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Events
February Events
The Amazing Maze 'n Maize is in rural South Auckland - a giant maze within a cornfield, plus lots of simple family fun games and activities. The Amazing Maze is a huge maze cut out of the corn fields.
You walk along several kilometres of paths and make decisions at intersections as to which way to go. Some intersections have "Kernels of Knowledge", or signs about the theme attached. These will help you find your way, they also keep you entertained.
Our new theme for 2012 is "Get Wired"!
The Amazing Day Maze features a viewing bridge, ‘kernels of knowledge’ trivia within the maize maze and associated quizzes - great fun for family and team competitions!
In our picnic area the emphasis is on good old fashioned fun - with walking boards, stilts, hoola hoops, giant drafts and smaller mazes.
We have lifeguards or other ways to assist you if you get really lost!
The Amazing Maze season finishes on April 29th, and will be closed until the following Christmas.
The Amazing Maze is adjacent to Spookers Haunted Attraction theme park. CornEvil is our Haunted Horror corn maze attraction, and is strictly R.16.
Proudly supported by Hawke's Bay, principal partner of the Black Sticks.
Come watch the Black Sticks Men take on Korea in a five match test series, in what will be their one and only home test series before the London Olympics.
After their recent match at the Champions Trophy where the Black Sticks beat Korea 6-1, this should be a hotly contested series with both teams using these matches as vital build up to the London Olympics.
Auckland Night Market brings you two exciting markets, at two exciting locations:
1) Saturday Night Market, starts from 6pm to mid night at Westfield Shopping Centre in Pakuranga, has been running for one year and is hugely popular with anything from 8,000to 12,000 visitors each night.
2) Sunday Night Market, starts from 5.30 to 11 pm at Westfield shopping Centre in Glenfield North Shore, opened on 30 October 2011 with a bang, hiss and a roar with over 10,000 visitors. The Sunday Night Market promises to be just as popular as the Saturday Night Market.
Both markets offer around 200 stalls with 70 to 80 amazing food stalls cooking up tasty street snacks and delicacies from around the world. Also on offer are arts and crafts, jewellery, clothing, fashion accessories, mobile phones, fresh produce and more.
Free live entertainment, cultural performers, clowns and kids rides, fortune tellers, foot massage and airbrush tattoos make for a truly memorable night out for the whole family.
Sexy Lies – a big hit with Aucklanders. This was a hugely popular show during the NZ Comedy Festival for the past four years. . . . Now we are bringing this to East Auckland. Come and see for yourself.
ConArtists has a hit on its hands. Several years ago we launched “Sex, Lies and Improvise”, a new show format for the International Comedy Festival, to display their expert comedy acting skills.
SLI is an adult show appealing to audiences because despite adult content based on audiences True stories and imaginative suggestions it’s done in a safe and anonymous way. This from some of previous promotion for the show:
“If you’re keen to be titillated and don’t mind more risqué subject matter, you’ll have a ball. “Whose Line is it Anyway” meets an uncensored “Carry-On” film. Theatreview
From unbridled lust to blind dates and all the other sexy games people play, ConArtists are getting sticky with it. And, although the stories are from the audience, ConArtists are offering protection. The audience fill out their story suggestions BEFORE the show and all are kept faceless – like some people’s sex lives.
SLI tells stories of hook ups, break ups, bust ups and much more. Last year the, sold out to bursting houses, show saw audience members happily suppling many interesting and surprising personal stories of love and lust. There’s good old fashioned formats as well. See actors desperately trying to work out, in a morning-after scenario, what famous person they slept with last night. What excuse will they have offered to slip away and the cocktail that contributed to the tryst and the hangover?
“There’s a fine line between offensive smut and witty smut” says Clare Kelso, senior member and Creative Director of ConArtists “and I think we walk the tightrope well with the occasional crashing fall”.
Tickets
Presales: $17 from eventfinder
Doorsales: $20
Tickle my ribs combo: $30 from Celsius call 271 4822
Includes a Ribs main meal and show
R18: Some content may offend
Old musical friends reunited for one extremely special winery concert. Class of ’81 the very best New Zealand and Australian artists all together on the one stage performing their greatest hits! Why not get your old school friends together for a trip down memory lane and a real day to remember?
