The air is alive with the sound of more than 3000 Kiwi accents. The sold-out arena in New Zealand's capital of Wellington is abuzz with excitement. Entertainers move through the crowd encouraging cheers or applause. At one stage there is even an attempt at a Mexican Wave.

But this is no rugby match. This is Wellington's World of Wearable Art (WOW) awards, a yearly event that claims to be a unique fusion of fashion, art and theatre in a riotous explosion of entertainment.
For 10 days in September, more than 35,000 New Zealanders and increasing numbers of international visitors flock to watch designs from around the world compete for more than NZ$100,000 worth of prize money - and be entertained in the process.

It is obvious locals enthusiastically embrace the event, and they dress for the occasion. Young fashionistas brave the cool evening in stilettos and strapless frocks, while the genteel opera crowd are outfitted in semi-formal wear and velvet wraps.  But this isn't really a fashion event either. A surprising number of young men accompany their girlfriends - seemingly without coercion - and grey haired men sit with their families.  There is almost a picnic atmosphere, with a generous number of bottles of New Zealand's ubiquitous sauvignon blanc carried in by the crowd. (The giant Montana wines is a long-time sponsor). It has the air of extreme theatre sports - but better dressed.

The show itself proves to be a spectacular two-hour theatrical flight of fancy. Once New Zealand comedy duo, The Topp Twins, finish their opening gags to pleased guffaws, the stage rapidly metamorphoses into a giant forest where gigantic grasshoppers, a ballet-dancing daisy chain and a dandelion prance around.

Within seconds, it has morphed again; in a nod to Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, the bird's nest is fitted with a sail and a small boy wearing a metal colander as a hat is hoisted into the sky; then a disc jockey at his decks hovers from the ceiling while athletic young men below him give us their best break moves.

Tightly choreographed performers dip, fly and pirouette in a mix of kitsch (think high-kicking cowboys wearing silver lame hotpants) and high operatic farce, complete with a towering diva wearing a large illuminated moon that could pass for horns.

But it is the costumes which dominate: an entry calling itself Firebird flashes fabrics of wings of gorgeous colour; in another entry called Psychedelic Symphony, performers dressed in black disappear completely into the dark stage so that only the violent neon pink violins are visible under the fluorescent light: the instruments appear to be bobbing and wheeling around the stage by themselves.

All of this is not bad for a concept which began very humbly in 1987, when founder Suzie Moncrieff decided she wanted to "take the art down off the walls" of her gallery space in Nelson, on the South Island, and put it on the body instead.  Moncrieff, an elegant woman aged 60 with long grey hair, was then a single mother on income support (she jokes how the New Zealand government were WOW's unofficial 'sponsors') struggling to realise her dream of becoming a sculptor.

A musician with no formal theatrical or business training, Moncrieff went through the phone book looking for sponsors, literally knocking on the doors of "big business".  "I didn't even know you needed to make an appointment," she says. She was knocked back; back then, business was interested in sport, not arts. Finally she told a Nelson cafe owner, Eelco Boswijk, of her troubles. How much did she need? Boswijk asked. A lot, Moncrieff told him - $1000.  "He came back with a cheque and handed it over," she says. "He is a great supporter and is now a patron."

WOW now operates with a multi-million dollar budget (organisers won't specify, saying the figure is commercial-in-confidence) and appears to have its pick of New Zealand corporate sponsors.
Even the global downturn and New Zealand's recession has not dented either its budget or ticket sales, with sales climbing 20 per cent above last year, leading organisers to add another show. All were sold out this year.

It generates an estimated $10 million for Wellington traders over its ten day run, says WOW's chief executive officer Gabrielle Hervey and uses hundreds of performers and backstage crew in a fine showcase for Wellington's cultural community, already swelled by the country's film-making boom. In the past, it has even featured members of the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Four years ago WOW moved from Nelson to Wellington - a move which stirred considerable controversy, but was necessary, says WOW's brand manager Donna Ching, in order to ensure the event continued to grow. (The WOW museum opened in Nelson in 2001; many of the garments which appear in the shows find a home there.)
Moncrieff and her team are now concentrating on building the event's international presence. This received a significant boost this year when Alaskan David Walker won the event's supreme award - including $10,000 prize money - with his incredible Lady of the Wood 18th century ball-gown, made from planks of mahogany, lacewood, maple and cedar. It marked only the second time the event was won by someone other than a New Zealander.

