The Russell Birdman Festival this last weekend did the trick if the trick was to get people into the twin towns of Russll and Paihia, in the Bay of Islands, Northland. 

From when we arrived on Friday midday, there was a throng of people milling around the tourist shops, and sitting and eating and drinking in almost 'sun' of the winterless north. The towns are about 2 and a half hours north of Auckland, and July the 19th to the 21st is right in the heart of off season.

The Birdman Festival is a few years old and is now a very smoothly run series of events which are co-ordinated  by the locals. Everything from the 'Drag Race', an hilarious dash down the main street by at least twenty 'ladies' who must complete tasks such as downing a frozen Marguerita to jumping around in sacks, to the Birdman Rally on the Saturday afternoon, are designed to bring a smile to the faces of the hundreds people who line the streets.

The 26 Elvis's who made the way alomg the mainstreet prior to the main event.

There were 17 Birdmen who eventually made the jump into the waters off Russell Pier. True to form, there were dolphins swimming around just before the start.

So the moral of the story is if you plan something well and just do it, it will evolve into something that can attract some business to your destination and you can also have some fun doing it.

The Winners are here