Tiki Taane joins the More FM Summer Vineyard Tour with Aloe Blacc & The Grand Scheme, John Butler Trio, Annabel Fay and Sweet Mix Kids!
In an exciting addition to an already stellar line-up, The More FM Summer Vineyard Tour is pleased to announce Musical Maestro Tiki Taane will join Aloe Blacc, John Butler Trio and Annabel Fay on the tour for an acoustic set, while local DJ favourites the Sweet Mix Kids will also be entertaining between acts.
“I’m super stoked to be part of the More FM Summer Vineyard Tour,” says Tiki. “Last time I saw Aloe Blacc was at Glastonbury and he blew my mind, so I’ve gotta bring it big time! With just you, me and my acoustic guitar, we can get this party started.”
Aussie greats John Butler Trio return to Kiwi shores off the back of releasing a limited edition box set album ‘Live At Red Rocks’. With the release of their 5th studio album and a whirlwind 12 month tour last year, John Butler Trio have garnered incredible respect and rave reviews from fans and media around the world, making them absolutely one of Australia’s biggest music exports and a big hit with New Zealand audiences.
Aloe Blacc’s 2010 worldwide hits, ‘I Need A Dollar’ (commissioned as the theme tune for HBO series How To Make It In America) and ‘Loving You Is Killing Me‘ are merely the tip of a very large iceberg, with Aloe fast becoming the spearhead of modern, 21st century soul. The smooth soul singer has taken over the charts both here and overseas, with television appearances on big shows such as The Graham Norton Show and Later With Jools Holland. His recent sell-out New Zealand shows also received rave reviews: "Blacc oozes charisma and has a remarkable stage presence" (stuff.co.nz) and “Aloe hit notes like the godson of soul” (Groove Guide). Aloe with his band The Grand Scheme is a guaranteed crowd pleaser on the More FM Summer Vineyard Tour for 2012.
Tiki Taane is a multi-platinum award winning artist and considered a pioneer in the New Zealand music scene with a career spanning nearly 15 years. Earlier this year, he took out three Tuis at the New Zealand Music Awards including Best Male Solo Artist, Best Electronica and Best Maori album, as well as re-releasing his #1 Album In The World Of Light which features three bonus tracks, including the epic RWC remix of ‘My Lion’.
His debut LP Past Present Future achieved double platinum sales and picked up a swag of awards, and also features the beautiful acoustic love ballad and number 1 single ‘Always On My Mind’.
Also bringing a local flavour to the show, Kiwi songstress Annabel Fay rounds off the line-up with her catchy pop tracks and soul infused style. Performing hits off her latest album, such as top 20 airplay tracks ‘Show Me The Right Way’, ‘River’ and new single ‘Already Home’, Annabel is all set to wow the crowds at this renowned event.
And finally, joining the fresh upbeat line-up is resident More FM party DJs, Sweet Mix Kids. Masters of the mix with a reputation as New Zealand's most flamboyant DJs, the dynamic duo will join the tour to ensure there’s never a dull moment and will entertain vineyard audiences between acts.
Children under 12 will also receive free entry with a paying adult to ensure a great value night out for the whole family.
Without a doubt the shows will deliver an event to remember, bringing together exciting entertainment, fine wine and food with good company, for an amazing afternoon-turn-evening out. Grab your family and friends and head along to a venue near you.
Tickets on sale now!
A massive nationwide rugby tour to say ‘thank you, New Zealand’, and featuring the coveted Webb Ellis Cup stops off in Papakura for an afternoon to remember.
The Road Trip will showcase New Zealand rugby’s prized trophies, including the Webb Ellis Cup, the Bledisloe Cup and IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup and the IRB Junior World Championship Trophy.
Fans will also be able to enjoy a range of fun rugby activities for the whole family while plenty of prizes will be up for grabs, including Investec Super Rugby jerseys and an all-expenses paid All Blacks weekend test experience.
In addition, the Road Trip truck is equipped with state of the art technology to allow fans to have their photo taken alongside virtual images of All Blacks Captain Richie McCaw and other members of the Rugby World Cup winning side. Special rugby guests will also be dropping in.
Totara Park Pools have an awesome range of activities for the entire family. They’re free and run throughout summer. So come along, have a dip in the pools and have fun with our cool summer activities.