International designs made up 55 of the 165 entries this year, and came from India, Hong Kong and United Arab Emirates, among other countries.  The number of Australian entrants has also steadily increased, attracting a quarter of the competition's entries this year.
Australian Felicity Hardy, a regular to the competition, based her entry, Nature's Fury, around Victoria's Black Saturday bush fires. Sadhana Peterson's Opera Diva was a version of the Sydney Opera House incorporating "Wagner, anti-war graffiti, and Bennelong Point", according to her notes.

In an effort to establish themselves on the world stage, WOW courts design schools and young students. Moncrieff's sister Heather Palmer, who is competition director, says she has even approached artists from Germany and the Netherlands after she saw their work in international art magazines.

It is obvious WOW has reached a critical point - already popular domestically, the show is clearly pondering its next move.  There are plans for a 'scoping exercise' into Australia, Moncrieff says, although this is early days. In 2001 a minishow was integrated into Dubai Fashion Week and this year it followed immediately on from New Zealand Fashion Week. But Moncrieff is adamant the event is not about fashion, instead comparing it to the wildly successful Cirque du Soleil. "This is a theatre show supporting design," she says.
Themes change year from year: this time there are seven sections - a competition for children, a south pacific section; an 'open' section where the designer is given complete artistic freedom; the eye-popping 'illumination illusion' where the costumes glow neon under fluorescent lights; a creative excellence section showcasing the sculptural premise of folded fabrics; the peculiarly named 'man unleashed', given over to male design; and the wildly extravagant avante garde.

Among the more high-profile names to enter are Academy Award-winning New Zealand film-maker Richard Taylor, best known for making costumes and weaponry for the Lord of the Rings films, as well as New Zealand fashion designer Annah Stretton (both are judges this year).

But Moncrieff is at pains to emphasise that the competition, judged blind, is not just for professional costume makers or artists.
Walker, while a sculptor, is also a carpenter, while another section winner, Mary Wing To, is a saddler from Enfield in the United Kingdom. A great many of the entries come from enthusiastic amateurs.

The more ornate costumes can involve a of huge amount of work and may (rarely) cost up to $4000, not including the cost of freight for more far-flung entrants.

Usually, though, the project is a labour of love. One Wellington entrant recycled hundreds of copper radiator parts, hand cleaning them using nail polish. Another collected 1400 plastic milk bottles for her creation.

New Zealanders Hayley May and Fiona Christie spent months planning their prize winning creation Second Skin, before either sewed a stitch on the 30 metres of fabrics that went into it.  They were clearly rapt to have won their section.

Blues, Brews & BBQ's is one of the most popular events on the summer calendar - a family fun day of barbecue fare, fine ales and great music that is held at three locations; Blenheim, Hastings and Mount Maunganui.

The festivals are a celebration of everything that is unique about the traditional kiwi summer lifestyle; our love of outdoor cooking, great music and enjoying an ale or two with good friends and family.

New Zealand is widely recognised for its achievements in wine production and this often overshadows the fact that we have a burgeoning industry producing fine crafted ales that can and do compete with the best anywhere in the world. Blues, Brews & BBQ's pays homage to the craft of brewing enabling small and large brewers alike to present their premier beers to a large and appreciateive audience. For the public it really does represent a unique opportunity to sample a massive range of different styles and flavours. And the range extends to wine, cider and even the odd tipple of schnapps can be found.

The barbecue too is a real taste sensation with some of the leading chefs from each region serving up gourmet grill fare fit for royalty. The culinary menu can only be described as simply delectable with the range typically extending from authentic Indian, Middle Eastern, Ostrich, Westcoast Whitebait to sweets and of course everything else that you would expect from the typical 'barbie'.

All this is served up to a background of easy listening music with a strong 'blues' flavour. The festivals have seen many of the country's best performers lining up to entertain the crowds including icons such as 'Hello Sailor', 'The Winch Brothers', 'Midge Marsden', 'Darcy Perry Blues Band', 'Darren Watson', 'The Coalrangers', 'Bullfrog Rata'. There is even the occasional international artist such as Geoff Lang and the Australian duo 'Wizard & Oz' appeared at a recent Mount Maunganui festival.

Southern Hemisphere's largest flower show.

For five days each March, Christchurch's North Hagley Park is home to one of the world's best flower shows and horticultural events - the Ellerslie International Flower Show.

The annual gardening and lifestyle event attracts a global audience of garden designers, garden lovers and international media, championing the best of garden design, garden trends and new products.

