2011 REAL New Zealand Festival
This was the official website for the 2011 REAL New Zealand Festival, a nationwide Festival running from 9 September to 23 October alongside Rugby World Cup 2011.
The Festival celebrated all that is special about New Zealand and New Zealanders – the people, the places and hundreds of events and experiences throughout the country.
Music, theatre, the arts, food and wine, business, cultures, lifestyle and sport – our country, our people, our stories; hundreds of events across the whole country, and all for you.
Content is from the site's 2011 archived pages plus press releases regarding the 2011 REAL Festival from other outside sources.
REAL New Zealand Festival - More Than 1000 Events Around The Country For Rugby World Cup 2011
8 Sep 2011 | www.creativenz.govt.nz
With just days to go to the first match of Rugby World Cup 2011, the REAL New Zealand Festival has hit the magic number - more than 1000 events and experiences stretching the length and breadth of the country and all showing aspects of New Zealand life.
REAL New Zealand Festival Director Briony Ellis says she is absolutely delighted at how the Festival has come together, saying the number of events has now topped 1100 and Kiwis have "risen to the challenge. This is our Festival. It celebrates who we are as New Zealanders," she says.
"If it's quintessentially Kiwi, then chances are you'll find it in there - from food and wine to theatre; Rugby events to art exhibitions; sport and recreation; business innovation, sheep shearing, Maori culture and music. "
Briony says almost every community in New Zealand is involved and the Festival enhances people's Rugby World Cup 2011 experience offering events and opportunities to "follow the Rugby the long way around.
"So if you're following Australia, you have the last pool play match in Nelson on October 1 and then we expect you would be heading to Wellington for the Quarter Finals, but you have a week in between games - plenty of time to head to the West Coast for the Whitebait Festival or to Blenheim for Marlborough Wine and Cuisine at Brancott Vineyard."
Briony says experience planners on the REAL New Zealand Festival website provide easy ways for anyone to put together personalised itineraries based either on where and when they are travelling, or on the team they are following.
"We want people to stay longer, go further and see and experience more of the real New Zealand."
Briony has been delighted with some of the creative ideas which event organisers have come up with. "I love Rugby, Haka and Hangi in five locations on the East Coast - it's a chance for anyone to come along, play a game of rugby with the locals, learn the haka and enjoy a hangi."
She adds that the REAL New Zealand Festival is for New Zealanders as well. "We know of at least three groups - and there will be more - who have converted a bus and are hitting the road to travel between matches and will be taking in plenty of Festival events along the way."
New Zealand 2011 Office Director Leon Grice says among the REAL New Zealand Festival are more than 250 REAL New Zealand Showcase events which are open to the public. "This represents the largest expo of business innovation and capability in our country's history. Together with Festival events, the full programme presents the complete picture of life in New Zealand."
The REAL New Zealand Festival is run by the New Zealand 2011 Office (NZ 2011) as one of three key programmes which have focused on getting New Zealand and New Zealanders behind RWC 2011 to show international visitors a great time while showcasing New Zealand's uniqueness.
Fact Sheet The REAL New Zealand Festival A festival of Rugby. A festival of the country.
Fact Sheet
The REAL New Zealand Festival
A festival of Rugby. A festival of the country.
What is the REAL New Zealand Festival
The REAL New Zealand Festival is a nationwide Festival running alongside Rugby World Cup 2011 from 9 September to 23 October.
The Festival celebrates all that is special about New Zealand and New Zealanders – the people, the places and hundreds of events and experiences throughout the country.
Music, theatre, the arts, food and wine, business, cultures, lifestyle and sport – our country, our people, our stories; hundreds of events across the whole country, and all for you.
What’s so special?
This is the first time a Rugby World Cup host nation has staged a nationwide festival alongside the Tournament. It is the biggest festival New Zealand has ever staged and it includes a number of iconic events which have had their timing shuffled to align with the Festival – including the Auckland International Boat Show.
