Tickets ready as Gathering shifts
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Tickets will go on sale on Monday for the country's biggest New Year's Eve dance party, the Gathering, which is moving to a new site.
The new location is still to be named. However, the Gathering website has confirmed that the event will be held at "a beautiful new site" in Golden Bay.
The Mail has previously reported that the organisers were considering an Upper Takaka property owned by the Harwood family.
The website says a sealed, two-lane road leads to the new site, which offers better carparking, flatter campsites and has a river running through it.
Gathering publicist Alison Green could not be contacted for further information this morning.
Earlier this year, she said organisers had decided to abandon the site the Gathering had been using at Canaan Downs on the Takaka Hill, because of environmental and safety reasons.
She said it was impractical to keep using the 11km road into Canaan Downs.
"Nine thousand people arriving on the same day last year meant that many people had an eight-hour wait to get in and the same to get out."
She also said that while the grassland of Canaan Downs recovered quickly and easily, organisers had concerns the beech forest could suffer irreparable damage.
Gathering tickets will cost $130 until October 1 when they go up to $160. Ms Green said they would be available only through the Gathering website or by phoning an 0800 number.
It was hoped this restriction, and the fact there was a limit of 10 tickets a buyer, would eliminate forgeries.