Here We Go Again

The organisers of Rhythm and Vines promised its 10th year anniversary was going to be the best yet. It was.

Actually, it was by far one of my most enjoyable New Year holidays to date which is funny because I really did not have any great expectations for RnV this time round. I mean I still had a good time the three previous times I attended,  I have just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible mainly due to lack of sleep, bad weather, camping situations and just generally being over it!

But now as I sit here at my desk looking out at the blue skies of Auckland which will surely turn grey when Friday afternoon finally get heres, I am wistfully dreaming that I could go back in time and do it all over again.

Driving down the beautiful East Coast at dusk

29 December

We woke up to a spectacularly sunny East Coast day and it was a unanimous decision to head to the beautiful Wainui beach (even my sun-phobic bf tagged along). On the way we checked in at “The Hub” where we collected our wrist bands and AWOP cards (a genius idea meaning we didn’t have to queue at the actual festival). After sufficient tanning we went back to our lovely rented house to begin getting ready for the first night of Rhythm. What an awesome night it was! We drunkenly wandered between all three main stages throughout the night absorbing the sights and sounds of Homebrew, Icona Pop, Disclosure, Flume, Kimbra, Netsky and Knife Party.

30 December

Tonight was dress up and our house decided to go as hippies. We searched the Gisborne Dollar Mart to find suitable headpieces, accessories and tops (don’t get me started about the tops) that fitted in with our theme. The rain clouds eventually parted and we hosted some drinks in our back garden before heading into Rhythm for night number two. To be completely honest my memory is a bit hazy from this night but I’m pretty sure I had a good time listening to Breakbot, Mark Ronson, Chase & Status and High Contrast before heading home to have a serious munch on way too many chicken nuggets.



Photo borrowed from news.com.au, no way I could get this myself!



31 December

New Years Eve was the most perfect, relaxing day of our holiday (until the evening that is). Not a cloud in the sky, the sun was on full show and our day was spent sunbathing and reading in shady areas of the garden. Four o’clock suddenly arrived, as did our eager friends who hadn’t been out the previous two nights, and it dawned on us that we better start drinking. Again. Before I knew it, we were making our way to RnV for the last time of 2012.

The festival was packed and everyone was on form. We watched Six60, P Money and The Presets before seeing in the New Year to fireworks and fire dancers with Swedish House Mafia’s “don’t you worry, don’t you worry child” acting as background music.

Krafty Kuts and A-Skillz kept us going with such a mean set, I seriously could have stayed dancing to them until 6am. We went for another wander between stages and listened to Dan Aux and Benga before making the journey home.

So sad to leave!

My brief description above does not do our holiday justice at all but I tried.

If you haven’t experienced Rhythm and Vines before I highly recommend putting it on your “To Do List”. Or if you are (were now) like me and feeling hesitant about going back, don’t be. There is little I believe the organisers can improve on. I did not have to wait in line once for a drink, there are huge choices of food available, plenty of places to sit and there was always a portaloo/toilet free.

Happy New Year everyone!