ANNIVERSARY: Fireworks light up the sky and water in 2012. This year the town’s annual New Year’s Day display is 20 years old. File picture
After a Covid-enforced break, Gisborne’s annual New Year’s Day Fire in the Sky celebration is back this year for its 20th anniversary bash.
Darryl Monteith is the MC for this year’s event but has been associated with the annual fireworks display and New Year celebration since its inception.
“Around the time of the millennium, the big news was David Bowie was supposed to be playing. At that time I was with Tourism Eastland, and that event fell over. Stewart Dwight (a former Gisborne man) was doing a block party and we had a budget for that, so when David Bowie fell over, we looked at doing a similar thing to what happened at the Calgary Winter Olympics, where a volunteer army helped put together a celebration.”
A trust was then formed to put on a festival around the millennium.
“On New Year’s Eve it was very windy and Stewart (Dwight) had the fireworks display planned for midnight but we couldn’t do it because it was too windy. So, we said ‘why don’t we do it on New Year’s Day, on the riverbank, as part of our river of light festival’? When that happened there were 10,000 people down there and it was a fantastic event.”
The following year the trust was contracted by Gisborne District Council to do a town clock party and river of light festival again.
After trying to find a way to make the event sustainable the trust approached David Findlay the following year to take sponsorship of the event.
David thought it was a fantastic idea and agreed on one condition — he would organise the fireworks display himself.
“So, that became the blueprint. We did the build-up to it and Findlay’s organised the fireworks. When funding for the River of Light stopped, thankfully David was able to keep that part of it going and that’s when it became Fire in the Sky.”
“As a heritage event Gisborne is quite lucky — along with Fire in the Sky, we still have events like the Wine and Food Festival.”
Since the early 2000s the Walter Findlay Ltd Family Fire in the Sky has been a partnership with the GDC and Findlay’s.
Walter Findlay communications manager Alyx Findlay is in her 10th consecutive year planning the fireworks event started by her father.
But Alyx’s association stretches back even further. In fact, she has only missed one display since she saw her first when she was 11.
Although there were no fireworks last year, Alyx said that was solely down to the impossibility of putting on an event in last year’s Covid-19 restrictions.
“Over the years when David has spoken about this event he has always said this is one of the best venues in the world and I completely agree. There are probably more impressive displays but there’s nowhere else that you can get so close.
“You just stand there and you can feel it, right in your chest. It’s quite unique as an experience.
“From a funding perspective, it’s just a privilege to help the event. Community is a value within our organisation. We believe it is important to be giving back to the Gisborne community that has helped our business to flourish.”
Alyx said it was more than just putting money towards buying fireworks.
“Our intention is to give our community joy and togetherness. Hopefully this event, after what has been a hard few years for a lot of people, will bring a lot of joy and magic back.
Alyx said fireworks expert Chris Hilder of the Fireworks Professionals had provided all the fireworks for each event.
“The choreography involved in the display just gets better every year. There has never been a fizzer.” Chris’ family and friends assist with the set up and his son Reuben has overseen the choreography for the last five years.
Since 2017, Gisborne District Council customer coordination specialist Angela Stuart has been planning this event alongside the council appointed contractor and Alyx.
Angela said a resource consent had just been renewed for Marina Park, allowing the event to continue at the location for the next 10 years.
Planning such an event alongside a riverbank was not simple, she said.
“The tide never wants to play ball and there’s things you might not think about like water safety. Surf Lifesaving NZ had to do a water safety plan; we need permission from the harbour master for exclusive use of the rivers and to launch fireworks over the water, plus it requires a massive traffic management plan.”
The event management for this year was awarded to Merle Walker and her company Toi Biz.
“Merle and her team are in charge of the entire event infrastructure, entertainment and food vendor coordination. It’s the first time for Merle so she will do pretty much what has been done previously with just a few new changes and then if she wants to continue thereafter, she will put her own stamp on it. This year they will be building a big band stage out at the Marina carpark and Merle was also able to secure $5000 Smoke Free funding from Hapai Te Hauora.” said Angela.
Planning each event usually starts in July and since October Alyx, Angela and Merle have had bi-weekly meetings.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 people are expected to watch the event from either the Marina reserve or various vantage points.
“Certainly, from about 9pm all three riverbanks and bridges will be chokka” Alyx said.
“With the exception of last year’s cancellation it has never not gone off. Even when the weather has been looking sketchy it has always come right on New Year’s Day evening. Fingers crossed it remains so.”
“We are very excited to celebrate the 20th year of Fire in the Sky and from all of us at Walter Findlay Ltd, thank you to the GDC and to everyone who has been involved over the years to make this event what it is and what we hope it will continue to be.”
The event starts at 6pm on January 1 with food trucks on Eat Street/Eat Alley, Amazing Maze, Bounce City, face painting, and local musical talent including Tyna Keelan, Chilli Con Cumbia, Tairāwhiti Fire Tribe, Tairāwhiti Multicultural Society, Kiera & Isla Baten Coogan, Anahera Taare, Raiha Moetara and more.
The Findlay’s Fire in the Sky fireworks are expected to launch about 9.15pm or as soon as it is dark enough for fireworks.