend.

Photo comp

Weʼre holding a competition for the best shots from the event. Wherever you are, just bring along your camera and send your best pics to us at [email protected]. Check out some previous winners here and here.
We’ve got a whole heap of awesome prizes including sunnies from Arnette, coffee-table books from PhotoCPL and the major prize, an epic canvas print donated by local photographer and photo comp judge Kevin Richards.

Friday night movie

The evening before the clean-up, on Friday 9th March, we are putting on a free outdoor movie-screening. If the weather’s good, all are invited to join us from 7.30pm at Long Bay, Coromandel Town (5 minutes’ walk from the Tucks Bay campground) for a selection of short films and a feature-length movie. BYO picnic and deck chair.

Great Coromandel Coastal Clean-up

Last April, over 550 school students and volunteers as well as 18 boats joined us to remove 58,000 litres of rubbish – nearly two full shipping containers – of rubbish from the beautiful coastline and islands around Coromandel Town.
This year, thanks to the generous support of Smart Environmental and Thames Coromandel District Council we’re extending the Great Coromandel Coastal Clean-up right around both sides of the Peninsula and need your help on land and water to make this event a huge success. Register to volunteer now to receive event updates and to stay in the loop with all the details you need for the clean-up.

Boat owners: for the perfect excuse to launch your craft, please see ‘Bring your boat’ below…

To get involved, just turn up to one of our five clean-up locations listed below between 10am and 2pm on Saturday 10 March. Sign-in with our team, get your clean-up equipment (all provided for free), and hit the beaches en masse to give back to our beautiful coastlines.

Clean-up locations

Coromandel Town: Meet at the Long Bay Boat Ramp · Camp at Tucks Bay · Book-in camping

Thames: Meet at Kuranui Bay Reserve, Thames

Whangamata: Meet outside the Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club

Pauanui: Meet outside the Pauanui Surf Life Saving Club

Whitianga: Meet at the Whitianga Wharf

If you’re based anywhere else around the Coromandel and want to clean-up your local stretch of coastline, we can help out. Just email Event Director Ryley Webster on [email protected]

Camping details

The native-bush clad Tucks Bay volunteer campground is the place to be for all participants, especially those cleaning-up around Coromandel Town. This secluded bay, part of the beautiful Long Bay Motor Camp, is also the venue for our post-event BBQ and live music on Saturday afternoon.

Book-in your spot online and camping is available for just $10 + BF per person, per night (usually $19). Bookings are available for Friday 9 March, Saturday 10 March, or both nights. Spaces are limited, so get in quick!

From Long Bay, Tucks Bay is just a two-minute drive or a 5 minute walk around the coastal path. Tucks Bay has running water and composting toilets but no power, so please bring a torch! Kitchen, toilet and shower blocks – as well as the public boat ramp – are located back in Long Bay where there is power. Bring 50 cent coins for hot showers. Check out a map of Tucks Bay here.

Of course you don’t have to stay at Tucks Bay to be a part of the event. Cabins and caravans are available at Long Bay Motor Camp and you can find other accommodation options around the Coromandel here.

Bring your boat

On Saturday 10 March we will take as many volunteers as possible to clean-up the islands between Rangipukea in the south and the Happy Jacks in the north, off the west coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. We need boats to make it happen. If you have a boat that you would be able to bring along on Saturday 10 March, please contact Director of Marine Operations Sam Judd on 021 058 9349 or email [email protected]
Reef Shipping has kindly offered to supply free fuel for boats if you register early.

School clean-ups

Starting Monday 20 February our team will be visiting schools for fun, educational presentations followed by beach clean-ups that give students a brilliant opportunity for hands-on learning.

If your school wants to take part in a clean-up anywhere around the Coromandel Peninsula, simply fill out the schools’ registration form here and we will be in touch to make arrangements. For any questions in the meantime, just contact Event Director Ryley Webster on 021 040 9014 or email [email protected]

Fantastic weather, world-class women’s surfing and the festive atmosphere saw thousands of spectators come down to the beach over the duration of the festival. The surf conditions were terrific, and showcased the skills from the likes of Sofia Mulanovich of Peru, local favorite Paige Hareb, and winner Stephanie Gilmore from Australia.

The Sustainable Coastlines Education Station made the journey down to Fitzroy and quickly became the hub of the kids community for the week. This offered fun educational material, practical and enjoyable activities for the kids and welcome shelter from the sun and rain.

