Latest events

New Zealand is a vibrant and lively nation which plays host to a variety of festivals, events and sporting championships. With events ranging from Gay Ski Week to the International Jazz Festival to the Adventure Racing World Championships; New Zealand is a diverse and fun-loving country that strives to offer something for travellers and residents of all interests and tastes.

Gay Ski Week Queenstown

3rd - 10th September 2005
Gay Ski Week Queenstown is rated as one of the world's most important gay and lesbian events alongside the Sydney Mardi Gras. It is a week of fun for gay, lesbian, transexual, transgender and bisexual people who love the great outdoors, adventure, and adrenalin sports. Queenstown is regarded as the adventure capital of the world, so is the obvious New Zealand location. Activities take place both on and off the snow, so non-skiiers are welcome. Events include the race day at Cardrona ski resort, a swimwear race at Coronet peak, a group wine tour, and the WhiteOUT club party.

More information can be found at www.gayskiweeknz.com

Wellington International Jazz Festival

26th - 30th October 2005
The international Jazz festival is a celebration of music which an enthusiastic audience can enjoy, dance to, and interact with. Featuring musicians from all over the world, the festival focuses on progressive and innovative music. Special performances take place on both the opening and closing night, and events throughout the festival include a performance on the Wellington waterfront, the Massive Labour Weekend Music Marathon, Jazz at Te Papa and the Jazz Film Series.

More information can be found at www.jazzfestival.co.nz

Adventure Racing World Championships

11th November - 19th November 2005
The Adventure Racing World Championship is a race through some of the toughest terrain on the South Island of New Zealand. Teams are made of men and women adventurers racing against each other for several days non-stop (24 hours a day!) Activities include mountain running, kayaking, caving, mountain biking, rope skills and rafting. The course spans over 500kms through magnificent scenery such as glaciers, bushland, vast lakes, mountain rivers and the refreshing alpine air.

Christmas Day

25th December 2005
As Christmas happens during a New Zealand summer, residents never experience snow and ice! February is the hottest month of summer, so it is not always warm enough to have Christmas dinner on the beach in December. Many people eat the traditional English turkey (cooked on a barbeque!) and plum pudding, but with cold salads rather than warm vegetables. Christmas in New Zealand always includes a delicious pavlova - topped with kiwi fruit, strawberries and whipped cream - a dessert created by a Kiwi chef. As many people from the Northern hemisphere now live in New Zealand, many citizens celebrate two Christmases - one in December, and one in the mid-winter month of July. This enables them to eat all the traditional hot, comforting food of a winter Christmas and also to receive two sets of presents!

New Year's Day

January 1st 2006
New Zealand celebrates New Year in much the same way as the rest of the world- late night parties, raves, extravagant dinners and firework displays. But New Zealand's New Year is different to anywhere else in the world - Gisborne, situated on the east coast is the first place on earth to celebrate the New Year as it is situated just west of the International Date Line. Gisborne calls itself the 'first city of the sun' as sunrise happens here first each day. In 2000, Gisborne was a central focus for much of the globe as it was the first location to welcome the new milennium.

New Zealand International Arts Festival

24th February - 19th March 2006
The New Zealand International Arts Festival takes place in Wellington every two years, and is the most extravagant and expensive event in the country. Celebrating achievments from within New Zealand and throughout the rest of the world; the programme features some of the finest opera, theatre, dance, music, outdoor productions and literary and visual arts.