Splore

SPLORE SPLORE SPLORE, its taken me this long to complete this review because it taken me this long to get over the buzz of this festival.
In my opinion splore is the best festival NZ has to offer!
After attending for my first time in 2012 i couldn’t wait for the 2014.
Personally i don’t go to splore for the music, i go the whole package and the amazing atmosphere. The splore team really have nailed it on the head once again!
There were 7 of us who went this year. As to be expected we took WAY to much stuff and didn’t use anything. note to self– one change of clothes is adequate, multiple bikinis= essential! more glitter less makeup is my new motto for splore!
The key to camping is getting their super early so you can secure a good camp site. Half of our group set off at 6am and got us a fab spot looking over the ocean (pics to follow), we were a good 20 minutes away from the car so again DON’T TAKE TO MUCH STUFF as you do have to carry everything you take. The camping vibe is rad, everyone is so friendly and hangs out together.
You can also take a camper-​van, get glamping or get a car park next to your tent.
All the camping is set at the top of the park, down the hill (which FYI is quite a big/​steep hill) you enter into a wonderland of magic. There are so many things to look at from art installations, craft tents, random decorations, the mirror maze this year was amazing and also the large cube mirrors hanging from the large trees. Obviously tons of live music plus live performances= Sam hunt was a personal fav along with double dip on saturday night.
Lets also not forget the beautiful beach right there! the water is so clear and fresh, a great way to wash off. There are also showers at the camp sites, i didn’t get there so i can’t report on how they were!
The whole park is decorated in weird and wonderful ways that only the splore team could pull off. You really do have to see it to believe the craziness! A personal fav for me was the crazy tvs installed on one of the trees that played wacky videos at night, i lay there watching for at least 2 hours on the saturday night. The creative minds of the splore team do really go well beyond anything you can ever dream of.
In terms of drinking and eating. there are roughly 5 bar areas dotted around the festival, all with the different theme serving great alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. Personal fav in terms of bars was most likely the old Mout cider LOVE SHACK down by the lagoon. (YES there’s a lagoon which is fresh water. The recycled swan sculptures floating in the lagoon were spectacular!) The living lounge is also very chilled with beans bags and live performances.
As for eating there is a food stall village area offering so many amazing healthy options from curry, Mexican vegetarian burritos, vegan ice blocks, Hungarian puffs etc, the list goes on! Many great coffee trucks for your morning caffeine fix too.
There is also a variety of food stalls up the top in the camping areas.
Please note splore is also EXTREMELY focused on recycling and leaving no trace. The statistics are amazing and the minimal amount of waste is an admirable achievement especially considering how many people attend. stats below :
Compost 442.13kg 70.509%
Recycling 131.32kg 20.942%
Landfill 53.60 kg 8.547%
Splore is known for its outlandish ways and every year there is a different theme for the festival. This year was LOVE, ‘more to love at splore’ was the catch phrase. On the Saturday night everyone dresses up in the theme, its an amazing site to see so many people in fancy dress,!!
This year marked the 10^th anniversary of the festival. There has been some talk of making the festival annual but i personally think this would ruin the amazing vibe they have created.
As you can see i could and would talk about this festival ALL DAY. So if you are thinking of going and want some insider tips do message me!
Can’t wait for 2016 ALREADY, great work team splore xo

This was my first time here and have to say I was very impressed. Good music, good atmosphere and been right next to the beach meant a swim when it got too hot.
Toilets were well, not a nice experience and the clampdown on alcohol seemed a bit excessive. Lack of food options meant a long wait for food, but in saying that, what was on offer was pretty good.
Overall it was great. I had a good time which is all that matters really. Will be going again but this time I’m in a camper van so no long walks to carry camping equipment back and forth.

When you see pictures of most festivals in New Zealand, they are full of wide eyed punters clutching RTD’s, smashing tents and being looked after by St Johns. With Splore, you get photos of families, crazily dressed groups of friends, and possibly the most beautiful setting of any festival in the world.
Splore is held once every two years, with 2014 being the next year this great event is running. There is heaps of space for camping, as well as caravan spots and «Glamping» — Glamorous camping for those who can’t stand sitting for 2 days in a tent and camping with a gas stove.
There is an art trail, a lagoon, heaps of workshops, as well as all round great bands. Splore is a highlight of the New Zealand musical calendar and well worth getting a ticket to, even if you have a young family.

Splore has probably the best location of any festival in New Zealand; right on the shoreline in a regional park. It’s really fab to be able to go swimming and be able to watch bands at the same time. The line up is usually a mix of local and international acts, and tends towards the electronic/​dance/​beats genres. The great thing about this festival is that it’s always well programmed, so even if you haven’t heard of everyone, you’re probably going to find some new faves.
Like a lot of other festivals, Splore struggles with some of the logistics, and this can sometimes take a bit of the sheen off your experience; everyone knows portable toilets can get a bit icky, but it seems if there were just a few more, or they were able to get cleaned and emptied more often, that would make life at the campsites a lot more pleasant! They could also do with a few more food options so you don’t have to wait for 40mins for your meal. But all said, the location and line up usually mean you can overlook any other deficiencies!

I have been to a number of New Zealand festivals and even a couple overseas, but Splore is my número uno. It is everything a festival should be. The days are spent chilling underneath one of the many native Pohutakawa trees lining the beach, swimming in the sea with a drink in hand watching the amazing music acts, and indulging in delicious cocktails and street food. Once twilight falls, everyone heads up to their tents to get dressed for the party that lasts all night. Before you know it, the whole venue is filled with sequins, animal costumes, face paint, fireworks, circus performers, glow sticks and happy dancy people. It is seriously heaven on earth. Unlike some of the other festivals in NZ, this place is not filled with douche bags. That is probably my favourite thing about Splore; everyone is in such a good mood, and when you’re there it feels like a family.
Take a stroll around the art trails, swim in the sea or fresh water lagoon, make lanterns, learn yoga, listen to talks to sustainability and the like, buy awesome stuff from the markets, or just wander around and soak in the amazingness that is Splore. This happens one weekend every second year in February, the next being in 2014. Do not miss it.