By Michael Daly of 
It rained steadily for six hours during the afternoon of New Year's Eve. Photo: Supplied/ Stuff - Chris Reeder
The promoter of a New Year's Eve festival north of Auckland says they spent more than $50,000 to prepare for the forecasted wet weather. However, the persistent rain meant many party goers had to trudge through mud as they rang in the new year.
One festival goer said organisers had done what they could to prepare but because the rain was persistent some areas had become an "absolute mud bath".
And while there was shelter, there was not enough for everyone.
Adam Bennett, promoter of the Highlife Festival at Ascension Wine Estate in Matakana, said they had brought in 800sqm of flooring and marquees which could accommodate 80 percent of festival goers.
"Every outdoor event in New Zealand faced that last night. Given the circumstances, we think it went quite well," Bennett said.
It was the fifth year he had run the festival at Matakana. The previous four years the weather was good. "Usually we get sunshine, it's a really magical experience."
New Year's Eve celebrations turned muddy at the Highlife Festival, north of Auckland. Photo: Supplied/ Stuff - Chris Reeder
He had run New Year's Eve events for the past 16 years, and the weather on Sunday night was the worst he had experienced in that time, although 2011 also had some bad weather, Bennett said.
Last night the worst of the rain had been over by 8pm, with some drizzle after that and a short downpour about 11pm.
"It definitely wasn't cancellation weather... Yesterday I had 100 percent confidence we were able to deliver a safe festival."
The electrics had all been fine, and there were no major incidents.
"It definitely wasn't cancellation weather," festival promoter Adam Bennett said. Photo: Supplied/ Stuff - Chris Reeder
Stuff video content director Chris Reeder went to the event to see in the New Year.
By the time he got to the venue about 8pm it had been raining steadily for about six hours, and the ground was already quite muddy, he said.
The organisers had done what they could to prepare for the conditions.
"It was just the weather that let them down. They had rubber mats on the grass to try to keep it in check, but because there was so much rain falling it turned into an absolute mud bath," Reeder said.
It was the worst weather he had experienced at a festival.
There was also plenty of cover, but not enough for everyone, and people had to go outside to get food and drink.
Reeder said the bus system taking people away from the event could have been run better.
He had to wait some time to catch a bus to Matakana, while at one point there were five buses that all seemed to be going to Auckland sitting partly full in the carpark, preventing other buses getting in.
"People were getting restless. They weren't really moving them quick enough," Reeder said.
Bennett said he had been conducting the buses, and considered the system had run "like clockwork". At the most, some people might have had to wait half an hour for a bus.
* This story originally appeared on Stuff.