What: Family Fun Day
When: 11am - 3pm, Saturday 11 February
Cost: free
Activities will include bouncy castle, kayaking, lollie scramble and a sausage sizzle
What: Triathlon
When: 11am - 1pm, Saturday 18 February
Age Group: 8 - 11 and 12 - 16
Cost: free
Prizes for each age group
What: Treasure Hunt
When: 11am - 1pm, Saturday 25 February
Age Group: 8 - 11 and 12 - 16
Cost: free
Find items and win prizes
What: Amazing Race
When: 11am - 1pm, Saturday 3 March
Age Group: 8 - 14 in teams of four
Cost: free
Race around Totara Park finding clues
Come and enjoy a great family day out!
Clevedon Valley will be on show, with local wines, food, produce, stalls, community groups/clubs and live bands. Come and see what Clevedon has to offer.
This is going to be a fun inexpensive day for the family, plenty of parking and entertainment. Bring along a blanket, some money and enjoy a Summer's day in Clevedon. Mark it on your calendar now. Don’t miss a great day out!
If you would be interested in exhibiting then please contact us on our email:
clevedonjazzandwinefestival@hotmail.co.nz.
A Lions Charity event.
In a summer of only sporadic sunshine, there aren’t many opportunities left for families to be active outside before the autumn leaves begin to fall. The annual Botany Town Centre Summer Fun Run and Walk promises to be bigger and better than ever. The event is for people of all ages and abilities, who are encouraged to take part and enjoy the last of the summer rays while taking a step in a healthy direction.
The event, organised by First Tier, is staged over two distances (5-kilometre and 10-kilometre flat courses), so is suitable for the whole family.
Among the prizes up for grabs is a 42” Panasonic TV, Hoyts movie passes, Specsavers vouchers, Nike+ packages, and hundreds of dollars’ worth of Botany Town Centre gift cards.
The event will start and finish at Botany Town Centre’s Town Square.
For more information on the Botany Town Centre Summer Fun Run and Walk and to enter, visit the website.
Welcome to the Island of Hooha.
Get your glad rags ready, Splorers! This summer Splore presents the Island of Hooha - think big wigs, fancy pants and twinkle toes.
Based on the large scale dress-up and costume attire adorned at Splore 2008 and 2010, organisers are sure audiences wont want to miss another opportunity to express their inner extrovert.
Splore 2012 will literally explode with outrageous performances. As well as a Saturday night crescendo, the Island of Hooha will offer partygoers a number of exciting experiences to create the ultimate weird and wacky weekend. This year’s theme has conjured life sized barbie dolls, burlesque gnomes, a bogan circus, traditional Maori puppets and much more - all brought together in the sensual surrounds of Linz' Living Lounge by the critically acclaimed Dust Palace with “Cirque non Sequitur”, a sexy, surrealist, circus cabaret!
Over the weekend Linz' Living Lounge will be home to a sumptuous mix of dance, cabaret, music and interactive performance. A series of audience interactive 'happenings' by VibraCorp sets the scene for a Friday night of mayhem and madness, climaxing with the full Doc Westie Bogan Circus extravaganza. Saturday night presents a more salacious selection where living artworks delicately lounge amidst furniture while you delight in decadent contemporary burlesque, surrealist cabaret and ‘big band’ caberlesque.
Splore 2012 will also build on its history of delivering groundbreaking video installations and live VJ performances. With over 30 video artists performing, revellers’ eyes will be wowed during the three day festival's darker hours. Confirmed artists include Dub Module, one member of acclaimed musical duo Pitch Black, Melbourne's Jemthemisfit and local VJ duo lotech.
Live music performances are always a festival highlight.
Relay For Life is a remarkable and moving overnight event where teams of ten or more get together and do a walk/run relay in support of people in our community who have had experience with cancer. Teams are made up of friends, families, businesses, schools and community groups all all join together for 18 hours (4pm-10am) and enjoy a festive celebration. All levels of fitness are encouraged to join in to walk, run or support from your very own campsite. There is entertainment, spot prizes, big breakfast, themed teams and lots of energy!
- Celebrate and acknowledge cancer survivors and the hope they bring to others
- Remember loved ones lost to cancer
- Fight Back against a disease that takes so much
Relay For Life welcomes teams to join up now, become part of this wonderful event and help raise funds and awareness for The Cancer Society.
