North Broulee Beach will once again become a canvas of castles, creatures, and community on the final afternoon of 2025. Photo: Broulee Surf School.
After a few weeks spent watching the tide charts with crossed fingers, Broulee’s much-loved Sand Modelling Competition is officially confirmed for New Year’s Eve.
This community tradition began in the early 2000s and, apart from a few missed years, has only grown stronger with time.
Hundreds of locals and visitors descend on North Broulee Beach to test their sculpting skills every year, leaving all kinds of witty, wonderful, and downright wacky creations in their wake.
While high tides have forced a switch to Australia Day in the past, organisers from Broulee Surf School are excited to announce the event will go ahead on New Year’s Eve in 2025.
“It’s definitely happening on the 31st, which everyone is happy about,” head coach Shane Wehner says.
“There’s always a lot happening for the adults on New Year’s Eve, so it’s really nice for the kids to have a special way to celebrate. Lots of them come every single year.”
Entries aren’t just sandcastles and sea creatures, though these become more elaborate and impressive as the day goes on.
Being a bit random is part of the charm. Past competitors have built dragons, superheroes and spaceships right next to giant sandals, decked-out surf cars, and even the occasional armchair.
As long as the design is family-friendly, artists are only limited by their imagination. Photo: Broulee Surf School.
There aren’t any strict categories to keep track of this year, just two age divisions with a maximum of four people per team.
Kids aged 12 and under can enter the Junior division for $10. They’re limited to plastic digging tools for safety and fairness.
The Open division suits all ages, costs $20 to enter, and competitors can use whatever tools they like – within reason (sorry, no bobcats on the beach).
The top three finalists from both groups score awesome prizes from local businesses. Coming first, second, or third in the Open division also comes with a cash prize: $250, $150, and $100, respectively.
Broulee Surf School will be on hand throughout the afternoon to keep everything running smoothly and cheer on the creativity.
“There are pretty high stakes this year, so we’re keen to see what people come up with,” Shane says.
“Spectators come from all over the coast and interstate every year to check out the designs.
“Online rego is opening soon. You can also come to the beach at 2 pm on the day to sign up and secure your spot.”
When the judging is over and the winners are announced, there’s one final job to do. Sculptures need to be flattened and any holes filled in to keep the beach safe for other users, but this is all part of the fun.
It’s not every day that architects and builders get to try their hand at such an enthusiastic demolition, after all.
The 2025 Broulee Sand Modelling Competition will take place mid-afternoon on Wednesday, 31 December at North Broulee Beach. Catch announcements for the event, including when online registration opens, on Broulee Surf School’s Facebook page.
