Sun, sand and slushies— the annual Friendly Bay Family Fun Day last weekend was a success .
More than a 1000 people made their way to the harbour area to enjoy the day focused on wha ¯nau wellbeing.
Children enjoyed bouncy castles, games and events run by organisations such as the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony, Waitaki Multicultural, North Otago Toy Library and Neighbourhood Support and Give Volleyball a Go with Sport Waitaki.
The event was organised and hosted by the Waitaki District Council.
District councillor Dan Lewis, also MC on the day, said the day was ‘‘fantastic’’.
‘‘The weather and tide all aligned. It was great to see so many people turning out for the day, families and kids for the event, that was for the most part free,’’ he said.
Fun activities on the water included kayaking, and boat rides with the North Otago Yacht and Power Boat Club.
On the foreshore was the beach dig, and sand saucer art with Best Start Kindergarten and Waitaki Community Gardens.
District council safety coordinator Carrie Hamilton said the road safety event, which featured a Hi Vis Hustle relay race for children, was educational but also about teamwork.
In the whanau wellbeing zone were activities such as free health checks provided by the Oamaru Pacific Island Community and Te Ha ¯ o Maru, a mums and bubs tent, secondhand books with Altrusa and staying safe on our roads with Waitaki Road Safety.
A number of food stalls were on offer including slushies by the Hob Youth Group and a sausage sizzle by the The North Otago Scout Jamboree.
Mr Lewis said a ‘‘huge thanks’’ was due to the community organisations for their support of the popular annual event.
