Doesn’t the sight of luscious white powder just get your adrenalin pumping? It does ours, which is why the reports that the first snow has already fallen on New Zealand’s Southern Alps is so damn tempting. Check out the awesome skiing action in this video to see what awaits you over the ditch in Queenstown, and if you’re as keen as we are, plan your trip quickly! Our friends at Air New Zealand are giving $100 off flights for a limited time only.

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In New Zealand’s Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Mexican artist Héctor Zamora, who is based in Sao Paolo, has stacked metallic boxy structures above Kiosk Lake for an installation work called Muegano. He said the idea came from reflecting about the symbolic house shape and seeing how it didn’t look like a natural organic construction.

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We always like to see people who buck the system. You know the type – dreamers, wanderers, the people that take something, flip it on its head. It would only make sense, then, that we would love a bunch of Maori, Niuean and Samoan guys doing something a little different: singing barber shop quartet in classic good ol’ USA style. The group, consisting of Jeff Hunkin, Will Hunkin, Matt Gifford and Lusa Washburn, are wowing the predominately barber shop loving, middle-class America with their outside the norm antics.

Placing second at the International Barbershop Quartet Contest for the last two years, and being the first non-American quartet to win the International Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Contest in 2006, are just some of the significant things the guys have achieved.

Move over Frankie Valli. Who needs The Four Seasons when you’ve got the Musical Island Boys. Their third album, DREAM, is released this week and can be pre-ordered.

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This might be the most bizarre and unsanitary competition we’ve heard of. One New Zealand school held a competition for the Best Dressed Possum, which yielded some pretty crazy results. Take a look at the competitors for yourself and keep in mind when viewing them that in New Zealand, at least, possums are considered a pest for the huge impact they have on local ecosystems.

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HAPA is a design store in Christchurch, New Zealand, that just happens to be located inside a shipping container. Style points. The store was opened shortly after the Christchurch earthquake in 2011 by Maureen Taane and Yuri Bacas Hosaka and offers interesting bespoke gifts, jewelry, and accessories from local and international artists.

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Jimi Hunt and Dan Drupsteen, founders of Live More Awesome, are preparing to build the world’s biggest waterslide near Helensville, west of Auckland. The aim of the event is to raise awareness about the problems associated with depression and to create initiatives that help people beat it without drugs. The event will be open for public to use on February 23 and 24.

So how big is it going to be? They are building a grand total of three slides. The world’s biggest waterslide is 650 metres (2133 feet) long. The second slide will be approximately 80 metres long. The third slide will simply be a 60 metre grandma slip’n’slide that everyone can enjoy. Talk about Kiwi ingenuity. If you’re interested in taking part, you can purchase your tickets here.

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Experience real tank-driving adventure. Located in Christchurchland, New Zealand, Tanks For Everything puts regular civilians in the driver’s seat of a 52-tonne Centurion tank. Go on a simple joy ride around the track or take out your pent-up anger with some good ol’ car crushing.

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Lost At E Minor had the chance last week to re-visit Wellington (nb… the two founders of the site are originally from Wellington), the picturesque capital of New Zealand, and as more people are finding out, it’s not exactly one of those stuffy, pretentious capitals full of cold monuments. No. It’s far cooler than that.

Wellington is set on a beautiful deep-water harbour with a hilly countryside into which the city is embedded. While it’s known for being a little breezy (understatement), we had a bout of stunning summer weather, blue skies and warm days on our visit there.

In recent years, Wellington has become a hub for arts, culture (with Peter Jackson filming the Lord of the Rings movie fable around the city, and more recently, the three-part epic Hobbit series), and live music.

We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Jackson’s new production by touring ‘Wellywood’ and the award-winning Weta Workshops, where Jackson’s movies literally come to life.

Wellington also has more cafes per head of population than New York City. We did our best to discover the best of them (and all that caffeine came in very handy when navigating the many hills in the city). We toured scenic Mount Victoria, explored the very cool, chic and eclectic Cuba St, visited the stunning Te Papa museum, traversed Oriental Bay, and much more.

Stay tuned for more updates from our Wellington trip over the next few weeks.

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Lara Bingle recently touched down in Queenstown to film the latest episode of Kiwi Sceptics for Air New Zealand. Having not spent time in New Zealand prior to the trip, Bingle considered New Zealand to be just ‘off her radar’ Air New Zealand collected Lara straight from her fabulous 25 birthday celebrations for a 5am check in, ready for an activity packed few days in Queenstown.

