Is this what awaits Ahipara?

GET THE PICTURE? Members of the Oil-Free Auckland doused themselves with mock oil at Saturday's protest against plans to explore the Reinga Basin.

Many of those who turned out at Te Kohanga (Shipwreck Bay) for Saturday's StopStatoil protest/festival would have been there for the music, but members of Oil-Free Auckland took the opportunity to stage a graphic display of what some fear the future will bring if oil drilling ever begins.

They lined up on the beach doused in 'oil' made of coca, glycerine and charcoal, but their sombre warning did little to dampen the mood.

While the crowd fell well short of the 2000 people organisers Rueben Taipari and Heeni Hoterene had hoped for, Mr Taipari said everyone went home happy. A few hundred people gathered on the beach below the venue to enjoy the music without paying, and reportedly kept themselves well refreshed.

The event was timed to coincide with the start of seismic testing about 100km offshore by the Norwegian company TGS on behalf of Statoil, another Norwegian firm, which last year won a tender to explore the Reinga Basin.

Mr Taipari, who dug into his own pocket to fund the festival, said the drug- and alcohol-free event was part of a switch from fighting the oil company's plans with submissions to raising awareness among ordinary New Zealanders.

"We want to get people talking about the issue, to raise awareness and raise some passion about this," he said.

"We can't let the government stand over us and do what they want. This is our land, our sea. We're the custodians of this land. We were given this responsibility by our ancestors."