Kiwi April

by Dominic - 04/04/2013 16:50:00

April is supposed to be a transitional month, as the season shakes off the last vestiges of winter and basks in the nascent sunlight of spring.

Why it's still chucking it down with snow and freezing then is anyone's guess, just be glad you're not here to witness it.

April is a great month to be in New Zealand, perfect for walks alongside rugged coastlines and brisk swims in idyllic lakes.

If that's not your cup of tea though, here's a look at some great stuff to do this month:

Jazz & Blues Festival - Christchurch - 3rd to the 7th

Jazzy

Whether you're an ardent Miles Davis fan or just like the fantastic ramblings of one of the most expressive forms of music, the New Zealand Jazz & Blues Festival is a five day dedication to the two music forms.

King of the Bays - Auckland - 6th

If it's getting a little too cool for you to venture out in anything less than 3 layers or you're of the persuasion that sitting warm and comfortably while yelling at people is an infinitely better prospect, the King of the Bays race could just be for you.

While there are technically four races on on Saturday, it's the 'I'm Going Long' that we're all turning up for when hundreds of slightly over-enthusiastic people in skin tight gear wade into the waters to race, for almost 3km.

Get down there and get telling them to 'stop slacking and try harder'.

Arrowtown Autumn Festival - 12th to the 21st

Autumn is supposed to be the season of colour; in the UK this translates to yet another season of grey misery, but this time with some wet leaves slapping you in the face.

In New Zealand however, autumn does what it says on the tin and nowhere is better at showing that off than Arrowtown.

Originally a gold rush town, the first settles in the area planted deciduous trees, meaning every year the whole area is unveiled as a kaleidoscopic marvel of green and brown and every shade, hue and hint in between.

The Arrowtown Autumn Festival is a 10 day celebration with over 50 individual events including exhibitions, street theatre and parades.

Comedy Festival - Nationwide - from the 26th

A man walks into a bar, and no
one laughs.

Since the Flight of the Conchords made their mark on the world stage, New Zealand's comedy scene is going from strength to strength as everyone clambers to see the next big thing.

Who, or what, that big thing could be is a mystery, but picking up tickets for a few shows at the NZ International Comedy Festival is a great way to find out.

Festival of Colour - Wanaka - 16th to the 21st

With such natural beauty in abundance, New Zealand doesn't need to do much to make anything an impressive sight to behold. The Festival of Colour is a biennial celebration of plenty of things like dance and exhibitions and sports but its real charm is the back drop.

Set against the Southern Lakes you could have a naked supermodel arm wrestling a T Rex and you'd be asking them to duck down to get that lovely tree in the background in the shot.

2013 New Zealand International Film Festival - Auckland and Wellington - from the 18th

With the nights cooling down, you could even be beginning to get slightly bored with staring at the hills and mountains. If that's you, try and look in another direction, there's a view over there as well.

Otherwise, you could give the NZ IFF a go.

Based in Wellington and Auckland a whole array of great films are on, from classics like Lawrence of Arabia and Guys and Dolls, to NZ releases of Oscar nominated films like Kon-Tiki and The ABC's of Death.


- Dominic Ladden-Powell is Online Editor with the New Zealand Visa Bureau, an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to New Zealand.

Visa Bureau takes no responsibility and cannot be held accountable for action taken as a result of any information or comment provided on this blog, and we recommend that you always seek a number of opinions before making a decision regarding your migration or visa application. Please refer to the Visa Bureau terms of use for more information.

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