During her trip, Lara was paired up with Kiwi guide, Hayley Holt. Hayley really is Lara’s Kiwi doppelganger, being a former WAG and reality show star herself. Hayley treated Lara to an itinerary that would have impressed the most sceptical of Aussie snow lovers. The pair spent time snowboarding on Coronet Peak and took a breathtaking helicopter ride to the back bowls of Wanaka where they were left with nothing but the untouched powder, the snow-capped mountains, their boards and a steep, yet exhilarating journey down to the base. Lara then spent the night on The Remarkables, sleeping in a snow cave up the mountain.

When the sun went down, Lara got to check out some of the city’s top night sports and eateries including Zephyr Bar, Botswana Butchery and The Bunker.

Hear what Lara had to say about holidaying in winter and her Kiwi Adventure:

Describe yourself in three words?
Spontaneous. Loving. Happy.

Before you went on this trip, what were your thoughts on New Zealand?
New Zealand was never a place that was on my travel radar, I would always consider Europe or the USA alps for a winter holiday.

What did you do while you were in New Zealand?
You mean, what didn’t I do?! I was taken heli-boarding and snowboarded on some pretty amazing fresh powder. I stayed in an igloo, in minus degree temperatures, and was taken to my first ice-hockey match.

What did you think of the snowboarding in New Zealand?
To be able to board in fresh powder like I did was second to none! Queenstown’s mountains were beautiful and wide and long enough to get a long run in, every time.

What was the most memorable moment from your recent NZ trip?
Staying in an igloo in The Remarkables and standing on the peak just before sunset and seeing the twinkling lights shine on the opposite mountains. Besides the freezing temperatures, it was one of the most surreal, once-in-a- lifetime experiences I have ever been through. I was lucky enough to be able to hop into three sleeping bags and went to bed with a hot water bottle to keep me warm throughout the night.

Are you still a Kiwi Sceptic, or has New Zealand won you over?
Now that would be telling. You’re going to have to check out my experience at kiwisceptics.com to see what impression NZ left with me!

Tune into Kiwi Sceptics to watch why New Zealand made a lasting impression on Lara Bingle.

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On her recent adventure in Queenstown, New Zealand, it wasn’t all snowboarding and snow caves for Kiwi Sceptic Lara Bingle. Her itinerary was also peppered with après ski activity: she sampled some of the best of Queenstown’s food and wine at eateries like Botswana Butchery and The Bunker and played a few rounds of pool at local favourite Zephyr Bar. Check out the video of her Queenstown trip below.

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Cinzah is one dope street artist from New Zealand. Having done a multitude of murals, as well as gallery work, he has recently set his sights on video, collaborating on a street art documentary called Dregs, which aims to bring to light the thriving street art movement in New Zealand. He’s also an accomplished illustrator, represented by Watermark Ltd. I own one of his pieces, Tardiness, an Alice in Wonderland-themed painting, and it feels great to put my money into supporting a fellow artist. His works exude vibrant energy and irreverence.

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Flox is New Zealand’s queen of the stencil. Her artworks are made up of layer upon layer of flowery, birdy goodness. Her artwork reminds me of bush walks and muddy shoes. Whenever I see one of her paintings, I want to go outside and find some greenness to get lost in.

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I spent the first few years of my life in New Zealand’s cultural capital, that cafe rich, windswept harbour enclave of Wellington, New Zealand, surrounded by green rolling hills and enraptured by the burgeoning music, art, and fashion scene that had already started to take root in the city. That was a fair few years ago (gulp).

These days Wellington is hipper still: cosmopolitan, sophisticated, with a bustling downtown area. But the quaintness, the charm, the picturesque appeal of the place has hardly changed. It really has to be one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world. I can’t think of many that would beat it. And to celebrate it, over the past two weeks we’ve asked Lost At E Minor readers to describe the city of Wellington as it appears in their mind. Their answers, which you can see in full here, have been neatly summed up in this little word cloud below, a fitting tribute to an awesome little city.

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So, in order to get Bali Girl across the Tasman, she had to be lured with the promise of a quick stop over with a spot of retail therapy. With high standards, it would take a lot to impress Bec, but she left the city blown away by what the city had to offer saying the ‘city chic was world-class’. Areas like Britomart, High Street and Vulcan Lane come highly recommended to pick up all the latest fashion items.With high standards, it would take a lot to impress Bec, but she left the city blown away by what the city had to offer, saying the ‘city chic was world-class’.
Areas like Britomart, High Street and Vulcan Lane come highly recommended to pick up all the latest fashion items. Some of the boutiques that Bec checked out while she was there included Cybèle Boutique, to see what local designer, Cybèle Wiren, had to offer, as well as Andrea Biani, who make sure Kiwi ladies put their very best, very well heeled foot forward. With the fashion scene booming and an ever-growing army of local fashion designers, Auckland is also hosting the country’s fashion week this September. The perfect excuse to check out what all the fuss is about?

