From a distance, it might just seem to be another small country town. But visitors soon discover that Tirau, located on a busy highway two hours south of Auckland,  is anything but ordinary.

Driving down the highway that cuts through the town, visitors are greeted with the vision of a six meter high dog façade fronting the town’s Information Center. The locals call it The Big Dog. Nearby, an enormous sheep shaped building sells local wool products and arts and crafts.

A gigantic corrugated iron shepherd stands alongside Big Dog and Big Sheep, watching over the growing collection of corrugated  teddy bears, hearts, birds, and poppies that have sprouted up on buildings and sign posts.

Tirau has , in fact, become New Zealand’s corrugated capital.

See more of Tirau’s unique art works with this EyeballNZ Tirau slideshow.

Having read a survey that ‘claimed the ordinary Kiwi bloke was about to turn up the toes of his gumboots…’ and move to the city, Polly Evans decided to take a motorbike trip around New Zealand to find out for herself if this was true. Her quest – to find out if the ordinary Kiwi bloke had all but disappeared ?

So it was with great interested that I started reading Kiwis Might Fly.

What evolves is a laid back, laugh out loud road trip through the cities and countryside of New Zealand as Polly invites us to join her as she learns to master the beast (the motorcycle) and search out the nearly extinct Kiwi bloke.

Polly, it turns out, is quite adventurous.

How many of us, after all, would attempt to ride a powerful (650 cc) motorcycle around an unfamiliar country after only a few lessons at home on a much smaller (125 cc) motorcycle?

Not me!

As I had visited most of the places Polly stopped off at, it was interesting to see it from her perspective. She had done her research well, with the book covering not only the scenery but also the historic, cultural and social history of New Zealand’s towns and countryside.

Along the way, from Auckland to Stewart island, we meet a cast of characters engaged in traditional New Zealand activities – shearing, milking, woodcarving. And Polly wasn‘t afraid to get in and give it a go. But at the end of the trip, Polly had not found anyone who could display all the characteristics of the traditional Kiwi bloke. Still, it was fun looking.

While the North America struggles with unexpected snow storms and blizzards, New Zealand is soaking up the sun, dealing with the occasional heat wave, and enjoying wine festival season.

From the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island, foodies and winos wine enthusiasts can find events and festivals guaranteed to please the palate and the senses. But it not just about the wine. The festivals also offer entertainment, including fashion contests, kids games, and foot-tapping music.

Some events, such as the popular  Hawke’s Bay Wine and Food Festival and the Waiheke Island Wine Festival, have already had their moment in the sun for this year. But there is still plenty more to come.

Here’s just a small sampling of upcoming wine festivals around the country.

The Marlborough Wine Festival happens next weekend. It’s the most popular and longest running wine festival in New Zealand and tickets are usually sold out months in advance.  Located in the South Island town of Blenheim, the festival offers over 200 wines from 40 wineries, scrumptious locally grown and prepared food, and great entertainment.

The small historic maritime village of Devonport hosts the annual Devonport Wine and Food Festival (February 20-21), Featuring more than 15 of New Zealand’s top wineries and a  smorgasbord of mouth-watering foods. Located just minutes from central Auckland, Devonport is easily accessible by ferry or car.

At the beginning of March, the tiny town of Waipara in North Canterbury bursts at the seams as  visitors from around the country and the world gather for the  Waipara Wine & Food Celebration. 

Later in the month, the beginning of the grape harvest season is celebrated at the  Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival (March 20). Now in it’s fourth year, this popular festival offers a chance to experience the great wines and foods from the surrounding Wairarapa region located approximately an hour north-east of Wellington.

Further down south in Central Otago, the 5th annual Gibbston Harvest Festival has been scheduled for the same day. Located at the Gibbston Valley Station, the festival features local wines and foods and offers master classes in wine tasting and food appreciation.

And on Easter Sunday, the historic goldrush town of Clyde in the deep south hosts the Clyde Wine & Food Harvest Festival. Featuring wines produced by the world’s most southerly vineyards, this festival offers a chance to taste some amazing wines, including the famed Central Otago Pinot Noir.

To discover even more wine festivals around the country check out Wines of NZ events guide.

Happy tasting!

