Summer

It produces some of the world's finest wine, and now the New Zealand town of Blenheim has taken the crown as the country's sunniest centre.

International rugby teams and fans from all over New Zealand are descending on Wellington this weekend (6 - 7 February) to play their part in the 2009 NZI Rugby Sevens.

New Zealand has long been considered a romantic destination for weddings, honeymooners and couples seeking seclusion, but this summer it seems there’s extra lovin’ in the air.

Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour is hosting a celebrity line-up – not all famous yachties – during the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series races on the Hauraki Gulf.

As Emirates Team New Zealand and Alinghi set sail in the final stages of the inaugural Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, the chances of the international yachting event happening again – and in Auckland - are growing stronger by the day.

It’s called the silly season and no wonder! While most Kiwis celebrate Christmas in a traditional way, the summer sun and pending holidays sometimes incite out-of-the-ordinary festive behaviour in New Zealand.

New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park, one of New Zealand’s best known gardens of national significance, is about to become a sparkling wonderland for the annual TSB Bank Festival of Lights.

The sound of New Zealand songbirds will be amplified on some island sanctuaries this summer with a series of musical events that combine concerts with conservation.

‘Tis the season to be merry and, as Christmas lights up all over New Zealand, Kiwis are moving into festive mode.

The world’s top buskers are lining up for a festival that promises to lift spirits in Christchurch, and get 2011 underway on a positive note for the earthquake-torn region.