Zombie Walk, Rotorua, New Zealand Saturday of Labour Weekend.

I  was one of two photographers chosen to sponsor the Zombie Walk
It was a real priviledge to be asked.
 I had never met a Zombie before this event so I wasn't sure what to expect.
I wasn't disappointed.

Some of the Zombies looked seriously scarey.
I enjoyed covering the event so much.
The people were really creative with their dress and makeup.
 The vibe was laid back and friendly and the event ran so smoothly.
People loved having their photos taken, they were really co-operative and willing to pose.

                   Chief Organiser Layla Robinson before being made up

                           After being made up complete with emerging  Zombie baby

                                      Baby Close up

                        Layla's partner Robert before being made up.

                         And after

Layla  Robinson and her team are  master event co-ordinators.
I would be  happy to be involved with everything she does because she really is quite brilliant, leaves no detail to chance.
One of life's gifted people

 Red Cross Zombie doing makeup for entrants.
 There were heaps of entrants lining upt to get their face done on the day.
People just coming out of the public, seeing the event and spontaneously joining in on the spot.


Layla started up the Zombie Walk three years ago, she and her friends do it all entirely voluntarily and the proceeds she makes from the event go to a charity called the Brain Injury Association.

People pay an admission fee to dress up like Zombies, go for  a walk around Rotorua as a group, collecting for the event and doing a Zombie dance at the end to the theme to  Michael Jackson's thriller dance.
 
Layla is also the head of a Roller Derby team and they were there behind their stall selling themed cakes to the public.
Here are some green fingers.

Dressing up is enormously good fun and it just lets people's inhibitions run free.

There were all sorts of people there from infants to grandmothers.

                                                                   small boys

                                                    to evil  looking masked men

                                            People with dolls

                                       Entire Families

                                                                   Creepy/Cute looking  Kids

 No kids were harmed or scared on this event, they all had amazing fun. 
It was like being with a huge happy family.

                                             Vintage Mother Zombie

                                       Vintage Zombie Daughter.

The makeup on these faces looked so real.
 I  loved this surgeon Zombie.
 The Roller Derby girls and helpers had made up syringes of edible fruity blood that tasted sweet (apparently) and looked very realistic.
People were plastering it all over their faces, dripping with it.
Awesome fun.

Zombies in character interacting

 Karen Hansen who owns Shotgun Bridal, Steamcity Steampunk Society and Artful Addictions was there with her cool creative, scarey stuff


 Professional Makeup artists who worked for Weta Workshops were also there putting creepy looking scars and sores on people.
 It was really professional.
 Here is one of their props, a totally  realistic looking work of art that I  wouldn't want to meet in my wildest dreams.

 Look at the makeup on the woman, that blood looks so real.  

 Some people went all out with their outfits

Cannibal Zombies

People from Corn Evil were also sponsors and turned up to support the event. 

Corn Evil is a haunted maze company , google them to see what I mean. 

Everyone was so friendly and into having fun.
The crowd well behaved.
It was a great day for it, so lots of people turned up,  I would easily say around 300.

One of the most striking things to me was the number of Asian tourists who just loved the event and even got themselves made up on the spot and stayed with the event the whole way though.
It was a multi-cultural experience.

                         Witch waiting to be made up by the Roller Derby Team

 
They were taking so many photos and really enjoying the occasion.
 It was great to see all the Zombies so willing to pose with them.

 Even though a lot of people looked violent, none of them were, everyone was so nice to each other it was like being on a peace rally.

 

 I'd recommend the event as good wholesome,  family entertainment.

The tourists  had such good fun interacting with theZombies  that I really think that it probably was one of the highlights of their stay.
Where else in New Zealand could they have found such a unique interactive experience for such a reasonable price?

 Brain Injury Association Representatives.
Money raised from the event goes to the Rotorua branch of the Brain Injury Association.

Jaxon was the other official photographer, he covered the groups and I focused on individual shots.



To Be Continued in next Post. 
Shots of the Zombie Walk and Zombie Dance, 
Watch this space.

Thank you so much to all the people involved for making the Rotorua Zombiw Walk such an inspiring experience.

Creative Quote of the day
The “Blood is really warm,
it's like drinking hot chocolate
but with more screaming.”
― Ryan Mecum, Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry for Your...Brains