World Ocean Day – what a splash!

Banner team and the 20 metre banner on Nobbys Head, Newcastle, World Ocean Day, 2008.

Despite a rather stormy start to this year’s World Ocean day - Sunday June 8th – the day’s events attracted over 200 people from our Newcastle community who rugged up for the fun. Here’s a quick run down of the day went.

In the wee hours of Sunday morning a small and stealthy group of banner droppers made their way to Nobbys head, a very prominent land mark on the Newcastle coast line, and carefully unfurled a specially hand made 20meter banner off the cliff. Hundreds of walkers who take a Sunday promenade along Newcastle’s favourite ocean walk would have seen its important marine conservation message – Our Marine Life in Strife – Marine Sanctuaries Now!

Meanwhile preparations were well on the way on Nobbys main beach for the rest of the activities planned for World Ocean Day.

Steve Machell the well known Australian ‘sandologist’ was creating a marine masterpiece to entice supporters to take part in an afternoon workshop in sand sculpting.

Sand sculpture by Steve Machell to entice supporters to join a sand sculpting workshop for World Ocean Day, 2008

As the crowds drew and the clouds slowly moved on the beach bonfire was built and the marquees set up.

The fabulous Sydney music trio The Kate Leahy Band opened the event with a smooth and chilled out set while busy volunteers sold raffle tickets and dished out bowls of hearty soup and mugs of chai and mulled wine.

Dr Bill Gladstone presented an excellent slide show of his incredible underwater photography and wild marine facts that drew a large crowd of old and young alike.

The long awaited raffle was drawn before the band played their final set and we have since heard that the lucky first prize winner of the Mark Richards surfboard has very kindly donated it back to TWS for an auction! Thank you Laura Riley! This auction will be our next big event so watch this new campaign Update web space.

It was a great day that simply celebrated our magnificent oceans for their own sake and began to build some firmer foundations of community support for our NSW state marine campaign.