Tourism New Zealand

An adventure-seeking 23-year-old Irish film-maker, who calls himself ‘The Cycling Reporter’, has arrived in New Zealand as part of his mission to cycle around the world interviewing locals along the way.

311 views

AUCKLAND — Canadian teen pop superstar Justin Bieber has named New Zealand as one of the places where he had a pivotal life moment in his new biography, First Step 2 Forever.

246 views

RUSSELL — New Zealand's exclusive Eagles Nest retreat has won recognition as the world's best 'luxury coastal hotel' - at the 2010 World Luxury Hotel Awards in Thailand.

697 views

CHRISTCHURCH — Christchurch Casino has picked up the Air New Zealand Supreme Award in the 2010 Tourism Industry Awards - announced in Auckland last night (14.10.10).

385 views

WELLINGTON — A New Zealand rugby club is calling for international rugby fans to 'bring their boots' to Wellington next year. The Poneke Pies, a men's social rugby group affiliated with Wellington's Poneke Football Club - one of the oldest rugby clubs in New Zealand - will host a Masters Rugby Festival as part of the Real New Zealand Festival, a nationwide series of events surrounding the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

724 views

BAY OF PLENTY — Rowing champions will take more than memories home from the 2010 World Rowing Championships in New Zealand - each gold medallist will receive a treasured pounamu taonga / treasure as a gift from local Māori.

1,198 views

MARLBOROUGH — Wine and food lovers are getting ready for one of New Zealand's longest-running premier food and wine events - the Marlborough Wine Festival.

251 views

AUCKLAND CITY — Auckland’s new look Eden Park, which has just undergone a three-year, multi-million dollar upgrade for Rugby World Cup 2011, will open its gates on 10.10.10.

621 views

WAIPUKURAU — A dedicated lamb festival, which includes a 'running with the lambs' event through the streets of a small Central Hawke’s Bay town, promises rugby fans a rare treat and some true grassroots action during Rugby World Cup 2011.

689 views

WANAKA — Visitors will soon be spoilt for choice when taking a stroll along the scenic shores of Lake Wanaka - with the opening of three new river and lakeside walking tracks.

744 views

TARANAKI — 2010 Taranaki Fringe Garden Festival 29 October - 7 November The diverse gardens of Taranaki - New Zealand’s premier garden destination - and the people who create them, will be on show in October for a fringe event that has grown into the country’s largest garden festival.

478 views

WELLINGTON CITY — Wellington’s culinary star is about to burn even brighter - with one of the world’s most prestigious cooking schools opening a branch in the city centre late next year.

1,495 views

ROTORUA — New Zealand’s premier ‘one speed’ mountain bike event will bring 900 riders from more than 30 countries to Rotorua’s thermal forest trails next month.

527 views

CHRISTCHURCH — It is business as usual for tourist operators in Christchurch and Canterbury as the region bounces back from the 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

227 views

The clocks are ticking and the final countdown has begun - there’s just one year to go until New Zealand stages its biggest-ever event, the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

551 views

They’re the most widely read travel guides in the world and now 'Lonely Planet' is upping the focus on New Zealand as a destination, by producing four new books due out in the next few months.

315 views

Three of New Zealand’s top luxury lodges have been included in the world's Top 20 Hideaways listed in Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report.

144 views

CHRISTCHURCH — Christchurch - New Zealand gateway to the South Island’s extensive wine growing regions, and newest member of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network - is set to host international wine industry movers and shakers.

440 views

Two young Kiwi lawyers are on the verge of completing their dream run - a year, or 365 days of playing golf on a different course every day around the world.

831 views

CHRISTCHURCH — A Christchurch chef has got cracking in a big way for his favourite charity by creating what's thought to be the world's largest pavlova - a 50 square metre expanse of meringue capable of feeding 10,000 people.

1,879 views

SpongeBob - the world’s most famous sea sponge - is also a fluent te reo Māori speaker.

510 views

Put a bunch of rugby-loving Kiwis together for a while, and you’re bound to witness a rousing Māori haka at some stage.

694 views

WANAKA — Invitations are out for one of New Zealand’s most-anticipated snow sports events - the eighth annual Burton New Zealand Open.

505 views

A nationwide road show to recruit volunteers for the 2011 Rugby World Cup has ended with a strong indication that New Zealand's promised "stadium of four million" hosts is on the way to becoming reality.

162 views

A Kiwi online social network dubbed ‘Facebook for five-year-olds’ is taking off overseas - with more than 21,000 members globally while still in its test stage.

549 views

  Moko the celebrity dolphin who became a world famous tourist attraction on New Zealand’s East Coast and Bay of Plenty, appears to have made his final curtain call.

241 views

Cycling Nga Haerenga - New Zealand’s national cycleway is a step closer with funding approved for another eight sections destined to provide 'great rides' through some of the country’s most picturesque locations.

