Nature / Sustainable Tourism

Sirocco, the rare New Zealand kākāpo parrot whose frisky behaviour with a BBC television crew propelled him to global stardom, will make some cameo appearances during Rugby World Cup.

First there were celebrity dolphins and an accident-prone kiwi. Next a cave-dweller hermit sheep, a rather forward flightless parrot and a sand-eating penguin – and now New Zealand has another animal celebrity.

Whale watching is a year round pastime in New Zealand but come winter, the popular activity takes on a more serious role, and this year a busy migration period is providing valuable data as well as entertainment.

‘Happy Feet’ – the Antarctic emperor penguin that made New Zealand visitor arrival history by finding its way to a North Island beach – continues its fight for life under the watchful eye of Kiwi medics and conservation experts.

Kaikoura – New Zealand’s southern whale watching capital – has become the first destination in the world to achieve gold in a new global green benchmark for community sustainability efforts.

Shrek the New Zealand sheep that lived a hermit’s life in South Island high country and died an international celebrity, is likely to find a distinguished resting place at Te Papa – Museum of New Zealand.

New Zealand’s adventure capital, Queenstown, is being painted in a different light with a new soft tourism experience that combines art and the outdoors, and gives visitors something special to take home.

New Zealand’s Auckland Town Hall has resonated to some sweet sounds in its 100-year history, and the latest buzz involves a group of busy locals who seem set to stick around for a while.

The first glimpse of Te Wao Nui – a major new ecological project at Auckland Zoo and the biggest development in the city attraction’s history – will be offered to visitors to celebrate World Environment Day.

A New Zealand garden transported to the other side of the earth for the world famous Chelsea Flower show has not only won a silver medal, but also the royal stamp of approval from the Queen.