Southland

New Zealand is turning the concept of a wildlife ‘Big Five’ upside down by developing its own ‘Small Five’ list aimed at encouraging travellers to come and see some of the world’s rarest creatures for themselves.

A British zoologist who had an encounter of the mating kind with an endangered kakapo during filming for the BBC in New Zealand, has had the honour of naming one of the rare parrots.

Two young female backpackers are aiming to walk the length of New Zealand on Te Araroa - a foot trail opening soon which will span the entire country.

Mouths are watering in anticipation of the annual Bluff Oyster & Food Festival celebrating the seasonal harvest of the succulent shellfish that have made New Zealand’s most southern town world famous.

Times might be tough on the economic front but Bluff oyster lovers showed no restraint when the official season opened in New Zealand this weekend.

Camping at Curio Bay in the South Catlins, one of New Zealand’s rugged and wildlife-rich coastal regions, attracts a variety of visitors but not all appear to be taking notice of the local signs.

Usually it’s the early bird that catches the worm, but New Zealand is offering an early chance to catch the bird - with an invitation for visitors to travel to a remote destination for a rare meeting.

The last of the tickets for Rugby World Cup 2011 have gone on sale and are going quickly as New Zealand continues to ramp up preparations for hosting the major event.

An enterprising New Zealand chocolate maker has put a tongue-in-cheek spin on swine flu by producing a novel chocolate bar with a medicinal filling.

The number of New Zealand tourism companies credited with the country’s elite Qualmark Green Enviro-Gold rating has just topped 100 in spite of challenging times.