It includes headline events with iconic New Zealand stars – Dame Kiri is heading home for a Festival event with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra – alongside community events highlighting grassroots Rugby in New Zealand.
What parts of the Festival are happening on Queens Wharf?
Queens Wharf is a major event hub within the REAL New Zealand Festival. Specific REAL New Zealand Festival events on Queens Wharf include REAL New Zealand Music on Tour concerts, REAL New Zealand Music on Screen, the New Zealand on Screen project, Oranges at Half Time Exhibition and Rural Sports’ Trans-Tasman sheep shearing and wood chopping event.
REAL New Zealand Music on Tour showcases the very best of our diverse and distinctive, contemporary New Zealand music.
The REAL New Zealand Music on Screens – three, two-hour music video compilations featuring the best New Zealand music and music videos to play in the Fanzone
New Zealand On Screen – an engaging and surprising interactive experience using stacked shipping containers as storytelling vessels and celebrating New Zealand screen icons and movies
The REAL New Zealand Rural Sports Competition: a celebration of iconic New Zealand rural sports with the best of New Zealand taking on the best of Australia in shearing, wood chopping and sheep dog trials – right in the heart of the central city.
Oranges at Halftime exhibition celebrates the grassroots origins of Rugby in New Zealand; white shorts and muddy paddocks, Dad on the sidelines and Mum serving pies.
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An aside: I spent almost a month in New Zealand attending and photographing as many of the 1000 events that were being held for the REAL New Zealand Festival. That was in addition to watching as many of the Rugby World Cup 2011 matches as possible. My team of 4 intrepid adventurers busted our #@!! to cover as much as possible.
Before heading back to NEW York City where we would be editing and assembling all the pics for a photo essay on the REAL New Zealand Festival / Rugby World Cup 2011, my team of four plus me planned for a week rest stop in Maui. I had booked us two different Lahaina Aina Nalu resort rentals for this most needed vacation. The historic town of Lahaina was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the center of the global whaling industry. The town is now a major tourist destination and centrally located on the western side of the island. Aina Nalu is a full-service resort in a private, lush tropical setting. The property has an award-winning Hawaiian design with lush tropical gardens. It's within easy walking distance to Lahaina and in close proximity to all the West Maui beaches where we mostly ended up each day. Each morning we would pick up food for lunch, squeeze into our car rental and head out to chill on the various beaches. Sunbathing, snorkeling and munching food became our mantra. We had done enough rushing around in New Zealand and really needed to slow way down. That one week was a great break, but I plan to come back to Maui to really experience for a more extended stay once this job is done.
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The REAL New Zealand Festival brings your Rugby World Cup 2011 experience alive with a nationwide celebration of New Zealand arts, food and wine, heritage, culture, entertainment, business and lifestyle.
With events all over the country, there’ll be plenty of reasons to take the long way round as you travel from match to match.
An unforgettable experience
Events will showcase all that’s important to New Zealand and New Zealanders. If it’s quintessentially Kiwi, chances are it’ll be there.
The Festival is for visitors and locals alike – whether you’re dropping in to catch some world-class Rugby or simply taking the opportunity to explore your own back yard.
Photo credit: John Swannell
Arts
Discover New Zealand’s rich and vibrant arts scene in a programme featuring the best of the traditional and contemporary.
See Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and friends accompanied by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, or check out a one-man show from leading New Zealand playwright Hone Kouka about Kiwi rugby hero, and Kouka’s whanaunga or uncle, George N?pia
REAL NZ Festival Launches Song Contest for Rugby World Cup
Thursday, 11 August 2011 | www.scoop.co.nz/
REAL New Zealand Festival Launches Song Contest for Rugby World Cup 2011
The search is on for a special New Zealand song to feature during the REAL New Zealand Festival and Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011).
The New Zealand 2011 Office’s REAL New Zealand Festival is giving Kiwi songwriters the chance to share their original song, and the most popular will be played at selected Fanzones throughout the country during the closing week of the Festival and Tournament.
