Let’s go exSPLOREing!

I am bursting with excitement having just made the decision to go to Splore. Two weeks out, I’m lucky there are any tickets left actually. I went 2 years ago, the last time the biennial festival occurred and decided (even though I spent at least half of it unwell and really only got to do a fraction of what I wanted) that it was the perfect summer festival. Serendipitous canceling of prior plans and conversations with friends reminding me of its awesomeness rocketed me into action and now I’m predicting it to be the highlight of my summer.

A weekend getaway in the beautiful Tapapakanga Regional Park is treat enough in itself to be honest. But then on top of that you get an expertly curated festival, dedicated to sustainability and building a sense of community. You get plenty of local and international talent. You get music, art, performance, multimedia and workshops nestled in amongst the hills that run lengthwise along the beach. The effect of the lanscape is a sense of exploration and adventure, discovering what’s around the corner, hidden under that tent, behind that big tree, or down by the lagoon (what? a LAGOON?!). The other plus of this is that it never feels crowded. If you feel the need for a quiet afternoon, you can always find a spot in the shade of a Pohutakawa or a little bit of peace and quiet in the sparkly blue waters of the Firth of Thames.

This year, in an effort to make the festival even greener, I was very impressed to see a dedicated public transport service. There are busses and ferries available for a fraction of what the petrol alone would cost you. This clever service also allows you to get your festival wristband processed as you travel so there’s no queueing at the gates. A nice little reward for those foregoing their cars. And for those who are determined to drive anyway, there is a $50 parking permit which is paid online and then refunded to those who turn up with at least 3 people in the car. Brilliant. I can’t think of a more no-nonsense way of ensuring people carpool. I’m sure there will be some who whine about this. To these people I say ‘shush’ and get with the kaupapa.

So now I’m going into planning overdrive, determined to make up for the last festival. I will be doing dancing yoga and interacting with all of the brilliant art installations* ,  I am hoping to maybe even learn to hula hoop.

In amongst all the fun and games, I’m going to have to make some time for music. Here’s where things get a bit tricky. This is where I start writing out my ‘must-sees’ and realise I’m just transcribing the line up. But here’s my plan thus far…

I will be kicking my Friday night of with the funky sounds of The Bamboos  before reveling in the flamboyance of Ebony Bones and getting my late-night groove on to the eclectic stylings of Kutmah.

On Saturday I will certainly be seeing what Sal Valentine and the Babyshakes have in store  . and think I won’t be able to go past The Cuban Brothers, whose irreverant fun has seen them invited back after the last festival , Adam Freeland seems like a pretty decent way to see in the early hours of Sunday morning too .

If you’re heading SPLOREward, let me know what your picks are. If you haven’t got a ticket yet, DO IT NOW. If you really can’t make it, I’d probably avoid reading my next post which will most likely be a review of the weekend’s undoubted epicness, confirming that your FOMO was well founded.

*Featuring this cool guy!