Volleyball, live music, silent disco and frisbee are just some of the planned entertainment at the beach for Auckland Transport’s new "Make it a good one, make it home" alcohol campaign.
There will be free giveaways, live entertainment and more at these beach events where Auckland Transport is encouraging safety amongst young drivers to stay sober. Check out the event dates for the beaches near you!
• Piha 7th January - Sunday 8 is the rain date
• Muriwai: 14 January - Sunday 15 is the rain date
• Mission bay 21 January - Sunday 22 is the rain date
• Long Bay: 22 January
• Maraetai: 4 February - Sunday 5 is the rain date
• Kariotahi: 25 February - Sunday 26 is the rain date
Free concert and picnic day. Featuring Australia's top Elvis performer and NZ's top professional Elvis singers including Andy Stankovich, Che Orton, Kerryn Winn, Steve Fitter, Brendon Chase, and our very own 'Melvis' from Christchurch - Melissa Perkins.
Plenty of on-site free parking. Entry into grounds from Everglade Drive (off Redoubt Road). Do not go to Main HIll Road entrance.
Free bouncy castles and face painting for the children.
Get in the mood and come in the '50s theme if you want to, and don't forget your dancing feet if you're so inclined.
Bring your friends, family, sunblock and picnic, and join thousands of others for a free fun day with professional entertainment. This annual event is now being held on the site of the old Ellerslie Flower Show, so make sure you take the Manuakau exit and come to the Everglade Drive entrance and not the Manurewa exit main entrance to gardens.
A bucket collection will be taken for this years chosen charity - NZ Surf Life Savers.
Go to our website to find more information about the day.
This event would not be possible without the support of our wonderful sponsors including Southern Maid Donuts, Auckland City Council, Manurewa Local Board, Pukekohe Service Print, Reflect Icon signs and Coast FM Radio
(Rain Day 4th March 2012)
March Events
The sassy and supremely talented Gin Wigmore will headline the 2012 Classic Hits Winery Tour, along with reformed legends The Mutton Birds & talented newcomers, Avalanche City, who round out the three band bill.
Now in its sixth year, and with a brand new presenting sponsor, the Classic Hits Winery Tour (formerly the More FM Winery Tour) is a firmly established and much loved national touring event showcasing the best of Kiwi music. In 2012 it will include 16 shows in 14 venues nationwide including Auckland, Matakana Tutukaka, Tauranga, Gisborne, Havelock North, Martinborough, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Upper Motuere (Nelson) Waipara (Christchurch) Dunedin and Cromwell.
Gin, recently back from the USA where she recorded her sophomore album, Gravel & Wine (released 7 November), has enjoyed massive success since the release of her EP Extended Play, followed by the multi-platinum debut album Holy Smoke, scooping four Tui Awards in last year’s NZ Music Awards and massive airplay success with I Do, Oh My, Under My Skin and the just released Black Sheep.
The Mutton Birds join the Winery Tour celebrating not one, but two milestones; 2012 marks 20 years since the release of the band’s self titled debut album and 10 years since their last show. With timeless Kiwi anthems that transcend generations like Anchor Me, Dominion Road and Nature, Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, David Long and Alan Gregg are reuniting just for the Winery Tour.
Avalanche City completes the 100% Kiwi bill as the new kids on the block. Winners of the coveted APRA Silver Scroll Award this year for hit single Love Love Love and fresh from showcase tours of Japan, Australia, USA and London, the band is rocking up the charts and winning hearts all over the globe.
The Winery Tour kicks off with its 78th show at Ascension Wine Estate in Matakana on Friday 3rd February and concludes at Villa Maria Estate in Auckland on Saturday 3rd March.
Tickets (and bus/ticket packages) go on sale on Monday 07 November with an Early Bird offer of $59 plus booking fee (ticket only) for the month of November, increasing to $69 plus booking fee from 01 December.
Tickets can be purchased via the Winery Tour website www.winerytour.co.nz and Ticketmaster.
One child under the age of 12 will be given free admittance when accompanied by one adult ticket holder.