Important messages portrayed included that rubbish on the streets and in the parks, makes its way to the ocean via the storm water system or is blown by the wind. We also explained the issues created by rubbish once it enters the ocean and explored the characteristics of plastics, which passed on knowledge to curious kids and adults alike.

Throughout the festival, Sustainable Coastlines organised clean-up activities, which removed a large portion of consumer event rubbish and ensured the festival maintained an exceptional level of coastal cleanliness. Kids were rewarded with Whittaker’s chocolate for their efforts, which kept them motivated to help out for the duration of the event.

Aside from event litter, we were very interested in the frequency at which certain items turned up on the coast. Taranaki is a region that is rich in farming, so we were not surprised to find a sizable portion of farming related rubbish including; 42 electric fence insulators, 56 drench applicators, and 367 pieces of wadding from shotgun shells.

Common items that Sustainable Coastlines find around the entire country were also widespread on the Taranaki coast. These included; 147 food wrappers, 187 pieces of rope, 600 caps and lids, 660 pieces of polystyrene/foam and a whopping 3,613 pieces of unidentifiable partially photo-degraded plastic.

The total haul of rubbish over the festival was 102.75 kilograms, which equated to 1, 143 liters (just over 8 regular red household curbside wheelie bins), and well over 6,000 individual pieces.

Another educational initiative during the contest was dune planting. Along with volunteers and the help of pro surfers Sofia Mulanovich and Rebecca Woods, we planted several hundred native dune plants kindly sponsored by the Taranaki Tree Trust.

We would like to extend a huge thanks to TSB Bank, Surfing Taranaki, New Plymouth District Council, PowerCo and all the organisations that made the New Zealand Surf Festival such a memorable success.

An enormous thank you also goes out to the local folk of Taranaki for hosting an event of this nature, and accommodating the people associated with the event.

Overall, we thought the event was run very well and were pleased to see the sustainable initiatives incorporated into an experience where this beautiful coastline is shared with a worldwide audience.

From Monday 16 July to Friday 28 September 2012 we are offering free educational presentations to all schools in the Auckland region and we would like to invite your school to take part.

Presentations are available to every school in the Auckland region but places are limited so please register now to secure your school’s participation.

Since 2008, we have motivated 19,828 people to remove 818,033 litres of rubbish (more than half the volume of concrete in the Sky Tower) from the coast and delivered educational presentations to 27,172 school students with exceptional results (see below for testimonials).

Our experienced presenters will use imagery, short films and interact with the students to build an understanding about the challenges of marine debris and motivate them to work hands on to look after their local stretch of coastline.

We are also happy to coordinate a practical beach clean-up activity for your school. This is not compulsory to receive a presentation, but from past experience it has proven to be an excellent and enjoyable way for students to participate in inquiry-based learning and reinforce the educational message of the program.

We provide (at no cost):

• All equipment required (gloves, sacks, first aid kits, hi-vis vests for leaders and a ROSA audited health and safety plan).
• Student consent forms: Click here to download our student consent form.
• Risk Analysis and Management System (RAMS) information: Click here to download relevant information.
• Resources for ongoing learning (including detailed results of rubbish removed, data collection sheets, short films and presentations).
• Mention of your school’s involvement on our website and email newsletter.

What you need to do:

Please register now if you would like your school to be a part of this fantastic activity. We will reply promptly to confirm your involvement and make further arrangements with your school. For more information, please contact us on 09 948 8454 or email [email protected]

Background

Through the dozens of clean-up activities we have coordinated around Auckland over the last three years, we have found that both the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours, along with the many streams and tributaries that lead into them, are some of the most polluted stretches of coastline in the country.

After counting, weighing and categorizing the rubbish collected at our clean-ups we have identified that much of what is found on Auckland’s coastlines originates from land, largely a result of individual littering behaviour. Our presentations have proven very effective in the past: in two years our team has presented to nearly 30,000 students of all ages, with exceptional results.

Register now if you would like your school to be a part of this great event. We will be in touch to confirm your involvement and make further arrangements with your school.

Find out more

For any questions or further detail, contact Project Manager Ryley Webster on [email protected], or call our office on 09 948 8454.

