Summer 2009 / 2010 Highlights
While universities and schools are winding down to the end of the academic year, businesses are gearing up for the Christmas party season and families have begun priming their baches and camp sites for the long holiday season ahead.
December is Santa season, and almost every city and town in New Zealand is preparing a parade to celebrate Christmas. Protected from the hot sun, hat-clad, cheering children line the streets to watch festive floats, street performers, marching troupes, pipe bands and musicians bring a light-hearted touch to a challenging year.
Much anticipated and always the focus of the Kiwi calendar, summer in New Zealand tends to be a relaxed affair where the emphasis is making the most of the weather and the environment.
Events focus on the outdoors and the 2009/2010 season holds promise of national and regional happenings that cover a broad spectrum from sports, music, arts & culture to food, wine, nature and the outdoors.
Some summer highlights:
Christmas lighting
Auckland Sky TowerDecember 1-31
On 1 December a celebratory lighting ceremony takes place on the Auckland Sky Tower’s Sky Deck when the winner of a competition to choose the colour combination for the season, will ‘hit the switch’ and turn the city’s iconic landmark into a Christmas spectacle. The tower will have a green base with silver, red and green flashes during the month of December.
www.skytower.co.nz
TSB Bank Festival of Lights
Taranaki19 December - 7 February
Pukekura Park, a 52 hectare domain with majestic trees, rare plants, waterfalls and lakes provides a dramatic backdrop for this lighting festival in the heart of New Plymouth city. Since 1993 the annual Festival of Lights has been attracting visitors to Taranaki but the origins of the festival date back to 1953 when a lighted fountain was installed to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth ll. This year’s entertainment highlight is the only New Zealand performance by Fleetwood Mac.
www.festivaloflights.co.nz
Black Barn Open Air cinema
Hawkes Bay27-30 December and 2 - 6 January 2010
A purpose-built amphitheatre in the foothills of Hawkes’ Bay’s dominating Te Mata Peak and set in one of the country’s best known vineyards - Black Barn - has become a popular outdoor venue and for nine nights over summer a big screen shows a range of current movies. Movie-goers can relax on grassed terraces with a glass of wine, sample local fare provided by the in-house caterers or picnic with friends while they watch.
www.blackbarn.com
Parihaka International Peace Festival
Taranaki8 - 10 January 2010
Celebrating the vision and example of Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi, the founders of Parihaka - a small Maori settlement on the coast of Taranaki, 55km south west of New Plymouth - this is a unique festival that gives a valuable insight into Maoridom. Situated in a landscape of volcanic lahar, Parihaka is an unassuming village but a site of major historical, cultural and political importance in New Zealand. The 2010 eventl celebrates the 5th anniversary of the festival and the teachings of Te Whiti and Tohu.
www.parihaka.com
Waka Ama Sprint Nationals 2010
Waikato12 - 16 January 2010
An expected 3000 paddlers aged between 7 and 70 are due to descend on Lake Karapiro in the Waikato province for the Waka Ama - or outrigger canoe event - the biggest such event in the world. There will be 320 races in distances ranging from 250m to 1500m. This is the venue for the world rowing championships from 31 October to 7 November 2010.
www.wakaama.co.nz
World Junior surf championships
Piha, Auckland20 - 28 January, 2010
Some of the world’s best young surfers will gather at Piha on Auckland’s West Coast for the Quicksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships for the under 18s. This is the main event on the junior surfing calendar and will bring about 250 surfers from 30 countries to ride the waves at one of New Zealand’s most celebrated surfing spots.
www.isasurf.org
World Buskers Festival
Christchurch, Canterbury21 - 31 January 2010
Street theatre, circus and comedy artists will perform more than 500 live shows, day and night, in Cathedral Square and the streets of Christchurch during the 18th annual buskers festival. The 10-day event which has a "expect the unexpected" theme, attracts more than 300,000 visitors to Christchurch, New Zealand’s garden city. This year’s festival boasts top acts from the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Japan, Israel, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand.
www.worldbuskersfestival.com
Under 19 Cricket World Cup
From January 10, 2010The 16-team ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup will be held throughout New Zealand in January with defending champions India starting against qualifiers Afghanistan at Bert Sutcliffe Oval, near Christchurch; Pakistan facing the West Indies in Palmerston North, and 2008 runners-up South Africa taking on Ireland in Queenstown.
Teams will be split into four groups with Groups A and C being based in and around Christchurch, Group B teams playing their matches in Queenstown and Group D games taking place in Napier and Palmerston North. As a build up to the World Cup, New Zealand and Pakistan Under 19 national sides will play a three-match, one-day international series in Blenheim in early January.
www.blackcaps.co.nz
Prince William official NZ visit
17-19 January 2010Prince William arrives in New Zealand in January on his first official overseas visit, his most important step yet towards becoming the future King of England. The 27-year-old prince will open the new Supreme Court in Wellington and enjoy some less formal events including a barbecue at Premier House. Prime Minister John Key wants the state dinner to have a true Kiwi flavour and has invited key All Blacks to share a lamb chop on the ‘barbie’ with the young prince.