600 views

QUEENSTOWN — New Zealand has been given a big ‘thumbs up’ by two of Bollywood’s hottest stars.

546 views

PORIRUA — A young Kiwi actress is heading for the bright lights of New York - as one of the stars of a brand-new US television show.

2,468 views

AUCKLAND — Two New Zealand businesswomen have dreamed up a cuddly soft toy to help promote the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

309 views

MASTERTON — A Masterton hot rod company is ready to set the international market on fire with its special range of high-quality ‘toys’.

1,153 views

WEST COAST — A tiny slice of New Zealand paradise is up for sale - an entire village for a cool $1 million.

837 views

New Zealand is headed into a mid-winter white-out as football fans prepare for the All Whites World Cup outing against Paraguay early Friday morning (25.06.2010) New Zealand time.

220 views

The feather of an extinct New Zealand bird has sold for a world record price at an auction in Auckland.

238 views

NEW PLYMOUTH — What happens when some of New Zealand’s best-known celebrities go door knocking and get invited in for tea? Unsuspecting residents in the North Island city of New Plymouth learned first hand recently when members of the All Blacks rugby team decided to pay locals a visit.

124 views

The world’s ‘ultimate sailing experience’ turned 10 this week - and Kiwi inventor Paul Beckett is quietly confident that his blokart will last the distance.

1,640 views

GISBORNE — A pre-dawn gathering on a New Zealand East Coast beach will be first to witness Matariki rising and the dawning of Māori New Year this weekend - at the same location that’s famously first in the world to see the sun.

222 views

CENTRAL PLATEAU — New Zealand's national cycleway project is off to an exciting start - with the first of seven 'quick start' projects launching in July.

594 views

WANAKA — A quirky New Zealand attraction - Stuart Landsborough’s Puzzling World, on the shores of Lake Wanaka - has landed in an international list of weird tourist attractions.

2,285 views

CHRISTCHURCH — A project designed to pull the eyes of the world back onto the benefits of wool has brought international architects together in New Zealand to design a "woolly" hotel complex.

362 views

Rugby is the catalyst but plans for a nationwide festival during Rugby World Cup 2011 will also showcase Kiwi culture, food and wine, and passion for the outdoors.

306 views

The days of lugging multiple maps and bulky guide books around the world are over for tech-savvy backpackers who can now plan their New Zealand campervan itinerary online.

329 views

It’s the news rugby fans all over the world have been waiting for - 2011 Rugby World Cup global online ticket sales have been announced.

797 views

DUNEDIN — While Alice in Wonderland fans are flocking to cinemas to relive Lewis Carroll’s literary classic, a New Zealand tourist attraction has put a new twist on the legendary tale.

1,014 views

WELLINGTON CITY — Stars and star-gazers are out again in Wellington, New Zealand, as the Carter Observatory readies to reopen tomorrow (27.03.10) after a major two-year renovation.

529 views

Every piece of Māori art that comes from New Zealand carries a story with it.

726 views

Avatar’s phenomenal win at the 2010 Academy Awards cemented a strong start to the year for the Kiwi film industry.

581 views

White elephants in glass cases, extra-large stuffed rabbits, guitars and oversized pick-up sticks have all featured in New Zealand sculptor Michael Parekowhai’s artwork.

325 views

WHANGAREI — Summer drought conditions in New Zealand's Northland region are causing strife for the local kiwi population with the normally nocturnal birds having to venture out during the day in search of food and water.

5,008 views

AUCKLAND —   The world’s largest Pacific festival which brings together New Zealand’s multi-cultural community in a vibrant, island-style celebration, has expanded to include new events and locations for 2010.

373 views

AUCKLAND — One of New Zealand’s most respected rugby stars - former All Black captain and coach, Fred "The Needle" Allen - celebrated his 90th birthday at a civic reception in Auckland.

353 views

New Zealand films have won triple honours at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival.

392 views

STEWART ISLAND — From the far north to the deep south, New Zealanders turned out on Saturday (6.02.10) to celebrate the nation’s 170th birthday.

761 views

DUNEDIN — Same sex parents at New Zealand’s royal albatross colony successfully hatched their first chick on Monday (1.02.10).

607 views

A former street kid turned scientist and inventor has been capped New Zealander of the Year in the country’s inaugural awards to honour extraordinary and inspiring Kiwis.

340 views

TAUPO — Already rated as one of the best places to stay in the world, New Zealand's Huka Lodge in Taupo has received another prestigious award for excellence - this time for maintaining consistently high standards for 25 years. 

715 views

Another New Zealand movie has had sell-out audiences buzzing at the Sundance film festival - Boy the second feature film by New Zealand director Taika Waititi is apparently the talk of the Utah event.

