Free Travel Newsletter : October 2017
Written by Steph Kendall
Brought to you by New Zealand Tourism Guide www.tourism.net.nz.
Lucky Subscriber
Congratulations to Don Lee, this month's lucky Free Travel Newsletter subscriber, winning a "Kiwi Country New Zealand" DVD.
Once again, our pick of events and activities gives visitors to New Zealand the chance to join in with 'big ticket' events but also community, grass-roots activities which welcome all ages and all-comers. It's often a great way to get a true taste of the land you're in if you have time to deviate from more well-known tourist attractions and routes. From large-scale, show stopping fireworks to gentle downhill strolls through pristine farmland; from Scottish-styled fun and games to markets full of regional specialities and crafts - this month highlights local life.
Read more about:
- Sculpture Northland 2017
- Sky Show Fireworks
- The Famous Downhill Walk
- Hororata Highland Games
- The Little Big Markets
- New Zealand Tourism Guide - In Your Preferred Language
- What There Is to See and Do In... Wellington
- New Zealand Fast Facts
Sculpture Northland 2017
Location: Whangarei Quarry Gardens, Russell Road, Whangarei
Date: Friday 3 November
With over 40 talented local artists in the lineup, this fantastic exhibition combines art and nature. The display opens with a gala evening and includes a Saturday plant sale. Come along and choose your favourite piece and be sure to vote for the "People's Choice Award."
Sky Show Fireworks
Location: Waterfront, Wellington
Date: 4 November, 9pm - 9.10pm
Don't miss ten magical minutes when the skies of Wellington are lit up with a fireworks spectacular. This wonderful annual fireworks show is synchronised with soundtracks on local radio stations The Breeze (94.1 and 98.5FM) and More FM (99.7 and 95.3FM), so tune in to enjoy the night at its very best.
This is a popular event, so walk, bike or catch public transport into town early to grab a good spot and check out the food trucks for a tasty pre-show dinner along the Wellington waterfront. More details can be found on the Wellington City website.
(The skies of Auckland will also light up over Western Springs Stadium on the same day to celebrate the opening night of the speedway season.)
The Famous Downhill Walk
Location: Country Fayre, 976 Finnis Road, Pohangina
Date: Saturday 11 November, 8.35am - 11.55am
If you're travelling through Feilding and District, a lovely scenic and rural part of Manawatu-Wanganui on the North Island (lower half), you may be able to join this fundraising walk for the local community. You can take a shuttle bus ride to the top of Ridge Rod for an easy walk through 6kms of farmland and native bush back to the township to County Fayre for a light lunch (included in the price). Under 5s are free. Buses leave every 45 minutes. All ages welcome.
Hororata Highland Games
Location: Hororata Domain, Hororata Road, Hororata, Selwyn
Date: Saturday 11 November, 9.00am - 5.00pm
The Hororata Highland Games is Canterbury's own Scottish Festival with something for everyone and you don't have to be Scottish to enjoy it! Watch the professional athletes compete in the Heavy Athletic events, enjoy the Highland Dancing Championships, Highland Spin, Pipe Bands and heart-pounding Mass Bands Closing March.
Have-a-go in the Junior Warriors, toss a caber or sheaf, archery, tug o'war, Kilted Mile or children's colouring competition. Discover the children's fairground, Taste of Scotland, your heritage with the Clans, an amazing variety of food vendors, over 100 market stalls and more.
The Little Big Markets
Location: Papamoa Pony Club, 491 Papamoa Beach Rd, Mt Maunganui
Date: Saturday 18 November, 9.00am - 2.00pm
Go where the locals go! The Little Big Markets were launched in the summer of 2009 with a simple vision - to create a place that would bring communities together. A place where people could hang out and enjoy their surroundings, enjoy great music, good food and buy only the best products from a select range of artisans and producers."
New Zealand Tourism Guide - In Your Preferred Language
If you prefer to read about New Zealand in the New Zealand Tourism Guide pages in a language other than English, you can choose from 103 other languages. From Zulu to Hindi, from Igbo to Basque and many more in between. Simply navigate to the bottom left hand corner of the site and selected the language of your choice from the 'G' symbol. We can't promise that the translation will be perfect, but it may help you out (and give you a few giggles too).
What There Is to See and Do In... Wellington
Wellington is in the lower North Island and is the capital city of New Zealand with a population of approximately 405,000 people. Although it's a small city, there is an awful lot going on - it's a pleasure to explore with harbour, hillsides, bays, promenades and Victorian and, the best of, contemporary architecture. The compact CBD (central business district) is packed with museums, theatres, galleries, boutiques and bars. It's an easy place to enjoy artsy vibes, well-crafted boutique beers and foodie culture.
Highlights of the region
- Te Papa - No visit to Wellington would be complete without taking in New Zealand's innovative and interactive national museum. It offers six floors of engaging, interactive displays including Māori and Pacific cultural treasures and performance, natural life, works of art and unique history.
- Parliament Buildings - Situated at the northern end of Lambton Quay, they consist of the Edwardian neo-classical-style Parliament House, Parliamentary Library (1899), the executive wing "The Beehive|" (1979) and Bowen House in use since 1991. A tour provides an insight into New Zealand's fascinating political heritage.
- Museum of Wellington City and Sea - This smaller more intimate museum presents stories of Wellington in an interactive and entertaining way and is popular with adults and children with plenty of old film clips, a large-scale ship, interactive games and maritime history.
- Katherine Mansfield's Birthplace - Visit the childhood home of the famous writer. Intricately restored to match the descriptions of the house in her stories.
- Old St Paul's Cathedral - This magnificent gothic style church was built from New Zealand native timbers by the Anglican Church between 1865 and 1866. Now a popular wedding and event venue.
- Cable Car - Take a cable car ride from downtown Wellington on Lambton Quay up to the Botanic Gardens for sweeping views of the city and harbour.
- Capital E - Want an experience that takes in a live show, concert or performance? Capital E on the waterfront is the place to go with many family friendly acts on throughout the week.
- Wellington Zoo - Visit the world's first carbon Zero certified zoo and find out how they connect people with animals and work towards saving animals in the wild.
- Walk through the city to Oriental Bay - Continue up through the green belt to the summit of Mount Victoria for a 360-degree panorama of Wellington. Don't forget your camera!
- Charter a Boat or Join a Harbour Cruise - Enjoy a fishing trip or sightseeing cruise on your way to Days Bay, home to seaside cafes and quality craft shops or Somes and Matiu Island Reserves.
What Did You Do and See in Wellington?
If you enjoyed an activity during your stay in Wellington, why not let other NZTG readers know about it? You can share with the Instagram community or post on the New Zealand Tourism Guide Facebook page. We look forward to seeing your news and views.
Find out more about New Zealand's Wellington region.
Share Your Experience
If you have had a particular experience during your stay in New Zealand unlike anything else, why not let us know. We've picked out a few to give you some ideas!
New Zealand Fast Facts
Professional tree climbing competitions are held around the world to provide a platform for arborists to learn about the latest in climbing techniques and innovations in equipment. The New Zealand Arboricultural Association runs an annual competition near the end of the year and pulls together the cream of New Zealand climbers for one of the best tree climbing shows on earth.
