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Fifteen families got stuck into St Kilda Beach with golden spades on Sunday morning, competing for the chance to be among the first to fly on Dunedin’s newly reconnected transtasman route.
Two lucky families walked away with the grand prize – a family theme park holiday to the Gold Coast.
Hosted by The Hits radio hosts Callum and P, the Big Beach Dig event marked the finale of the station’s Digging for Gold campaign, which promoted the return of international services to Dunedin Airport.
Contestants were cheered on by friends and family as they competed to win a trip to the Gold Coast. Photo / Ben Tomsett
The campaign was a collaboration between Dunedin Airport, The Hits Dunedin, and Australia’s Village Roadshow Theme Parks.
Cheered on by family and friends, contestants grabbed golden spades – awarded to listeners over the past three weeks – and dug into the sand in search of the coveted golden tokens.
Two of those tokens secured their finders a family theme park trip to the Gold Coast, which will soon be just a 3.5-hour direct flight from Dunedin.
The Wharerimu family – Reon, Jody and their sons Roman, Grayson and Foxton – celebrate their win with The Hits hosts Callum and P. Photo / Ben Tomsett
Alongside the two grand-prize family trips, other participants received annual passes to theme parks across the Tasman.
The Wharerimu family – Reon, Jody and their sons Roman, Grayson and Foxton – were among the first to unearth the top prize.
Reon said winning the trip was “awesome” and especially meaningful after their previous attempt at a family holiday overseas was abandoned due to Covid.
“We had a trip booked and then obviously it got cancelled, so it’ll be good to get over there,” he said.
The prize marks the family’s first overseas holiday together. Winning one of the top prizes “felt amazing”, Reon said.
The Hits presenters Callum and P hosted the finale of the Digging for Gold campaign at Dunedin's St Kilda Beach. Photo / Ben Tomsett
“We even jumped in and helped a few other families at the end there just to try and help them win a box. So yeah, stoked.”
The King family won the other top prize.
Nikita King said she was thrilled to be heading back to the Gold Coast with her wife Haylee, daughters Dakota and Roxanna, aged 13 and 2, and son Hunter, 18, for their first holiday in eight years.
“We’d go back all the time if we could afford it,” she said.
The family were looking forward to the warm weather and spending time at the theme parks. “Just getting away for a bit.”
“We are absolutely stoked to have Jetstar flying direct from Dunedin to the Gold Coast starting on June 24,” she said.
“We’re really pleased to be working with The Hits on this wonderful campaign that’s getting families out digging for the opportunity to fly direct to the Gold Coast and experience all the amazing things Village Roadshow has to offer.”