Sir Topham Hatt, the Fat Controller will be in charge with Thomas the Tank Engine providing short rides at Glenbrook Station. Trains will be operating over the railway from Glenbrook to Fernleigh at half hour intervals from 10 am to 4 pm. The trains can only be boarded at Glenbrook station, there are no trains to Victoria Avenue, Waiuku over this weekend. Bulgy the Bus will also be providing rides plus Rusty & some other Thomas characters will be in attendance on the day. All steam locomotives have 3D faces.
The fare covers the 12 km return train ride to Fernleigh & return, a ride behind Thomas at Glenbrook station plus the children's entertainment provided - face painting, bouncy castle etc. The rides on Bulgy the Bus are at a reduced fare if you have purchased a ticket to ride the main train.
All new Ardmore Showdown. Taking place at Ardmore Airport in Auckland, the showdown takes our events to the next level!
Combining drifting, gymkhana, drag racing and a car show, there will be something automotive for everyone – as well as freestyle motorcross demos, an air show, and the industry trade stands where you can pick up great deals on clothing, car parts and heaps more!
On top of this, the Ardomore Showdown will also see a New Zealand first – A drag car vs jet plane drag race.
It's going to be an epic day out for everyone, we'll see you there!
The Gypsy Travellers Fair features: art, crafts, intuitive tarot readings, crystals, incense, ethnic fabrics, henna tattoos, leadlight, paintball, hot food and cold drinks, incense burners, rasta gear, wonderful moonstone, jewellery, ornaments, natural massage oils, hair braids, sarongs, bouncy castle, dolls, pet wear, poi, giftware, wokka fires, friendship bracelets, fabulous ladies' wear, lolly shop, hair braids, live entertainment and much more. So come and enjoy the atmosphere.
Come and have a browse and have a look at a group of true road folk who run the fair as a co-operative. Leave a message if you have a product that's not already covered and you would like to join.
The ASB Polyfest is the largest Maori & Pacific Island’s cultural festival in the world. In 2011 it attracted 85,000 spectators, and 9000 students competing from 62 schools.
The festival is an iconic Auckland event that celebrates the pride and passion of our Maori and Pacific Island communities through song, dance and speech. It is a place where youth are celebrated for all they bring to the future.
The 2012 ASB Polyfest takes place from the 14th – 17th of March at the Manukau Sportsbowl. It features traditional music, dance, costume and speech and is a true showcase of New Zealand’s diverse cultures.
Students will compete on five stages - Cook Islands, Maori, Niue, Samoan and Tongan. There will also be a Diversity stage featuring performances from a range of cultural groups including Chinese, Korean and Indian.
The NBR New Zealand Opera and Auckland Friends of the Opera invite you to an open air concert of popular opera in the magnificent setting of Ayrlies Gardens, Whitford.
An ever popular event with opera lovers, Ayrlies brings the best of New Zealand opera talent together to perform a selection of favourites. Bring a blanket and a picnic lunch (or pre-purchase a luxury gourmet food hamper at $45 each), relax on the beautifully manicured lawns below the stage or freely wander over 12 acres of sweeping lawns, ponds, waterways and exquisite plantings to the strains of opera through the trees. Plus! enjoy some extra special treats from The NBR New Zealand Opera's sponsors during the afternoon.
Featuring:
We welcome former Associate Minister of Arts, Culture & Heritage Judith Tizard as compère for the afternoon. The special guest artist performing at Ayrlies 2012 is acclaimed NZ baritone Jared Holt, supported by The NBR New Zealand Opera’s Resident Artists and accompanist David Kelly.
The gardens:
Lovingly tended by Beverley McConnell and her gardeners for over 30 years, Ayrlies is one of New Zealand's best known gardens. Usually open by appointment only, this is a rare opportunity to enjoy these gently rolling gardens east of Auckland.
Gates open at 11am to give you time to explore the grounds and relax over lunch before the concert commences at 2pm. There is plenty of free parking available in the nearby fields and the gardens remain open following the concert until 6pm.
Travelling from out of town?
For all you out of town opera lovers, a special accommodation package has been arranged through Heritage Hotels. Discover more at www.nzopera.com
Hop the Ayrlies bus
For those who'd prefer to hop a bus to and from the event, you can pre-purchase a round trip for $25. The bus pick up and return point will be CityLife Auckland, 171 Queen Street. Discover more at www.nzopera.com
Enquiries: hello@nzopera.co.nz
Auckland South Markets
A family run market that has been operating in Pukekohe for 9 years. The market runs every Saturday from 8am-12noon come rain or shine on Massey Avenue in Pukekohe.
