Easter fun for everyone
Lorna Thornber does a round-up of the best events around the country.
You could spend your four free days this Easter in a chocolate egg-induced food coma. Or you could check out one or more of the many events around the country offering up everything from traditional fairground fun to egg hunts, markets, arts and crafts, air shows, fireworks, food, wine and simple space for reflection and relaxation. Check out some of these events. Running for more than 160 years, the Royal Easter Show at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland’s Greenlane has a special place in the hearts and minds of generations of Kiwis. Daredevils make a beeline for the carnival, which has everything from the terrifying-sounding Turbo Boost – which spins at more than 120kmh – to classics such as the Hurricane, Explorer and Sizzler, and family favourites such as the ghost train, ferris wheel and dodgems. Also featuring at the A&P show, an Easter egg hunt, ice-skating rink, marketplace, fireworks and a range of quirky performers – world champion lumberjills ‘‘chics with axes’’ certainly sound interesting – there is something for everyone. ■ eastershow.co.nz
To really escape the commercialism and overindulgence that can enshroud Easter, head to the silent Easter Celebration Retreat in Titirangi. Enjoy a healthy dinner with your fellow participants on Good Friday before settling in for a weekend of meditation, reflection and relaxation. You’re welcome to practise yoga on the private deck with garden views, stroll the grounds, relax in the bath with salts and lavender oil or simply chill out in the lounge. Organisers say it’s a chance to rest and recharge, connect with the spiritual, tune in to your inner wisdom and develop creativity. ■ balancedliving.co.nz/events.php It’ll be music to jazz fans’ ears over Easter, with big festivals on Waiheke Island and in Tauranga. On Waiheke, the festival kicks off with the Good Friday Groove at the gorgeous Rangihoua Estate in Rocky Bay. Headliner Dave Dobbyn is joined by Little Bushman, Miles Calder & the Rumours, Hopetoun Brown and Melbourne eight-piece The Cactus Channel. A plethora of events at intimate venues across the island ensues, including the Daytime Jazz About, the Evening Concert Series and the Late Night Supper Club. In Tauranga, Alchemy – made up of legendary local songstresses Ria Hall, Anna Coddington, Julia Deans and Bella Kalolo – will perform 19 iconic Kiwi pop songs with a jazz twist for the headline show at Addison Theatre on Saturday, with tickets starting at $60. There’s also the National Youth Jazz Competition, a concert series and the new TECT Waterfront Gala on Easter Monday – a day of music, food and market stalls at Tauranga Harbour. ■ waihekejazzfestival.co.nz, jazz.org.nz Free spirits are encouraged to roll up to this free travelling fair, in Napier’s Anderson Park over Easter. Browse market stalls selling everything from arts and crafts to herbal remedies and eclectic clothing and jewellery, or get a massage, henna tattoo, or tarot or palm reading. There’s also live music, kids’ events such as magic and clown shows and old-fashioned fairground games like sack races and tug-o-war. Chow down on traditional fair fare such as American hotdogs, doughnuts and candyfloss or healthier options such as gourmet beef or veges burgers, toasties and fresh juice. ■ extravaganza.co.nz The skies of the Wairarapa will fill with brilliantly coloured hot air balloons from April 13-17 for this annual, family-friendly festival. The inflatable stars of this year’s show are High Kitty, a 33-metre-tall kitten from Texas, and the 29m Alien Rocket from Canada. Event highlights include the Dawn Patrol, which will see balloons take to the skies before sunrise, and the Night Glow, where tethered balloons lit up like giant bulbs are the focus of a dazzling show to choreographed music. Food markets, live music, aviation displays and family entertainment are also on the bill. ■ nzballoons.co.nz If you’d like the kids to get a healthy dose of learning and outdoor activity with their chocolate eggs, take them to the Zealandia Eco-Sanctuary for its special egg hunt. Kids (under 18s) get into the wildlife refuge for free over the long weekend and are given a map to record educational clues hidden throughout the valley, home to some 40 species of native birds. Those who complete the challenge get a free chocolate egg and are entered into the daily draw to win a prize pack including a year’s membership to Zealania. ■ visitzealandia.com Chocoholics in the capital are spoilt for choice this Easter, with egg hunts happening all over. The Wellington SPCA has teamed up with Whittaker’s for an event at its Newtown headquarters on Saturday afternoon, offering the chance to meet the animals and enjoy a barbecue as well as seek out and stuff your face with chocolate. On Sunday, charming Nairn Street Cottage opens its doors for a day of crafts and egg hunting (bookings for set time slots can be made online). Dark chocolate fans should head to the Wellington Chocolate Factory, which is offering tastings of its latest creation: a chick nesting on coconut hay inside a chocolate egg. ■ wellingtonspca.org.nz, museumswellington.org.nz/greateaster-egg-hunt, wcf.co.nz Held in Marlborough every second Easter, this three-day airshow at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre attracts about 30,000 visitors. Saturday and Sunday are the main show days with more than 100 aircraft taking part in events such as mock airfield attacks accompanied by ground theatre and pyrotechnics. Friday is officially practice day, concluding with the Marlborough Lines Twilight Extreme featuring a magic combination of sunset flying, music and fireworks. This being Marlborough, you can rest assured there’ll also be a superb selection of food and wine on offer. A range of tickets are available online or at the gate. ■ classicfighters.co.nz Central Otago’s biggest celebration of locally produced wines is held each Easter Sunday, just before the major grape harvest. Enjoy tipples from the world’s most southerly vineyards while browsing the markets, checking out the art exhibition and taking in the live music and other, family-friendly entertainment. The region is justifiably famous for its pinot noir, but there’ll also be plenty of other varieties on offer. A big draw of the festival is its location in the historic precinct of old gold mining town Clyde: its 19thcentury stone buildings are surrounded by the dramatic hills and mountains from which they were forged. ■ promotedunstan.org.nz A celebration of Southland’s Scottish heritage, this festival at Te Anau Primary School includes traditional highland games, dancing, bagpiping and drumming contests, flying Scotsman and tug-o-war events and a good old-fashioned hoedown. Music fans should check out Pipeworks on Friday evening which, despite the name, features a range of musical instruments and styles. On Saturday, festival-goers old and young can enter the many contests, which also include caber and sheaf tossing, stone carrying and a mile-long kilted dash. Prizes for the best dressed. ■ teanauevents.co.nz BARRY HARCOURT