New Zealand Culture Blog

Partake on a delicious journey through New Zealand’s finest wine and food country, experience the 380 kilometer (240 mile) trail as it serves up a delectable array of food and wine experiences. Encompassing Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa and Marlborough the 'Classic New Zealand Wine Trail'.  links three of New Zealand’s leading wine regions that accounts for more than 80 percent of the country’s production.

A group of intrepid New Zealanders are undertaking an amazing and some say perilous journey across the Pacific Ocean to Easter Island. They are sailing in a traditional waka hourua (double-hulled sailing canoes) without GPS or modern navigational tools, in a bid to retrace and revitalise the steps of their ancestors in Maori history; the crew are using only the stars and moon with ocean currents to guide them. Traditional methods of navigation waned soon after European settlement in the Pacific.

Once described as "Mardi Gras meets Haute Couture at a Peter Gabriel concert directed by Salvador Dali," This show twists conventional perceptions of art and fashion Welcome to the World of Wearable Art! Individual works of art are designed and animated by the body then choreographed into a two-hour theatrical show. Each year's performance is original and contains elements of dance, music, drama and comedy. Attracting both local and international artists it is now considered one of the most prestigious art and fashion competitions in the world.

Deep in the South Seas, the most southerly of the Cook Islands has the distinction of being the oldest island in the Pacific. Analysis of its geology shows it dates from 18 million years ago Steeped with legends and myths, its age, structure and ancient artifacts have for decades meant this unique tropical island has become a Mecca for archaeologists and anthropologists... Mangaia’s remarkable natural beauty and serenity are only part of its fascination…