Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
March
March brings a hint of autumn, with harvest time in the vineyards and orchards and
long, dusky evenings with plenty of festivals plumping out the calendar. Locals un-
wind post-tourist season.
Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival
This engrossing Maori
haka
(war dance) competition (
www.tematatini.co.nz
)
happens in
early March in odd-numbered years. Venues vary: 2015 will be Christchurch and in 2017 it
will be in Hawke's Bay. And it's not just the
haka:
expect traditional song, dance,
storytelling and other performing arts.
WOMAD
Local and international music, arts and dance performances fill New Plymouth's Brook-
lands Bowl to overflowing (
www.womad.co.nz
). An evolution of the world-music festival
dreamed up by Peter Gabriel, who launched the inaugural UK concert in 1990. Perfect for
families (usually not too loud).
Auckland International Cultural Festival
Auckland's increasingly diverse mix of cultures is showcased at this excellent one-day fest-
ival (
www.facebook.com/Culturalfestival
)
in late March. Look forward to lots of ethnic
food, music and dance performances, and a fascinating glimpse into the city's cosmopolitan
future.
Pasifika Festival
With around 140,000 Maori and notable communities of Tongans, Samoans, Cook
Islanders, Niueans, Fijians and other South Pacific Islanders, Auckland has the largest
Polynesian community in the world. These vibrant island cultures come together at this an-
nual fiesta (
www.aucklandnz.com/pasifika
) in Western Springs Park.
