Community Festival '09
From September 1st to the 24th 2009, an action-packed lineup of inspirational events unfolded along one of the most iconic coastlines in the world - the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.
The Festival brought together a fine assortment of entertainment, education, adventure, engaging communities in powerful positive action for the environment.
The Festival coincided with three national weeks of action: Clean Up NZ Week; Conservation Week; and Adult Learning Week, and was supported by many enthusiastic organisations, schools, community groups, and volunteers. Key partners for the Festival included Keep New Zealand Beautiful, Development West Coast, Westpac, and Department of Conservation.
The Festival unfolded through a sequence of exciting events called Beach Days & Wild Nights - imagine arts, live music, local food, beach cleanups, native tree planting, competitions, film screenings and more. The events were linked in sequence by a small group of passionate young New Zealanders who did a massive 400 km walk along the coastline - from Karamea in the north, to Franz Josef in the south. But you didn’t have to be an extreme adventurer to get amongst the excitement!