REAL New Zealand Festival director Briony Ellis says the contest has come about in response to the number of songs that have already been sent in to the REAL New Zealand Festival and to Tournament Organiser Rugby New Zealand 2011. The contest is all about giving people the chance to share their creativity, to get involved and to have their song heard.
“We’ve received dozens of original songs from people about ‘real’ New Zealand and their passion for our country, our team, the Tournament, our people, our spirit. We want people to hear this great work, and we think there must be other songwriters out there who have songs to submit as well.
“This is something special which brings New Zealanders together during the Festival, showcases our Kiwi talent and celebrates New Zealand pride.”
The contest will run from Monday 15 August until Friday 30 September and details are available at www.realnzfestival.com/songcontest.
Applicants submit their own song about ‘real’ New Zealand to the REAL New Zealand Festival – and all eligible songs will be displayed on the Song Contest YouTube channel. Judging will be by public vote based on the number of ‘likes’ received for each song. Because of the YouTube requirements, songs will need to be submitted in video format – but it’s all about the song, not the video.
The key criteria are that songs entered into the contest must be original and must be a complete song with lyrics, and can cover any aspect of being a Kiwi. Entrants may use any instruments or none at all, and the song may be sung by one or many voices.
All songs that meet the criteria will be displayed on the REAL New Zealand Song Contest YouTube Channel and the five most ‘liked’ songs will become the “People’s Choice” winners and have the chance to be played at selected Fanzones around New Zealand during RWC 2011.
The five winning songs will also be available on the REAL New Zealand Festival website www.realnzfestival.com from Wednesday 12 October to Wednesday 23 November. The REAL New Zealand Festival is part of the Government’s New Zealand 2011 Office which is responsible for the leverage and legacy programme for Rugby World Cup 2011.
“This is a great chance for new and established songwriters to play on the same stage, in effect, and for all of us to hear what great original songs have been created about real New Zealand and real New Zealanders.”
The New Zealand 2011 website has a number of ways for New Zealanders to get involved in RWC 2011, from learning anthems to having the best dressed street – check it all out at nz2011.govt.nz. You can follow the REAL New Zealand Festival on realnzfestival.com, or on Facebook (facebook.com/realnzfestival) or Twitter (@realnzfestival).
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa: A Gala Evening
New Zealands own megastar of classical song, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, returns to Auckland for one special concert with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and conductor Pietari Inkinen that will capture all the magic of her stellar career.
In an evening of glittering spectacle, Dame Kiri, accompanied by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) and conductor Pietari Inkinen, takes us through a programme of great classics, popular favourites and some of the treasures of New Zealand’s musical heritage.
Dame Kiri’s concert schedule continues undiminished, meeting the ceaseless demands of audiences around the world to hear a voice which retains its finesse and gorgeous lustre. Her concerts draw critical adulation and leave audiences enraptured by the excellence born of her deep commitment to the highest standards in the art of singing.
Recently honoured with the Classical BRITs Lifetime Achievement in Music Award and inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, Dame Kiri has embarked upon an exciting new phase in her career, combining her passion for creating opportunities for young singers with extensive concert-giving, bringing the joy of her artistry to a legion of devoted fans around the world.
The gala evening starts at 6.30 on Saturday 22 October, 2011.
Presented by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in association with the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.
Photo credit: Jim Tannock
Wine and Food
The REAL New Zealand Festival is foody heaven. You be the judge at the Great West Coast Whitebait Challenge, a hard-fought competition to find the best whitebait. Or relish the world’s best oysters at the Savour Bluff Oyster Festival.
Sample wines from over 50 vineyards, matched with succulent local seafood and wild game, at the Marlborough Wine Festival Village. And if you still have room, head to Wairarapa Vintage Wings and Wine, where vintage aircraft provide a unique backdrop for the region’s top local wine and produce.