308 views

Kiwi pop star Ladyhawke is continuing her meteoric flight to international fame with nomination in the 2010 Brit Awards - the British version of the Grammys.  The New Zealand singer-songwriter, whose real name is Pip Brown, has secured a nomination for International Female Solo Artist.

269 views

New Zealand's input into the latest Hollywood blockbusterAvatar is well documented but few people know that the alien language spoken in the movie is based on Māori.  Avatar director James Cameron has revealed that he used Māori language sounds he heard in New Zealand to create the language spoken by the blue alien movie stars.  New Zealand technology and expertise developed the new generation 3D special effects for the phenomenally successful movie that was partly shot here.

297 views

QUEENSTOWN — Michael Hill New Zealand Open, Queenstown.  28 - 31 January, 2010 New Zealand’s premier golfing event, the 92nd Michael Hill New Zealand Open championship tees off at the picturesque ‘The Hills’ course in Arrowtown, near Queenstown, on 28 January.

2,626 views

Prince William has expressed sadness at leaving New Zealand after a three-day tour where he was treated as a chief by the Māori people, immersed in local culture, and became the first royal to have an official visit tracked on social networking sites.

292 views

WELLINGTON CITY — For party-loving, rugby fans Wellington is "sevens heaven" where sport and pleasure combine in an international tournament that provides memorable action on and off the field.

671 views

Prince William is due to arrive in New Zealand - on his first official visit - on Sunday (17.01.10), and there’s a mini-feast of Kiwi food and culture in store for him.

317 views

Air New Zealand has been named in a leading international industry publication as ‘Airline of the Year’ for 2010.

384 views

AUCKLAND — The Hillary Trail - a new four day walking track on Auckland’s west coast honouring Sir Edmund Hillary - has been officially opened on the second anniversary of the New Zealand hero’s death.

641 views

New Zealand’s renowned coffee culture is being popularised in Britain with one of the world’s largest café chains adding the Kiwi ‘flat white’ to its menu.

920 views

CHRISTCHURCH — Staff at a Christchurch, New Zealand, wildlife park are mourning the loss of the "Christmas miracle" kiwi chick that they'd painstakingly hatched and hand-reared for the past three weeks.

1,907 views

NELSON — Nelson - in the north of New Zealand’s South Island - has reclaimed its title as the country’s sunshine capital having recorded more golden rays in 2009 than any other town.

1,479 views

After completing a mammoth 50-day expedition, the first New Zealand woman to ski to the South Pole is due home next week and looking forward to sunshine and a belated Christmas dinner.

478 views

OTAGO — New Zealand has a reputation for world-leading gay rights so when a couple of rare birds of the same sex teamed up in a shared parenting role, no one was too fazed.

632 views

CHRISTCHURCH — A Christmas miracle is being celebrated in New Zealand with the arrival of a very special kiwi chick.

996 views

One of New Zealand’s rising stars in the wine industry is tapping in to a set of multi-million-dollar taste buds to help promote its brand.

345 views

WAITANGI — The largest fleet of waka (ceremonial Māori canoes) in recorded history will provide a living spectacle on the water at Waitangi in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands for the national Waitangi Day celebrations in February 2010.

900 views

The Ministry of Tourism reiterated today that the New Zealand Cycle Trail project is a partnership arrangement between the government and regions with funding for the tracks being shared.

284 views

A Wellington artist has become the first Polynesian to have work acquired by The British Museum in London, with a painting of the famous explorer Captain James Cook who discovered New Zealand in 1769.

1,693 views

The world’s first Twitchhiker has travelled from Newcastle in the UK to Stewart Island and is now on his way home, generating plenty of publicity for New Zealand in the process.

430 views

With a vibrant new look, easier licence holder search and other new features, Qualmark’s new website is proving popular with operators, visitors and travel trade.

257 views

A book giveaway in the Netherlands has meant a book about New Zealand is now owned by nearly one million Dutch people.

242 views

Favourable exchange rates, good value holiday deals and a government cash injection for marketing are all helping to keep New Zealand in the minds of would-be international travellers during the credit crunch.

326 views

A $2.5 million dollar funding boost to New Zealand’s marketing in Australia will allow Tourism New Zealand to keep New Zealand’s profile high in this important market over the coming months.

324 views

New Zealand is at the centre of a tweet-fest on social networking website Twitter, thanks to the exploits of the world’s first Twitch-hiker.

375 views

The new Qualmark enviro-ratings for tourism businesses will help New Zealand deliver on its 100% Pure New Zealand promise, Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton says.

704 views

Strong arrivals from China and Australia and an early Easter have helped to lift visitor arrivals for March by 5 per cent, to a record 250,000.

389 views

Tourism New Zealand is making some changes to how it promotes New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates, which currently produces close to 2,000 holiday visitors a year.

425 views