Michael Hill NZ golf open
Queenstown28-31 January 2010
The NZ Golf Open is New Zealand premier golf tournament and will again be held at will be held Michael Hills private course, The Hills in Arrowtown near Queenstown. Co-sanctioned between the Australasian and Nationwide Tours, the event is set to attract a world class field offering in excess of one million NZD in prize money. The dramatic course sits beneath the Southern Alps and always attracts large numbers of spectators.
www.nzopen.org.nz
Auckland Seafood Festival
30 January, 2010Showcasing an array of seafood from the Hauraki Gulf and surrounding waters within easy reach of Auckland city. This festival is growing in popularity and offers seafood fans a rare opportunity to sample New Zealand delicacies matched with local and international wines and beers, cooked at the hands of top chefs and sampled in an alfresco festival atmosphere with live music.
www.aucklandseafoodfestival.co.nz
Pinot Noir 2010
Wellington1 - 4 February 2010
Four days of wine tasting, challenging discussion and entertainment which celebrates New Zealand’s reputation as a world leader in pinot noir production. International speakers will include UK wine writer Matthew Jukes, Hong Kong wine expert Simon Tam and Austrlian judge and wine writer Nick Stock. The Pinot Noir tasting hall will feature more than 100 of New Zealand’s best windemakers completmented by a world-class culinary programme.
www.pinotnoir2010.co.nz
Waitangi Day
6 February, 2010New Zealand’s annual celebration to commemorate the first signing of the Treaty of Waitangi will have an added significance in 2010 as it is the year of the waka - to mark the restoration of the big Waitangi war canoe Ngatoki-mata-whao-rua. Up to 30 visiting waka from all over New Zealand will visit Waitangi for the 2010 Waitangi Day celebrations and more than 400,000 people are expected to attend the four day festival. The celebration centres on the Waitangi Treaty grounds in the Bay of Islands, Northland and includes an official ceremony as well as a performance and parade by the Royal New Zealand Navy and local cultural groups. The Waitangi festival is a family orientated event which includes a variety of sports and cultural events.
www.waitangi.net.nz
Harvest Hawkes Bay
6 - 7 February, 2010One of New Zealand’s biggest celebrations of wine and food where 26 wineries in the internationally famous wine growing region of Hawkes Bay showcase their wines, local food and entertainment. Thousands of visitors descend on the region for this popular summer festival which also includes wine workshops, a farmer’s market and art exhibitions.
www.harvesthawkesbay.co.nz
New Zealand Fringe Festival
Wellington12 February - 6 March, 2010
Affectionately described as organised chaos, the popular Fringe event allows anyone to produce a show or a creative project for the entertainment of the community. Music, stand-up comedy, theatre, street performance, cutting-edge multi-media and visual arts are all included among more than 80 acts and performances staged in over 30 venues across the Wellington region. The Fringe Festival has become a recognised springboard for new and innovative arts in New Zealand and provides a stage for a mix of new talent across a range of different arts mediums. Around 100,000 festival-goers enjoy the varied fare on offer through this three-week arts extravaganza.
www.fringe.org.nz
Marlborough Wine Festival
Marlborough, South Island
13 February, 2010
New Zealand’s longest running and most successful wine festival set in the country’s world famous wine growing region and offering visitors the chance to sample select releases along with local gourmet delicacies. Wine tutorials with leading winemakers and viticulturists a Fashion in the Vines competition and live entertainment by leading New Zealand musicians Liam Finn and Gin Wigmore are highlights of this summer festival in a highly picturesque setting.
www.wine-marlborough-festival.co.nz
13 February, 2010
New Zealand’s longest running and most successful wine festival set in the country’s world famous wine growing region and offering visitors the chance to sample select releases along with local gourmet delicacies. Wine tutorials with leading winemakers and viticulturists a Fashion in the Vines competition and live entertainment by leading New Zealand musicians Liam Finn and Gin Wigmore are highlights of this summer festival in a highly picturesque setting.
www.wine-marlborough-festival.co.nz
Auckland Lantern Festival
26 - 28 February, 2010
Hundreds of colourful lanterns adorn Albert Park in Auckland central in a celebration that provides a glowing grand finale to Chinese New Year. New lantern designs from China will feature in the 2010 event and international performers will join New Zealand artists to provide ongoing displays of performing art, craft, fortune-telling, fireworks displays and martial arts. From 5 - 10.30pm every night, this event has become a popular attraction to enjoy New Zealand’s balmy summer evenings.www.aucklandcity.govt.nz
New Zealand International Festival of Arts
Wellington26 February - 21 March, 2010
A biennial event which will bring 930 artists from 30 countries to Wellington for theatre, music, dance and visual arts in a programme that includes 17 Australasian premieres. Renowned international conductor Vladamir Ashkenazy and legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar are just two of the high profile performers attending the 2010 festival.
www.nzfestival.nzpost.co.nz
Goldfields Cavalcade
Wanaka27 February, 2010
An annual pilgrimage across the dramatic, tussock-covered hills of Central Otago where thousands trek by foot, ride horses or sit atop wagons covering a picturesque trail that retraces the footsteps of New Zealand’s gold-mining, early settlers. The 2010 Cavalcade journey will end with a hoedown in Wanaka.
www.cavalcade.co.nz