Most importantly, the Ellerslie International Flower Show provides the horticultural, floral, landscape design and construction industry with the opportunity to showcase to the world the best of what New Zealand has to offer.

Ellerslie has built a reputation as New Zealand's favourite and best annual flower show and just like the famous Chelsea Flower Show in London forecasts the latest garden design trends and plant fashions.

The Show also supports the grassroots of the gardening industry with a strong focus on community involvement and special displays for floral art groups, horticultural societies and garden clubs.

The Christchurch City Council purchased the Flower Show in November in 2007 and is now working to develop the Ellerslie International Flower Show as one of the top five shows in the world.
    

Local woman, Claire Bryant, instigated the very first celebration of local wild food. Her wine cellar was very well stocked with a home brew of West Coast gorse flower wine and people were clamouring for a taste of her rose petal brew. So ….. why not a festival celebrating the tastes of the wild West Coast!

The event also coincided with the 125th anniversary of the birth of Hokitika in March 1990.  And so it eventuated ….. locals and the rest of New Zealand were captured by the magic of the idea - a celebration of Hokitika and the wild foods of the West Coast. 

The Wildfoods Festival has become an iconic and premier special event in New Zealand.  The first Festival attracted a crowd of 1,800 and this year’s Festival saw 15,000 people walk through the gate! Attendance peaked in 2003 with 22,500 Festival goers and
numbers are now capped at 15,000.

New wild foods are introduced every year and last year was no exception with such innovations as wasp larvae icecream, cucumber fish, sheep milk cheeses and wok fried clams to name just a few!

Roving entertainment, mingling amongst the crowd, and continuous stage performances enliven the Festival arena with bands, solo artists, mime, comedy, dancers and much, MUCH more to keep you rocking throughout the day and night.

The Festival offers local community groups, individuals and businesses the opportunity to raise funds and profile their products which is an important part of the event.

In 1996, the Wildfoods Festival was awarded the Most Unique Event in New Zealand and has twice been a winner in the New Zealand Tourism Awards.

A competition is held annually to find original artwork for posters and flyers which are distributed nationally and internationally to raise the profile of Hokitika and the Wildfoods Festival.    
 
From the mountains to the sea, a narrow strip of scenic wonders is located on the West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand.
Glaciers, national parks/world heritage area, lakes, rivers, rainforest, wildlife, fauna and people, (“Coasters” as they are called) all interwoven in the untamed wilderness of Westland.  Much of New Zealand’s pioneering spirit is still close to the fore in Westland, making it, in some instances, an untouched region of natural beauty and experiences.

Hokitika has a colourful history - settled in the 1860’s after the discovery of gold, it soon developed into one of the busiest ports in New Zealand. Today it is a town with wide, attractive streets, friendly people and a population of 3,300. Tourism, farming, fishing and forestry provide for the economy.
    
And so to YOU ….. we dare you to grab your friends, family and, most importantly, your
appetite for fun and join us at the next Wildfoods Festival!

New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays is the largest agri-business exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand is a world leader in agriculture and pastoral farming; National Fieldays is the ultimate launch platform for cutting edge agricultural technology and innovation. With over 1000 exhibitors, National Fieldays is essential in keeping up with the latest trends and developments in the agriculture and farming industries.

National Fieldays is held over four days each June attracting in excess of 130,000 visitors from around New Zealand and internationally from 38 different countries. The current exhibition and demonstration space is over 98 acres and boasts over 1,000 exhibitors on 1500 sites.

Held at Mystery Creek Events Centre, National Fieldays is located right in the heart of the Waikato adjacent to Hamilton International Airport, close to State Highways 1 and 3; and just ten minutes from Hamilton, Te Awamutu and Cambridge.

Fieldays has grown significantly from conceptualisation in 1968, the initial aim of the event was to bring town and country together and showcase agriculture. Over 41 years later, Fieldays is now the hub of New Zealand’s agribusiness.

Regarded as New Zealand’s iconic ‘farming’ event; Fieldays is also an event of significant economic importance. In 2008 exhibitors generated NZD$285million resulting from sales through Fieldays. In 2008, Fieldays had a national economic impact of NZD$865 million.

NZ National Fieldays Society is a not for profit charitable organisation; run by a committee of volunteers and a team of over 30 staff members with additional manpower during the event.

Icon’s don’t just happen overnight, and the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival has been 35 years in the making.
Way back in 1975 a bunch of locals decided that the start of Winter was a great excuse to have a party. They organised races on the mountain and in town, lollies for the kids, beers for the grown-ups, a concert or two and a town-wide ball, all of which were a great success.

