The week-long Woodfest, New Zealand's premier festival celebrating all things wood, is iconic to Kawerau and built on the district's forestry history. Photo/Supplied
The week-long Woodfest, New Zealand's premier festival celebrating all things wood, is iconic to Kawerau and built on the district's forestry history. Photo/Supplied
Exciting new activities that will appeal to people of all ages are on the agenda at this year's Kawerau Woodfest and National Woodskills Competition, to be held later this month.
There'll be a new BMX Freestyle show that will feature New Zealand's best freestyle riders, including dirt jump world record-holderPaul Langland. The Hubbard Contracting FMX Pro show is back, and the week will include the Waikato/Bay of Plenty regional tree-climbing competition, being held outside Tauranga, Rotorua or Hamilton for the first time. This year there'll also be an Amazing Race, which will give participants a great chance to check out Kawerau's stunning scenery, learn the history of the town and enjoy a family day out. A specialist timber-themed bike trials course is constructed on site, with New Zealand's top bike trialists convening on Kawerau and competing to be the best at Woodfest.
The week-long Woodfest, New Zealand's premier festival celebrating all things wood, is iconic to Kawerau and built on the district's forestry history. The nearby Kaingaroa Forest is the southern hemisphere's largest plantation forest and, with the Bay of Plenty being one of New Zealand's main forestry regions, it's no surprise the wood processing industry is Kawerau's biggest. Businesses include log processing, pulp/paper/tissue manufacturing and lumber sawmilling; Kawerau sits on a geothermal field and many businesses harness this energy for commercial purposes. This geothermal energy also makes Woodfest's high-octane activities a natural fit for Kawerau.
Most activities within the event are free to spectators, and they all celebrate Kawerau's unique origins.
The National Woodskills Competition is Woodfest's cornerstone event. It features carving, wood-turning, furniture-making and weaving, among other things, and is held in the Ron Hardie Recreation Centre. This year it includes two new categories for first-time entrants (woodturning and furniture). There is also a change to the college-age category, with wood-crafting of any sort being encouraged by students in years 9-13. The week also features the Woodbugs carving symposium, with artists creating timber sculptures along Plunket St that will go up for sale.
The Dogmatic dog trick team is always a popular attraction, and the Purex Record Setter World Record Games, sideshows, kai stalls and water wheel demonstrations are also worth watching. One of the most popular attractions is the Wood chopping competition will feature members of the NZ Timbersports team competing against the best of the regional axemen.
For the first time Woodfest will incorporate the Kawerau Young Achievers' awards this year, which recognise youth who have excelled in a sport, cultural or academic event in the past year, or who have made a significant contribution to the Kawerau community over the same period. The awards will be presented on Wednesday, September 21.
Also new to the event this year is Clan Celtica, an Auckland-based Scottish tribal band that performs around the country. The band will perform throughout the weekend at various times.
