Wanderlust Great Lake Taupo has been cancelled.
Founder and CEO of Wanderlust International Festival Sean Hoess has just announced the cancellation of Wanderlust Lake Taupo 2018. Set to take place from March 8-11 2018, the event has been cancelled due to Australia and New Zealand licensee — Yoga Events Australia New Zealand Ltd (YEANZ) — filing for insolvency. Radio New Zealand is reporting that the company owes $AUD 1.6million.
According to Hoess, since the insolvency two weeks ago, every effort has been made to continue Wanderlust Lake Taupo by finding a new partner in ANZ. Hoess says, “We found lots of love for our events, and almost universal desire to see them continue. Unfortunately, given the very short timeline and financial challenges caused by YEANZ’s insolvency, we could not find a partner who is willing to produce the Taupo festival.”
YEANZ have been running well-attended Wanderlust events in eight cities and three resorts since 2013, so the bankruptcy has come as a shock to many.
Wanderlust is the biggest creditor to YEANZ, but has not been the only ones impacted by the liquidation – many teachers and staff from the recent Sunshine Coast festival are owed large sums of money, and Wanderlust cannot promise full recovery of these losses. However, Wanderlust promises that all ticket holders to the Taupo event will receive a full refund and every effort will be made to find new partners who can prioritise the hiring of staff who were not paid for the last event.
Despite the setback, Hoess is committed to upholding the reputation of Wanderlust and making things right. He says, “From inception, Wanderlust has been a purpose-driven company with the mission of helping our guests live a healthy and inspired life…We are deeply sorry for any losses suffered in our name, and also are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from those who have been positively touched by Wanderlust over the years. We will be back.”
