"Anadarko - wish you weren't here" is the campaign slogan from the Green Party as they show their opposition to the drilling ships currently exploring off the Raglan coast.

Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes was in The Mount today to drum up support for the nationwide campaign.

Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Huges with Karllie Clifton from Papamoa.

'We have been down at Mount Main Beach asking people to join the campaign to be part of a visual petition which we will be giving to Anadarko and the Government.

'I have been working with Auckland artist Ross Liew who has painted a giant mural saying 'Anadarko – wish you weren't here”.

Gareth says he has had a fantastic response to the campaign so far.

'This [Mount Maunganui] is a particularly important beach given we saw the Rena wreck. Oil on the beaches isn't academic here, it was something they could touch and smell when the grounding happened.

"I don't think anyone ever wants to see oil washing up on our beaches again. That's exactly what Anadarko is doing by drilling the deepest well and risking our economy and climate.”

Gareth says nationwide events are part of the Green Party's campaign to protect New Zealand's beaches from Anadarko's 'risky” deep sea oil drilling.

Anadarko's drilling ship the Noble Bob Douglas is currently drilling an exploration well off the Raglan coast. Drilling began within the permit area on November 26 with is expected to be complete by the end of the January.

The Texan oil giant fended off a Greenpeace attempt to a judicial review in the Wellington High Court.

Greenpeace made the urgent application in November to force a Government U-Turn on the decision to allow Anadarko's drillship to carry out operations in the Taranaki Basin.