Marlborough

Summer is the season for outdoor food and wine events in New Zealand, and this year a worldwide movement embracing this - The Summer of Riesling is set to captivate the country.

Two Brits with a couple of bicycles are the ultimate rugby fans – Londoners Tom Hudson and Jodie Burton have cycled almost 28,000km through 28 countries to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup tournament.

With 85,000 international visitors in the country, Rugby World Cup will showcase New Zealand to a global audience of discerning travellers – and, away from the rugby field, it’s Kiwi food and wine that’s likely to attract the most sustained interest.

Auckland is on 'Cloud' nine, Wellington’s launching a waka, Nelson’s taking a long Italian lunch, Bluff’s reserving the juiciest oysters, Westland’s celebrating whitebait, and wineries all over New Zealand are dusting off their vintage best.

New Zealand has laid down the welcome mat with a new campaign to assure travellers that the country is very much open for business, while bloggers throughout the world are extolling the virtues of the destination.

A striking photographic portrait of a New Zealand kakapo parrot – one of the rarest and most at-risk bird species on earth – has swooped up first prize in an international competition.

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).

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

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 the movers and shakers of the international wine industry.

A Marlborough high country merino sheep station has become one of the largest covenanted private conservation areas in New Zealand.