Testimonials

“Thanks for a great day! (Your staff) were fantastic presenters and have enthused the staff and students. I was on duty at lunchtime and had senior students running around collecting rubbish from every nook and cranky of the school. They ended up collecting 4 grocery (plastic) bags worth and displayed a great sense of achievement. I also bumped into a group of boys who I assume were pretending to be trash superheroes, one boy rounded the corner yelling ‘Reduce, reuse, recycle!’ I wandered into the staffroom after duty and became engaged in a great discussion about ‘trash’ with the staff and started talking about the next steps for our school in relation to becoming a sustainable community. It is wonderful to have the momentum lifted in this area.”
Emma McFadyen, Makauri School, Gisborne, 2011

“It was really neat for the children to have the opportunity to see all the rubbish and have to think about where it all came from and how it got there. They say they will now think more carefully about what they throw away.”
Emma Bell, Flat Bush School, Auckland, 2011

“Your presentation was excellent and made a big impact on the children”
Kaye Gilman, Paraparaumu Beach School, 2011

“I loved the presentation that you gave. It was so cool to learn so much especially as I didn’t know about all the rubbish so you have taught me so much. Thank you!!”
Katana – Year 7, Te Aroha Primary School, East Cape, 2011

“You guys gave us a message to not throw rubbish around our school and now our whole school has changed. Thank you for teaching our school”
Sandra – Year 6, Te Aroha Primary School, East Cape, 2011

“Your talk really changed the way I feel about rubbish and polluting… Keep it up, you’re making a real difference!”
Krystabelle – Year 8, Northcote Intermediate School, Auckland, 2012

“(Your presenter) had the children engaged by having engaging visual and audio images…inspired the children…(was) well organised and used his time with us perfectly…(the) information was relevant and meaningful…used visual technology to stimulate and motivate the children…The children loved it! And so did the teachers! We would unreservedly recommend the programme to other schools.“
Vauxhall School Staff, Auckland, 2012

Join us for a fantastic day where you can explore, experience and give something back to the beautiful Makara and the coastline surrounding Meridian’s West Wind Farm.

Meet at the Sustainable Coastlines display container on Makara Beach at 10am, Saturday 24 November to sign-in and collect equipment.

From there we’ll split into teams and head out along the coastline on foot and by 4WD vehicle to clean-up the area from Makara Beach around to Ohau Bay.

This wild piece of spectacular coastline, although well looked after by the locals, is affected by a regular flow of waste, so we are going to give it a good pre-summer clean-up.

We’ll provide the 4WDs or bring your own to join our convoy, this will be a unique opportunity to explore the incredibly beautiful bays that are usually closed to the public, where unfortunately, tonnes of plastic rubbish washes up.

Lunch will be provided from 1pm at Makara Beach with the support of Meridian Energy, whose staff will be mucking-in to clean-up too.

Please register here to confirm your attendance.

As we all know, Wellington can have challenging weather conditions at this time of year. A message will go up on this event page and be sent by email to those registered on Wednesday 21 November, confirming whether the event is going ahead, or if it will be postponed to our bad weather day, Saturday 1 December.

Participants need to bring:

• Sturdy shoes: this area has some challenging coastal terrain with rocks that can be sharp, loose and slippery. 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 (ideally old woolen) and a rain jacket.
• Sun hat and sun cream.
• Reusable water bottle (filled-up and ready to go).
• Camera (optional) – this is a unique and beautiful location and we would love to see your photos after the event.
• Your own 4WD (optional) – this is a unique opportunity to explore this area that is usually closed to public access.

Any questions, contact Sam Judd, Event Director at [email protected]

New Records Set

Since mid-November our team, with the help of newcomers Niall Mackay and Te Kawa Robb, have been running educational presentations and coastal clean-ups around the Wellington region as part of our third Love your Coast Wellington event. This year’s project has seen over 3,000 people remove 33,000 litres of rubbish from the region’s coastlines – the most people we have ever had involved in a clean-up, anywhere! To all of the students, school teachers, sponsors and volunteers that helped us make this happen, a huge thank you.

Part of this event was a very special day working with Meridian Energy along the wild West Wind farm coastline in Makara. The combined efforts that day have set the bar high with another record, as 115 volunteers removed an average of over 200 litres of rubbish per person, our largest effort yet. This is all the more impressive when you consider that we only cleaned up for a couple of hours.

