Other Helpful Info

What to wear and bring

We recommend that you bring light cotton clothing, leisure evening clothes, definitely sun glasses and a  hat or a cap and most important of all, comfortable (sensible!) shoes. Don’t forget to bring your bathing suits because you don’t want to miss a chance to cool off down at the beach on a hot sunny day. Also bring a cagoule or light raincoat and jumper to the festival just in case because it can shower and sometime there could be a nip in the air; better to be safe than sorry. Flip flops or other very light shoes really aren’t appropriate, so pack them for the beach, but otherwise avoid wearing them to the festival, the terrain is steep in places as well as stony and you need your ankles! Flip flops do not help; wearing decent shoes also saves stubbing your toes or getting cuts in the dark.
The Sun: Due to its southerly position, the ozone layer over New Zealand is thinner than elsewhere and the fact that NZ is closer to the sun, and there is much less pollution in the air,  sunburn times are very short.  During the summer, hats must be worn really when outdoors and a high factor sun block applied, we’d recommend 30+.

Children

The festival is R18 only due to drinking licensing requirements so unfortunately we're unable to accommodate little people. However if you require temporary babysitting or crèche service, contact Eastland Tourism for enquiries about these facilities in the Gisborne area. They will be happy to help. You can investigate their services and contact them via:

Tourism Eastland:
Phone: 06 868 6139
Email: info@gisbornenz.com
http://www.gisbornenz.com/

Information for the disabled

please visit the disabled facilities section for all information on disabled access.

Climate / Weather

For the summer in New Zealand it is best to prepare well for bright sunny days :
Due to its southerly position, the ozone layer over New Zealand is thinner than elsewhere and burn times are shorter than in the northern hemisphere.  During the summer, hats should be worn when outdoors and a high factor sun block applied. we’d recommend 30+. Research has shown that asthma sufferers are more at risk of an attack in New Zealand, so they should be suitably prepared.

Gisborne

Sheltered by high country to the west, Gizzy enjoys a dry, sunny climate. Warm dry settled weather predominates in summer. Typical summer daytime maximum air temperatures range from 20°C to 28°C, occasionally rising above 30°C. High temperatures are frequent in summer, which may be accompanied by strong dry winds from the northwest. Extreme temperatures as high as 39°C have been recorded. Gisborne region is usually the warmest place to be in New Zealand during the summer. Sea breezes often occur in coastal areas on warm summer days.

Time Zone

New Zealand is located at  +12 GMT.  The whole country is within this time zone.

Language

New Zealand has three official national languages English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language. You will find that almost everyone speaks English
For more information please see:  http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/language.html

Passports and Visas

Do I need a passport or visa to enter New Zealand?

All visitors to New Zealand must carry a passport that is valid for at least three months beyond the date you intend to leave the country. Most visitors who intend to stay for less than three months do not require a visa. If you want to stay longer than three months, or your country of origin does not have a visa waiver agreement with New Zealand, then you will need to apply for a visitor's visa. You can find out more about visitor visa's or download application forms by visiting the New Zealand Immigration Service and New Zealand Now websites.

Embassies

Please see below for embassy services in New Zealand.  If your country is not listed here you can search for a relevant contacts on:
White Pages: www.whitepages.co.nz
New Zealand Embassies around the world: http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-in/NewZealand
New Zealand Embassy: http://www.nzembassy.com/default.cfm

Currency

New Zealand uses the New Zealand Dollar (NZ$).

Current currency rates please check out  http://www.xe.com/ for up to date rates of exchange.