Features

New Zealand might be best known for its award-winning wines, but Kiwis are also beer drinkers and have developed a discerning palate that has prompted a boutique brewery boom.

Kiwis love the arts, and local and international artists living in or visiting New Zealand are often inspired by the country’s diverse natural landscapes, friendly people and unique Maori culture.

As New Zealand’s events capital, playing host is nothing new for Hamilton.

Like all best kept secrets word eventually gets out, so it's no surprise - with luxury travel now one of the country's fastest growing tourism sectors - that the world is waking up to New Zealand's luxury travel possibilities.

'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' is in cinemas worldwide, captivating audiences and showcasing the exceptional New Zealand landscapes used to illustrate Middle-earth.

Diverse and prolific birdlife is a unique feature of New Zealand’s coastal, forest and alpine environments – even in the major cities where bird song frequently interrupts the urban buzz.

Eager fans flock to New Zealand to discover the mythical landscapes of Narnia - created for the film adaptations of CS Lewis famed 'Chronicles of Narnia'.

Water and boats go together in Auckland where twin harbours spilling into the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Tasman Sea to the west ensure there’s always plenty of activity on the water.

When American western novelist Zane Grey visited New Zealand's Bay of Islands in 1920, he dubbed the waters 'the angler's Eldorado'.

New Zealand is immersed in a magic Middle-earth holiday season celebrating the year of The Hobbit and enjoying the predicted long hot down-under summer.