News spread quickly and the next year people came from further afield to join in the festivities.  Since then the Festival has evolved into New Zealand’s biggest winter party - it’s a 10 day celebration of Queenstown’s unique culture and community with street parties, fireworks, international and local acts, jazz, comedy, Mardi Gras, family fun, rail jams and plenty of Mountain Mayhem. 

The town will be a buzz with around 60,000 people celebrating the arrival of Winter in true Queenstown style.

POOL A
New Zealand
France
Tonga
Canada
Japan

POOL B
Argentina
England
Scotland
Georgia
Play Off Winner

POOL C
Australia
Ireland
Italy
Russia
USA

POOL D
South Africa
Wales
Fiji
Samoa
Namibia

In 1988 aviation entrepreneur Tim Wallis presented an airshow and country fair that attracted 14,000 visitors to Wanaka Airport on one day. As the Airshow grew so did its support and now 80,000+ people make the pilgrimage to Wanaka for their weekend of excitement. The Airshow is now a biennial centre piece of Central Otago’s tourist attractions and one of the world’s premier Warbirds Airshows.

Come and join us for three days over Easter when Lake Wanaka will become centre-stage for an extravaganza of aerial action never before seen in New Zealand.

This is one of the four top Warbirds Airshows in the world where you will see some of the most famous Warbirds join forces with the classic aircraft of yesteryear and the modern jets of today, to present a veritable feast of aviation attractions. On the ground, a variety of Warhorse military vehicles, stationary machinery and an Aviation Trade Expo will vie for your attention.
 
The Airshow features all the facilities you would expect of an international event including onsite parking, disabled facilities and children's area. There are many exclusive souvenirs and memorabilia available for purchase to provide lasting memories of this weekend of action and excitement.

For those in the crowd the RNZAF displays are always a highlight, showing that today’s Air Force is an agile, dedicated and professional organisation.

HISTORY OF RALLY NEW ZEALAND

The first international event, the Shell Silver Fern Rally, was organised by the Wellington Car Club in 1969 and was won by Grady Thompson and co-driver Rick Rimmer in a V8 powered Holden Monaro.

In 1970 the Silver Fern Rally was organised by the Canterbury Car Club and run in the South Island with a total of 67 entries.

The Heatway International Rally in 1971 was the first to be accorded international status and attracted 67 entries, with 15 from outside New Zealand. There was franchise support from New Zealand Motor Corporation, Todd Motors and New Zealand Motor Lines. For the first time an overseas team, Australia's Bruce Hodgson and co-driver Mike Mitchell, scored a narrow victory in their Lotus Cortina from the Holden Torana GTR XU1 of New Zealand's Ralph Emson and co-driver Wayne Jones.

Rally New Zealand was first included as a round of the World Rally Championship in 1977, making it the longest running world championship event in both New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere. Its status has grown internationally, with the 2001 event being awarded the WRC Rally of the Year award.

The current iteration of Rally New Zealand is the product of an event that started in 1969 as a marathon of endurance for everyone involved. What was a long and involved rally in the 1980s with time to rest, repair and develop tactics on a variety of road surfaces has changed to a sprint event of approximately 350km.

Three drivers have won Rally New Zealand on three or more occasions. The first was Carlos Sainz, and co-driver Luis Moya, of Spain who won for the first time in 1990. Sainz was the first driver to successfully defend his title in 1991 and went on to grab a hat-trick in 1992. All three titles were at the wheel of the Toyota Celica GT-4. The likeable Spaniard became the most successful driver in Rally New Zealand history when he gained his fourth victory in 1998.

Next came the reign of Scotsman the late Colin McRae and co-driver Derek Ringer, and the rise of Subaru. McRae won in 1993 and 1994 before emulating Sainz with a third successive win in 1995.

In 2007, Finns Marcus Gronholm and co-driver Timo Rautiainen, took Sainz's crown as the most successful driver in Rally New Zealand history when he beat Sebastién Loeb by 0.3 seconds to claim an exciting victory with the closest winning margin in the history of the WRC.

New Zealand's international rallies have earned a number of other distinctive firsts, including:

The first time a round of the World Rally Championship had been held in the Pacific region;
The first time British Leyland scored World Rally Championship points for some 20 years;
The first time Toyota won both the Group A and N awards on the same event, and;
The first time the Russian Lada team competed outside Europe.
The closest finish in the history of the WRC in 2007