AUM New Year’s Festival is a 3-day, family friendly arts and music festival an hour west of Auckland. Located in South Head, it is a magical place with no cell reception. With 4 stages, a children’s corner and healing glade for massages, reiki and yoga, there wasn’t a shortage of things to do!
One of the first things I noticed about AUM was the vibe. Being able to bring your own booze, because Aum does not have a licensed bar onsite, security does not check your car nor belongings. This made arriving smooth and fast. You were also able to camp next to your car, which took away time and energy lugging your items from carpark to campground.
The weekend started at The Hub – a circus like tent which offered great shade from the sun. The MC of the festival invited performers onstage to tease some of their shows they would be performing over the weekend. This got us excited for all the variety offered over the 3 days.
The transition from day to night is always one of my favorite parts of any festival. Things come alive and you notice things at night that you missed during the day.
One reason this area is so magical is because of the wildlife. Located on a working deer farm, you could watch these magnificent creatures when you ventured towards the Healing Glade. There were also roaming turkeys!
Art. Both interactive and only to be viewed, every where you turned there was something to pull you in an be present.
The only thing I think AUM is missing was a watering hole. Festivals like Splore are on the beach, and Dimension had a river. We were lucky in that the weather was overcast so it was not that hot, however with limited shade, I can see how if you get a typical summer’s run of sun, how uncomfortable it could be. Also, I thought there could have been more toilets and showers in the campground. I had to wait almost every time I had to go to the bathroom, and the shower lines were a good hour to 2 hours long depending on when you started waiting.
New Year’s Eve is always a bit overrated, however I would have to say this was one of the best NYE’s I’ve had in a while!
Would you go to a festival on New Years Eve?