"How to survive BaaCon"

We know this page is scary long - but it pretty much boils down to "BaaCon is being held at an operational farm during summer in the Wairarapa. Use your common sense, treat it like an awesome camping trip and you will have a great time." Also remember that the venue is Elf's home - if it seems like we're being paranoid it's because if something does go badly wrong, he might lose it. So we're erring on the side of caution - but apologies if it comes across as being the Fun Police.

No internet or cellphone reception?

There's no internet or cellphone reception at the venue. This is a feature - not a bug. Whether you're a speaker or an attendee - don't assume you will have connectivity at all while you're onsite. Cellphone reception is a 10 min drive away and the Shearing Gang will have limited connectivity to use in the event of an emergency. We would prefer that you don't bring your own Starlink - to give attendees the opportunity to disconnect if they want. IDK - maybe bring a book or some colouring if that long offline scares you.

What will I need to bring for BaaCon?

What do I do with trash and recycling?

Wherever possible, BaaCon follows the Tiaki Promise for travelling responsibly and sustainably. This means that you will need to take any trash or recycling away with you when you leave - and leave any spaces in the same or better conditions to how you found them.

BaaCon may collect some food waste to for composting to avoid it going to landfill. Please don't feed any BaaCon animals any human food - it's bad for them.

How many people are you expecting?

We're capping total numbers at 50 people this time (mostly due to infrastructure limitations) - to keep the vibe as chill as possible. There's plenty of space and if, like us, you don't love crowds - don't worry - there are plenty of opportunities to find some quiet space to yourself if you want it.

If you do go for a wander, general hiking safety rules apply: Tell someone where you’re going and what time you should be back, take a torch, don't go at night.

What presentation facilities will be available at BaaCon?

You will be able to present on a TV screen with an HDMI connection (only!) and we will provider a microphone and speaker for presenters. That's it. If your talk requires anything else - YOU will have to provide it and any associated tech support. Wifi and Internet is not guaranteed for speakers.

I'm not sure if my talk is suitable for BaaCon? Halp!

BaaCon will run on a TLP: RED classification. If you're unfamiliar, that basically means "what is talked about at BaaCon, stays at BaaCon ". If you have something cool you want to talk about but it needs somewhere very redacted, very hush hush, very low key, very inclusive, BaaCon is probably the answer.

What about photography:

Do not take photos of anyone without their consent. Instead take photos of the scenery and the wildly photogenic grey sheep - post them online and tag with #baacon and @baaconnz on Instagram (once you have internet connectivity again). If you're unsure or want clarification reach out to the Shearing Gang.

Can I bring my... to BaaCon?

How accessible is the venue?

The campground and main conference tents are in relatively flat paddocks. These are farmed paddocks though and so they contain a large number of trip hazards and are not always accessibility friendly. The river is not wheelchair accessible. If you have any questions or concerns about this please reach out to the Shearing Gang and we can give more specifics. It's likely there will be stairs to the port-a-loos.

Will you provider chilling facilities:

No. We will provide a quantity of chilly bins and ice to keep things cool as much as possible - but don't expect ready access to fridges. If you have a medical need (or similarly important need) to keep something chilled during then please reach out to the Shearing Gang and we will try and support you as much as we can.

How do I get to the venue?

BaaCon will be on a sheep station about 2.5 hours drive away from Wellington, on the East Coast of the Wairarapa - about 20 minutes inland from Riversdale Beach.

The last 20 minutes of the drive is on a gravel road without cellphone reception. We recommend checking your tyre treads and pressure before you leave. The road is easily navigable for 2WD vehicles. If you're uncomfortable driving on gravel we recommend carpooling with a friend. If you carpool to BaaCon with someone - you should also carpool back with them. Don't abandon anyone at BaaCon!

Due to the location where cars will park - we are not permitting campervans without prior approval. Please get in touch with one of the Shearing Gang if you want to discuss this option further.

We will email detailed navigation instructions closer to the con date.

Arrival and Departure:

The venue will be open from 10am on Saturday the 5th Dec 2026 and all attendees must by out by 4pm Sunday 6th Dec 2026. The planned conference activities starts at midday Saturday and ends at midday Sunday.

What's the deal with food at BaaCon?

We have decided that, to reduce the fire risk (and the risk of people not bringing enough food - given how remote the conference venue is!) that BaaCon will be a catered event. You're welcome (and encouraged!) to bring additional snacks and any drink you might like. Please note that, while we will have washing up facilities, cooking facilities are non-existent (limited to us providing hot water only).

If you get desperate, there's a great local cafe that does banger coffee and food open both Saturday and Sunday - a short 10 mins drive away from the venue: Homewood Storeroom.

What if I've got special dietary requirements?

We will ask for dietary requirements on the ticket registration form - but realistically we will only be able to accommodate vegetarians and gluten free options. If you're celiac (or have a similar strong allergy) - we probably can't guarantee that your food will remain uncontaminated by other catering during transport to the venue. If you're unsure or concerned, get in touch with the Shearing Gang and we will see what we can come up with.