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In our ongoing adventure following Aussie Hipster Patrick Stevenson in New Zealand, he gets a real Wellington makeover. Wellington can provide a jam-packed itinerary, but one must not forget to squeeze in shopping and a visit to top notch local boutiques, such as Crane Brothers and Good as Gold.
Cuba Street is where any hipster can discover Wellington’s funky flair. The bohemian Cuba quarter in downtown has an eclectic mix of old and new. It has trendy stores, high quality second-hand boutiques, and a wealth of fantastic cafes. This vibrant area of Wellington has a fascinating mix of upcoming designers of fashion, food and attitude. Great stores include Karen Walker, Kate Sylvester and Frutti. Fashion blogger and tour guide, Isaac Hindin Miller, gave Patrick some tips to take him from average Sydney Hipster to the A grade Wellington elite. What do you think?

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Check out this awesome short film from the Media Design School in Auckland, New Zealand, which is based on the sci-fi world of Dr Grordbort, created by writer and artist Greg Broadmore from Weta Workshop.

The live action/CGI film was created by eleven students over 22 weeks under the direction of 3D animation program leader, James Cunningham. Media Design School was established in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1998 to provide education for creative and digital design industries.

The school offers qualifications in the areas of 3D animation and visual effects, game development, graphic and interactive design, and advertising, as well as master classes for professionals. The premiere of The Deadliest Game ties in with the school’s first intake of students for the new Bachelor of Art & Design (3D Animation & Visual Effects) this month.

All classes take place in Media Design School’s beautiful Auckland campus. They’re currently accepting applications online, for both domestic New Zealand and international students.

They are also currently running a Facebook competition where fans can win some exclusive Dr Grordbort memorabilia signed by Greg Broadmore. Enter here!

For more information on the courses and how to apply, check the Media Design School website.

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I’m originally from Wellington, New Zealand, so I know first hand what a happening little city it is, from the windswept hills that harbour (did I say harbour? Check Wellington’s out below) cool boutiques, cafes and restaurants, to the bustling downtown area. Thanks to our friends at Tourism Wellington, we are giving away a bunch of New Zealand-themed goodies to the best answers to this question: What are the first words you think of when you think of Wellington?

Prizes include:
* Two bottles of 42 Below Vodka

* Two bottles of Marlborough wine

* Six blocks of Whittaker’s chocolate

Needless to say, entrants must be over the age of 18 and this one is for our Australian-based readers only. Entries close on March 26th.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below this post with the first word/s that come to mind when you think of Wellington as well as the name of the Australian city you live in.

To get you started, here are a few events that we recommend in Wellington, New Zealand, this year:
* International Arts Festival (Feb 24 — March 18)
* Unveiled at Te Papa (now until Apr 22)
* Wellington Fashion week (18 Apr — Thu 26 Apr)

* NZ international Comedy Festival (April 27 – 20 May)
* Visa Wellington on a Plate (August 10-26)
* WOW (Sep 27 — Oct 7)
* Toast Martinborough (November 18)

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Our Bali Girl got to sample one of New Zealand’s premier music festivals during her trip to New Zealand — the epic Rhythm and Vines. Nestled in amongst the vineyards in Gisborne, this is one of the very first places in the world to see the sunrise. Rhythm and Vines is also the winner of the 2010 Best Festival/Event NZ Tourism Award and is the pinnacle of the best festival week offered anywhere in New Zealand.
Rhythm and Vines has hosted top Kiwi and International acts, including N.E.R.D, Chase & Status, Shihad, Franz Ferdinand, The Naked and Famous, and Shapeshifter. Featuring more than 100 acts on four different stages, there is something for everyone. Speaking about the festival, Bec said: ‘Gisborne for Rhythm and Vines had to be the highlight of my trip – no doubt about it! It’s a three-day music festival held on one of the most beautiful vineyard grounds, and attracts international acts. There were 29,000 people there, and between the music, the setting and the VIP treatment I can say it was way better than any music festival I’ve ever been to, and stomps all over Australian music festivals. I had the best New Years of my entire life, and I showed up knowing just my guide!’

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When it comes to being a hipster, Australian Patrick ticks all the boxes. For all his hipster tendencies, Patrick is actually really nice. Which is why our friends at Air New Zealand wanted to change his mind about New Zealand. To do that they took him to the capital of Kiwi hipsterdom.

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World traveler KatRelish designs handmade one-of-a kind jewelry using simple elements such as wood and glass beads, wire, and fimo (a cooked clay). Color combinations and shapes pay subtle tribute to her native New Zealand. Earrings, necklaces, rings and broaches form part of a growing list of pieces. Though inspired by fellow industrial and jewelry designer and future collaborator, Cecilia Lico, inspiration mostly comes from the materials she uses and how they feel in her hands.

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