Photo credit: The Gisborne Herald
Rugby
Rugby’s in our DNA. Simple as that. So hosting Rugby World Cup 2011 is a big deal for us. The REAL New Zealand Festival is a celebration of what it means to be Kiwi, and Rugby-themed events feature large.
Celebrate Nelson as the Birthplace of New Zealand Rugby in a re-enactment of New Zealand’s first-ever Rugby game. And provincial and club rugby sits at the heart of the programme with everything from the national provincial Heartland Championship to a h?ng? and club derby at Tolaga Bay - the East Coast rugbyRUCKus.
New Zealand culture
The REAL New Zealand Festival is your ticket to experience the real New Zealand, the way New Zealanders see it.
Discover Taranaki’s proud M?ori heritage at the Taranaki International Village. Head to Northland for the Waitangi Welcomes the World festival, the MAORI ART MARKet in Porirua and the Mataatua Iwi Challenge in Bay of Plenty where you’ll meet the REAL people making New Zealand arts and culture what it is today.
REAL New Zealand Festival Brings Tournament Alive Nationwide
https://mch.govt.nz/ 2011
Thousands of New Zealanders and international visitors took part in REAL New Zealand Festival events and experiences and took up the challenge to "follow the Rugby the long way around".
REAL New Zealand Festival Director Briony Ellis says the Festival has been a huge success and she is delighted with feedback, saying it has helped deliver the promised stadium of four million and brought Rugby World Cup 2011 alive in big cities and small towns.
"The Festival stretched the length and breadth of the country with more than 1200 events and experiences - arts, music, food and wine, heritage, culture, business and sport. Visitors and locals enjoyed the regional diversity and manaakitanga displayed during the Tournament.
"This has been an amazing moment in our history and we're thrilled that the Festival has been a part of it. We wanted people to get out and discover the real New Zealand and we believe we have achieved that."
The REAL New Zealand Festival was a core activity developed by the New Zealand 2011 Office to support the Tournament and showcased the diversity of New Zealand and New Zealanders, "celebrating the aspects of living in New Zealand of which Kiwis are most proud.
It was the first time New Zealand has held a nationwide festival and the first time a nationwide festival has been staged alongside the Rugby World Cup Tournament.
Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Sneddenhas praised the Festival for its role in bringing the Tournament alive.
"Every community throughout New Zealand that's been responsible for for hosting a slice of the Tournament has done so selflessly and with great passion. The REAL New Zealand Festival and the showcasing initiatives led by the NZ 2011 Office have added so much to the flavor of RWC 2011. It's meant all Kiwis, rugby fans and those with just a passing interest in the game could join this celebration of New Zealand and play their part in making it such a huge success."
Some highlights from the REAL New Zealand Festival:
* More than 1 million visitors to Queens Wharf
* Auckland Fan Trail to Eden Park which was walked by 121,141 people (more than triple the 33,000 originally projected)
* 99 bands played on Queens Wharf with all Live at The Cloud music concerts at capacity. An additional 40 concerts around the country featured New Zealand musicians
* 95,709 people attended 490 shows at the Giant Rugby Ball. Hours were extended as much as possible to cater for the huge demand
* More than 85,000 people through NZ On Screen at Queens Wharf, and on Wellington Waterfront
* More than 200,000 people experienced Waka Maori
* Rugby RUCKus in Tolaga Bay attracted more than 1500 people
* More than 70,000 people brought along picnics and enjoyed the Kiwi Day Out at Auckland Doman on Labour Day
* Whitianga Scallop Festival was sold out with 4500 buying tickets and making the trip to the Coromandel town
* Whanganui Festival of Glass attracted 4000 people across 10 days - 40 per cent were from out of town
* More than 11,000 visitors to The Story of Ka Mate, The World's Best Known Haka in Wellington
* The Port Chalmers Seafood Festival had 6500 people attend - 30 per cent more than expected attendance
* Classic All Blacks vs French Classics in Queenstown drew a capacity crowd of 7000 8000 people experienced a Taste of Southland during the 10-day event.