(photo from Marlborough Wine Festival website)

It appears Air New Zealand just can’t help itself. Determined to stay ahead of the competition, it continually heads out on a limb with innovative and creative advertising and branding.

As a result,  in the last few months it has been simultaneously been praised and denigrated for it’s ‘good, bad, and ugly’ actions.

What’s good?

First, it won the coveted Airline of the Year award (the airline industry’s version of the Oscar) at the Air Transport World Global Airline Awards.

Soon after, Air New Zealand unveiled it‘s plans to have the world’s first economy class bed-seat available on its long haul services by the end of the year. These ‘sky couch economy seats’ sound great but whether they will win favor with the public remains to be seen. I see one major hiccup to the concept – these sky couches or ‘cuddle couches’ are really only designed for two passengers who are willing to also purchase the third seat (at half price) that makes up the couch.

What’s Bad?

Air New Zealand is determined to push the boundaries with it’s video ad campaigns. It’s ‘nothing to hide’ video featuring naked staff covered only in body paint caused some controversy when it was released last year.

But that’s nothing compared to the strife Air New Zealand got into with it‘s ‘cougar‘ online promotion that involved having mature single women (35+) enter a draw for flights and tickets to a sporting event.

To enter, the women were required to send in photos of themselves out on the town with their ‘cougar’ mates. It’s was meant to be a light-hearted play on a recent society phenomena. Instead, it was attacked by both women’s and men’s groups as inappropriate and denigrating to women.

What’s Ugly?

Air New Zealand is not only overhauling it’s seating. It’s also overhauling it’s uniforms, with the new outfits designed by New Zealand fashion designer Trelise Cooper.

The airline is calling the new design ‘contemporary’. But media reports are indicating that many of Air New Zealand staff are not impressed, with some saying that the shocking pink dresses make them look more like drag queens than flight attendants.

Then there’s the issue of the design pattern itself, with one leading Maori academic stating that these new uniforms are disrespecting Maori culture by misusing the curly patterns.

What’s next?

Of course, no one can predict the future (except maybe Air New Zealand’s Airpoints Fairy), but I’m willing to bet that whatever Air New Zealand has up it’s sleeve next, it’s bound not only entertaining but also mostly likely controversal.

For many New Zealanders, summertime means just one thing – time to pack up the tent and the kids and head for the great outdoors. It’s a popular pastime which had some people, due to the sale and subsequent closure of some iconic coastal campgrounds a few years ago, speculating on ‘the death of the campground’.

But fear not. It appears, even though the weather has been a little grey, wet, and cool,  camping in New Zealand is alive and well. In fact, rather than a decline, there has been a resurgence in the quintessential Kiwi camping holiday. Some say this is due to the recession while others think it’s due to nostalgia for the good old days. But whatever the cause, camping in New Zealand is definitely in vogue.

From the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island, New Zealand is a camper’s paradise, with over 800 auto-accessible campsites to be found at some the most spectacular locations around. Some of privately run, while others are maintained by the New Zealand government’s Department of Conservation.

A new book, Let’s Go Camping, by travel writers Sarah Bennett and Lee Slater in conjunction with the New Zealand Automobile Association, highlights just 66 of these sites. Enthusiastic campers, Bennett and Slater spent months travelling around New Zealand, testing out the campsites, and documenting their favourites.

With plenty of stunning photographs,  Let’s Go Camping might look more like a coffee table book than a campground guide. But start reading and you’ll soon discover it is jammed back with information, covering everything from how to camp to protecting the environment.

The book is laid out geographically, with two or three campgrounds highlighted in each region, followed by a more extensive AA listing of other campsites in the region.

For each of the hand-picked campgrounds, there is an in-depth review focusing not only on their special features but also the necessary practical and background information to help campers make an informed decision. There is also information on what to do in that selected area, covering everything from quirky cafes to hiking trails.

Bennett and Slater, who also wrote the definitive tramping book Don’t Forget Your Scroggin, have put in the miles and done their homework. Not only have they found the best campgrounds in the most stunning locations, they have also discovered (and reported) on those featuring exceptional facilities and ambience. As a result, those using Let’s Go Camping to plan their camping holiday are all but guaranteed to experience a quintessential New Zealand experience.