Spring

New Zealand’s Taranaki region – on the western edge of the central North Island – is a unique horticultural area that is world renowned for its gardens.

Colourful garden festivals and horticultural events throughout New Zealand during 2011/2012.

Spring is in the air, daylight saving is here, and New Zealand is buzzing with the biggest party that’s ever been held on these islands.

Passionate rugby fans and hospitable Kiwi hosts all over New Zealand are throwing down the Rugby World Cup 2011 welcome mat – nowhere more so than in the 24 communities that will officially host rugby teams.

The start of spring coincides with the beginning of the whitebait season on the West Coast. South Islanders and tourists flock to river entrances with nets to collect the translucent, thin inch-long whitebait.

In spring, New Zealand's vast mountains are usually more accessible for hikers, with receding snow, longer daylight hours, and warmer conditions.

Spring in New Zealand is a season of colour, new life, new harvests of food and wine and exciting arts and cultural events.