Recreation & Sport

Unseasonable snowfalls, causing havoc in New Zealand’s central North Island, at least have a silver lining for winter sports enthusiasts who’re keen to make the most of spring skiing and snowboarding.

New Zealand is riding the crest of a wave of surfing popularity with some of the sport’s top competitions – including the Dream Tour and the World Junior championships – to be held at the country’s top breaks this summer.

One of the New Zealand’s best known rugby players, Sir Colin Meads, will receive his second major honour for 2009 when he’s capped at a special ceremony in Hamilton tomorrow night.

On the crest of a bumper winter sports season, fresh snow falls and clear days are providing good conditions for skiers and snowboarders as New Zealand shifts into spring gear.

Canada’s winter athletes carried off the team prize as the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games closed yesterday (30.08.09) at Coronet Peak, in Queenstown.

New Zealand’s South Island resort of Queenstown will live up to its party reputation next week as hundreds of gay men and women celebrate Gay Ski Week NZ.

When the Italian rugby team steps out onto Trafalgar Park for their 2011 World Cup debut in the provincial New Zealand city of Nelson, they’ll be walking on broken glass.

Over 200 of the world’s top snowboarders will be on the slopes at Wanaka next week for the Burton New Zealand Open.

Some of the world's best young surfers will be riding the waves at Piha - on Auckland's wild west coast - when New Zealand plays host next January to the World Junior Surfing Champs.

Work on New Zealand’s national cycleway network is to get a ‘quick start’ this summer at several locations throughout the country.