Bring sunscreen and patience and go easy on the grog is the message police are delivering to the tens of thousands of people heading to the Coromandel for a beach hop at Whangamata this weekend.
Waikato police district operations manager Inspector John Kelly said 70,000 people were expected in the town for the eleventh Beach Hop.
"The event runs from Friday to Sunday with crowds steadily building which puts pressure on the region's roads, services and facilities."
Mr Kelly said roads can be unforgiving so police were urging people to allow plenty of time to get there and the same on the return journey.
"There will be a lot more pressure for services in bars, cafes and ATM machines so they'll need a fair bit of patience there too."
He said police had worked closely with organisers to ensure a family friendly event which people would remember.
He said a liquor ban would be enforced in all areas in Whangamata with a 50kmh speed zone.
That had been a major factor in the success of previous Beach Hops.
"Alcohol plays a major part in problems police encounter when dealing with large-scale public events."
Last year 230 people were arrested. Half were between 17 and 20.
NZPA