Event details

From Monday 12 November and Wednesday 12 December 2012 we are once again coordinating an educational roadshow and series of coastal clean-up activities in the wider Wellington region. This is the opportunity for your school to receive an educational presentation and/or an organised clean-up of your local coastline at no cost.

Our experienced presenters will visit your school at a time that suits you during the roadshow. They will use imagery, short films and interact with the students to build an understanding about the challenges of marine debris and motivate them to work hands on to look after their local stretch of coastline.

We also provide coordination, rubbish sacks, gloves and health & safety equipment for cleaning up the coast, all at no cost. Transport for your students, however, must be organised by the school.

Presentations and clean-up activities are open to every school in the Kapiti, Hutt Valley, Wellington and Wairarapa regions but places are limited so please register now to secure your school’s participation.

We will provide (at no cost to your school):

• All equipment required (gloves, sacks, first aid kits, hi-vis vests for leaders and a ROSA audited health and safety plan).
• Student consent forms: Download here.
• Risk Analysis and Management System (RAMS) information: Download here.
• Promotion of your school’s involvement.

What you need to do:

Please register now if you would like your school to be a part of this fantastic activity. We will reply promptly to confirm your involvement and make further arrangements with your school. For more information, please contact us on 09 948 8454 or email [email protected]

Testimonials

“We had a great time this a.m. and are really proud of our efforts. Personally, I am amazed at the share volume of stuff we collected. We had several elderly locals, give thanks to the kids – and even marshmallows! This was very touching…Thanks again for all the resources. We would be keen to make this an annual event.”
Kate Jensen – Plimmerton School

“Thank you for coming to do the presentation for our children, they really got a lot out of it. One of the little 5 year olds shared about going the beach in the weekend and picking up some rubbish that she found close to a drain. My children all wrote a story after your presentation.”
Jeanelle Ymker, Pukerua Bay School

“The kids are coming out with stuff which shows they have a real appreciation of what it’s all about.”
Fiona D’Souza, St Patricks Primary School

“Your presentation was excellent and made a big impact on the children”
Kaye Gilman, Paraparaumu Beach School

“Thanks for visiting both groups yesterday. The children really enjoyed themselves and were proud of their efforts. We hope to make the coastal clean-up a regular event on our school calendar from now on. An added bonus was that on the walk home some of the children noticed the Miramar Bush track needs cleaning up too, so I can see the left over sacks getting lots of use next year!”
Tracey Arthurs, Miramar North School

“Our kids have just written a letter to themselves to be opened in 20 years – for a time capsule. A large number of them wrote that the biggest problem in the world is pollution and wondered if it would be sorted out or fixed in 20 years. Here’s hoping, maybe some of them will come up with good solutions. It is good to see their social conscience being developed, thanks so much for your help with that.”
Gail Dewar, Makara Model School

“Your influence in the school community has been wonderful!”
Geraldine Smart, Hutt Valley High School

“Our students commented on how much they enjoyed their Coastal Cleanup. We also completed our bin project over the following two days, which made sense to the students as they now understood how litter dropped in the schoolyard becomes runoff into the harbour.”
Janet Glenn, Onslow College

This Saturday 15 December we invite you, your family and friends to attend a special celebration of the Year of the Coast.

The efforts of Wellingtonians during this special year will be celebrated with a free outdoor screening of dramatic award-winning nature documentary Oceans at Waitangi Park on Wellington’s waterfront, starting at 8pm.

Filmed in over 50 different countries over four years, Oceans is a visual feast that uses cutting edge filming techniques to profile the creatures living in all five of the world’s oceans, in footage rarely seen on the big screen.

Thousands of volunteers across the Wellington region have been out in force looking after the coast this year. In just one hour, over 500 volunteers from Porirua, Hutt Valley and Wellington worked on International Coastal Clean-up Day in September to collect more than 100,000 pieces (over five tonnes) of waste from the region’s coastlines.

The ‘Educate to eliminate’ events have seen large numbers dedicated scuba divers – including the Mayor of Wellington, Celia Wade-Brown – remove huge amounts from the murky depths under city wharves and Sustainable Coastlines have worked with over 2,700 school students cleaning up the region around the region and learning about the issue of marine debris.

This Saturday’s screening promises a treat for the whole family, with a gold-coin organic barbecue feast kindly provided by Harmony Meats to accompany the movie.