NZ revellers build island to drink on

How far will you go to ensure you get your tipple? If you were part of this New Zealand group of revellers, the answer is ‘quite far’. To beat a ban on drinking in public places, this group created an island in coastal waters, in order to enjoy a New Year’s party.

The island was built of sand, and started off as a joke. The revellers used the low tide to their advantage and built the structure in the Tairua estuary on the Coromandel peninsula on December 31. They then went on to install a picnic table and icebox for drinks.

There had been a ban on drinking in public places in Coromandel over the New Year, with fines of $250.They claimed that since they were in “international waters,” the ban wouldn’t apply to them.

Luckily for the group, the authorities seem to have taken the stunt in a funny vein. “That’s creative thinking — if I had known [about it] I probably would have joined them,” local police commander inspector John Kelly told BBC.