We love it when the community gets together to organise great family events. One we are looking forward to is the Murrays Bay Wharf Birdman Festival to officially celebrate the opening of the new wharf on Saturday April 1st.
In fact our team at Benefitz (publishers and parent company of Channel Magazine) have contributed by designing the logo for the event, producing the website and all the printed items that are needed. We are also very likely to have an entry in the event and are keen to take away the Murrays Bay Birdman Champion Trophy!
Murrays Bay is well-known by North Shore people for the attraction of its wharf which has always been popular amongst young and old for the ritual of fishing from it, jumping off it, mooring at it, or just taking a leisurely stroll along it.
During the ‘Birdman Festival’ Murrays Bay will celebrate the opening of bigger, better and grander brand new wharf – wharf number three – over 100 years after the first wharf in Murrays Bay was erected back in 1916.
The Birdman Festival is being organised by Murrays Bay Residents Association together with the Murrays Bay Sailing Club and Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club.
This exciting spectacle is going to be a fun-filled day of entertainment for everyone, with dress-up activities and a street parade for the young ones where they can show off their precious designs, followed by a display for the not so young ones (15 and over) of their daring and amazing flying – or maybe not so flying! – objects before these become unrecognisable when they finally make their attempt at becoming the Murrays Bay Birdman Champion by flying or jumping of the wharf.
“This is not the first event of this type at the wharf,” says organiser Josie Adriaansen of the Murrays Bay Residents Association. “Many years ago Murrays Bay wharf hosted such an event with great success so let’s see if we can do this again. So we are urging locals to put a team together, start building their flying machines and maybe produce some music to go with it.”
Organisers tell us that to win the Murrays Bay Birdman Champion Trophy they want to see your wildest wackiest innovative creation. But entries are limited as this is quite an entertaining show that requires most entries being much more than just jumping off the wharf. Most will have quite a ‘ritual’ to their attempt at birdman greatness!
There are several categories that entrants can compete in and win prizes and maybe the ultimate trophy. Judges will be looking for:-
• The Ultimate Flying Challenge - the longest distance able to fly and must be a flying contraption with wings.
• Fibres and Feathers - this must be constructed with natural materials and fibres. String and manmade fibres can hold it together.
• The Crowd Favourite - can be any material but it is handmade.
• Most Creative Craft - can be any material but it is handmade.
• Best team – Team is to consist of no more than 5 participants with only 3 allowed to jump.
Top tips for an awesome birdman jump: Perform a routine; have music; don’t lie down on the wharf – we can’t see you!
So time to get started! There will be lots of prizes to be won during this fun-filled day where live music, food stalls, sausage sizzles drinks etc. are all going to be part of the action.
There are opportunities for those wishing to have stalls at the festival event. Stalls will be located along the Murrays Bay Sailing Club and Serengeti Car Park. Stall sites are just $50 per site for the day.
How to enter the Murrays Bay Birdman Competition:
• Entry forms to be completed & returned with payment by 1st March 2017.
• You can enter online via the website www.mbwbirdman.nz
• Entry fee is $30
• Entries limited so be quick – it will sell out!
Murrays Bay Birdman Festival. It’s going to be a big day, this is the programme of events: 11am Entertainment; 12noon Children’s Parade; 12.15pm Powhiri; 12.30pm Birdman Parade; 12.45pm Birdman Jump; 2pm Birdman Prizegiving; Event closes at 2.30pm.
Further details, application forms etc. are available on the wonderful event website that has been created by Benefitz at: www.mbwbirdman.co.nz
