New Zealanders Dodge NYE Alcohol Ban By Building Their Own Island

Beached as.


Article heading image for New Zealanders Dodge NYE Alcohol Ban By Building Their Own Island

Image: Facebook

A group of clever Kiwis have come up with a sensational way to dodge a beach-wide booze ban: building their own island.

Across the Coromandel region, located on New Zealand's north island, is an alcohol ban spanning across the entire holiday period. 

It meant no alcohol in public places, including beaches.

That didn't stop these blokes, though, who went out into the Tairua estuary during low tide to build their own giant sand castle.

Once the tide rose it formed their own private island, complete with a wooden picnic table and an Esky.

Members of the group reportedly said the island was located "in international waters" so that the alcohol ban didn't apply, so they were good to sink as many as they wanted.

The images were posted in Facebook group Tairua ChitChat by resident David Saunders, who told BBC it was "great to see some Kiwis having a bit of fun".

It earned the love of local mayor Sandra Goudie, who told stuff.co.nz she admired the idea.

"That's the one thing I absolutely love about the Coromandel — the inventive nature of the people," she said.

"It's about creativity; the legal reality is somewhat different."

Even local police commander, Inspector John Kelly, heaped on the praise.

"That's creative thinking - if I had known [about it] I probably would have joined them," he told BBC.

Ethan Meldrum

1 January 2018

Article by:

Ethan Meldrum




Listen Live!

Up Next