Queenstown

It’s only four days until the seventh Rugby World Cup kicks-off in Auckland on Friday (09.09.2011), and rugby fever is kicking in all over New Zealand.

New Zealand has once again transformed into Middle-earth as Kiwi film-maker Peter Jackson puts the spotlight on 'The Hobbit' - one of the biggest movies ever to be made down-under.

New Zealand's southern winter slopes are a-buzz with high adrenalin activity as international snow and ice sports stars take their places for the second 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games.

A wintry blast has dumped a deep snow blanket across New Zealand’s mountains over the past week, leaving ski fields in the north and south in superb shape for the winter season.

On 14 July 1789 the people of Paris stormed the Bastille and now, 221 years later, the French are coming to do battle in Queenstown.

New Zealand’s luxury tourism sector has received another vote of approval from international travellers with two exclusive properties awarded top world rankings.

The ‘Robertson Promised Gift’ – a private art collection owned by billionaire New Zealand luxury lodge owners, the Robertson family – is to go on show for the first time at the newly refurbished Auckland Art Gallery.

Skiers and snowboarders are clapping their gloved hands and kicking up their snow boots – kei te heke te hukapapa (it is snowing) and the New Zealand ski season is underway.

Rugby World Cup 2011 will be a chance to experience and relive New Zealand’s rich rugby heritage with a series of REAL New Zealand Festival nostalgic exhibitions and events surrounding the tournament.

It took a while but the snow has finally arrived, dusting off Coronet Peak ski area in time for the concluding days of the 2011 Queenstown Winter Festival.