Thursday, June 22, 2006

Stonehenge, New Zealand

The world’s newest Stonehenge, opened in 2005, can be found in the Wairarapa hills of New Zealand. A full-scale adaptation of the original Salisbury Plains Stonehenge, it is located about an hours' drive from Wellington, the nation’s capital.

Stonehenge Aotearoa was built by the Phoenix Astronomical Society to help people rediscover the basics of astronomy. It is very much an interactive experience, with visitors allowed to stand amongst the pillars and learn about the stars in the sky.

This New Zealand henge incorporates Maori lore and marks the stars and constellations that Polynesian navigators followed on their voyages across the Pacific Ocean.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Eight things you need to know about Gore…

1. Location - 2 hours drive from Queenstown, Gore appears to be a sleepy country town of 9,500.
2. Annual Country Music Festival and
Gold Guitar Awards every June.
3. Gore Historical Musuem features Gore’s colourful heritage, both Maori and European.
4. ‘Old Hokonui‘ whiskey and illicit stills, the result of 51 years of localised prohibition, has a legal home at the Hokonui Moonshine Musuem. The annual Moonshine Festival is held every February.
5. Art and Culture live at the Eastern Southland Art Gallery. Featuring a diverse collection of primarily New Zealand and Australian works such as Ralph Hotere and Hone Tuwhare, the gallery attracts thousands of art lovers from around New Zealand and the world.
6. Mandeville Airport, oldest in New Zealand, is home to
The Croydon Aircraft company who restore classic 1930s aircraft.
7. The Annual Hokonui Fashion Design Awards, every July, feature up and coming designers.
8. The Matuara River attracts international anglers wanting to try out one of the world’s best brown trout fishing rivers.