! NEWS - Auckland
Going bush was the order of the day for New Year's, with The Gathering and Splore enticing nu-urban lifestylers out of the city and into the outdoors......
....as always, the top of Takaka Hill was the place to be for the big moment. Seven zones meant that even the most cynical of punters were catered for, although those magical Gathering vibes saw to it that any surliness was left at the gate. Even Clinton 'Grimplestiltskin' Smiley (who played a delightfully anthemic set in the house tent, only to be left playing 'Stardust' to 10 people as everyone else flocked to the trance field for the midnight countdown) was spotted kicking up his heels with carefree daisy-picker abandon to that crazy bagpipe number on the last morning....
Highlights for Jen? Timing it right and not having to queue to get there, dropping at 8pm and getting down in the house tent to some 'Funkytown' remix, John Saunders' set in the first hours of 1999, lots of Kraftwerk in the open air, Jas masquerading as a trance DJ, and at long last meeting my delicious Welli counterpart Ms Mel Palmer! Wahey!
But everything's got to end sometime, so after hotfooting it to a shower (showers onsite my ass!) it was back to reality/Auckland for most.......