Can I smoke at BaaCon?

Unfortunately December is commonly a drought month for the Wairarapa, and the local council usually impose a complete fire ban for the entirety of summer - so we are putting a blanket ban on all exposed flames at BaaCon. This includes lighters and cigarettes. Vaping is fine - you will just be asked to move away from tents and other congregation areas.

Can I bring by own BBQ to BaaCon?

Unfortunately December is commonly a drought month for the Wairarapa, and the local council usually impose a complete fire ban for the entirety of summer - so we are putting a blanket ban on all exposed flames at BaaCon. So no - unfortunately you can't bring your own BBQ to BaaCon this time.

Other than the conference, what other activities are onsite?

Swimming in the river, chilling under the trees with a good book, cuddling the friendly sheep, talking to Good Human Beings, touching grass, stargazing, touching more grass, boardgames etc

What will happens if I want to buy ticket and then transfer them to other people?

You can't. Sorry. These tickets have to be attached to an individual person as we will be sending out and requiring a waiver for the event. If a different person shows up than who is on the ticket, that means we wont have a waiver for that person and you will be asked to return home once you arrive at the venue. And it's a loooooong drive back.

What will happen if the weekend is wet?

BaaCon will proceed unless there's a clear safety risk. We will have a main tent for conference talks which you will be able to shelter in - but shelter will be limited outside of that. Bring a raincoat and prepare to get muddy if it looks like it will be wet.

BaaCon tickets are non-refundable unless we make the decision to cancel due to weather.

Am I stuck onsite for the entire duration of the con?

Nope. Con activities will run from midday Saturday to midday Sunday, but the campground has simple road access and there is a great cafe about 10 minutes drive away and Riversdale beach has a local store and fish and chip shop. You're welcome to come and go as you please during daylight hours.

However - we will close the venue gates at 8:30pm Saturday and re-open them at 7am Sunday (which corresponds to sunrise and sunset) - to give our Shearing Gang a break from gate duty and to help preserve people's dark-vision for stargazing.

I need my beauty sleep! What if there are rowdy folks near my tent?

We get it - tent walls are very thin. The main venue tent is well away from the campground and we will ask people not to idle their cars in the campground and to avoid loud music near the tents. In addition, there will be a hard noise curfew from 10pm to 7am.

I understand there will be animals. What if I don't want to be around them?

The venue will have a number of friendly animals for you to go and cuddle if you like, but they're separated from the main conference area by a fence. You can absolutely attend the entire con without having to interact directly with any animals. There will be animal poo around though, there's no escaping it.

The venue seems dangerously far away from civilisation. What happens in an emergency?

BaaCon will have a fully stocked first aid kit, and will have sober, trained first-aiders onsite for the duration of the Con.

That said, the nearest hospital (and by association ambulance) is over an hours drive away from the venue - so our emphasis will be on prevent rather than treatment. Please let us know on your ticket if there's anything you think we should know. The nearest defibrillator is at Riversdale Beach (which is a 20 min drive from the venue). The Shearing Gang will be able to make emergency calls if necessary.

We will be asking for emergency contact information for all attendees. This information will not be retained and will be purged on Monday the 7th Dec 2026.

What's the deal with alcohol at BaaCon?

BaaCon is not a dry event, but you will have to drink responsibly. As mentioned, the nearest hospital/ambulance is over an hour away and any antisocial or dangerous behaviour will not be tolerated at BaaCon in line with our code of conduct. 

If you require further clarification around what drinking responsibly means - you should not drink at this event. 

What happens if there's an issue with the Wellington Plex ecosystem during BaaCon?

The Wellington Plex ecosystem will not be supported for the duration of BaaCon - our typical SLAs are null and void during the con. Go outside. Touch grass. (Or just be cool and come to BaaCon and distract yourself that way!)

Will you be doing CO2 monitoring and reporting like a REAL conference?

Yes.

Will there be merch?

Yes. Watch this space for more info and expect to have to get your hands dirty.

Do you have an AI policy?

Yeah. BaaCon doesn't use any AI generated copy, designs or artworks - and we support local NZ artists and businesses as much as possible.

If you're using AI in any of your talks please disclose it - and maybe consider if it's necessary at all.

What's the dress code?

We are following KawaiiCon's dress code: https://web.archive.org/web/20250813074024/https://kawaiicon.org/faq/#q-what-is-the-dress-code

In short - wear sensible clothes. Clothes are not optional (even when swimming in the river) and, to quote KawaiiCon:

"If you need to perform some act which is impaired by your clothing, please obtain the adult consent of all parties whose eyeballs you’re about to sear with your quivering, naked goosey nerdflesh."

I have more questions!

Get in touch with the Shearing Gang and we will add it here (if it's generally relevant). However - you should assume that the answer to any questions like "can I bring/do X to BaaCon" is "No" until confirmed otherwise with the Shearing Gang.