Stallholders sell a variety of goods including: fresh fruit n veges, fish, smoked fish, breads, fast food, plants, flowers, cakes, pickles, jams, jewellery, books, clothing, electrical goods, tools, crystals, souvenirs and bric-a-brac. New stallholders always welcome.
Plenty of free parking around town for customers. Take a stroll down the main street in Pukekohe after visiting the market, it is only 2 mins away from market site. Lots of shops to browse around plus cafes, bars and ethnic and NZ restaurants to have a meal or drink at - make Pukekohe a destination this Saturday!
The Otara Markets are not to be missed, with their ethnic food and fresh produce, clothing, accessories, jewellery, fashion, arts and crafts and more.
Auckland is the world's largest Polynesian city - experience the food and products of the city's different cultures.
Join in the bargain hunting and enjoy the live entertainment. It makes a great day out.
Come join us every Saturday for the freshest of seasonal fruits, vegetables, Jams, and chutneys, christmas cakes, puddings and hampers. From the bakery, breads, cakes and biscuits. Smoked fish and gourmet muesili, pasta, along with many other edible delights. Arts and crafts to tempt the most discerning, from garden art to plants like bromeliads, orchids and succulents from many countries, along with other arts and crafts from a very talented group of people. There is something for everyone. So come along and enjoy the spectacle while purchasing your needs.
Auckland's newest French-style market for food & wine enthusiasts in a superb waterside location.
Modelled on the common French village 'marche local', shoppers can fill their baskets with fresh local produce and the best imported ingredients for a weeks worth of good living.
Find real French people selling genuine delicacies from all over France; from cheeses to mustards, preserves to charcuterie. Experience the flavours of Argentina, Cornwall and Italy in delicious empanadas, pasties and pasta, or sit Parisian style over an espresso with a croissant that was baked that very morning.
Every Saturday 8am -12pm, Pine Harbour Marina.
Just 15 mins from the Southern Motorway, plenty of free parking or pull up in your boat. www.pineharbour.co.nz/freshmarket/
This market is held every SATURDAY of the month from 9am - 4pm .
located in Market Square outside New New World.
All the products for sale are 'Made in New Zealand' by the stall holder or their family. A great range of products for the tourist and also for the home and for gifts.
Long running weekly arts and crafts market every Sunday. Big range of different product lines. Increasing number of food stalls, Jewellery, gift lines, second hand books, collectables, candles, designer home crafts and cushions, embossed ceramic mugs, embroidered lines, tri-pillows, lavender products, TradeAid food and gift lines, natural bodycare products, childrens clothing, silk sarongs, knitted toys, hats and bags,,jams and chutneys, rhubarb and pickled onions, smoked fish, fruit and vege, spiritual readings, gift lines, childrens furniture, artwork, handmade cards, garden furniture, garden artand statues, plants, ..... and more !
Market Day, a big day on the 1st Sunday of every month. Lots of stalls, lots of people.
No stall fee! (Market Day only). Located in the Entertainment Cnetre's carpark.
Sunday markets continuing on the rest of Sundays of the month with stall fee of only $5.
Fresh fruit and vegetables, food, crafts, clothes, toys, jewellery, brica-a-brac, local and multi-cultural products and a car boot sale. Indoor and outdoor stalls.
Manurewa Market
Great variety of stalls including: fresh fruit & veges, puha, car stereos, watercress, fresh fish, hot food, Design T-Shirts, fresh doughnuts, tools, steam puddings, ice-creams, candy floss, plants, greenstone, school bags, CDs, clothing, socks, shoes, bric-brac, plants, tools, jewellery, electrical goods, saucepans, gas burners, hot coffee, fishing rods & reels, hair products, plastic ware, fresh bread, coloured contact lenses, Koru Designz fashion wear, mobile phones & accessories and much more!
Locationed behind Northcrest shops on Northcrest Way and Maich Rd opposite R.S.A. Friendly and safe environment for all the family.
Normal trading hours 7am to 12pm and right throughout 2011.
