Archive: Oct 2012

1. Don’t miss: Maggie Alderson

   October 25, 2012 1:50 pm 2 Comments Australians all, let us rejoice, for the marvellous Maggie Alderson is in town. She's here to launch her latest book, Everything Changes But You, which is her seventh novel to date. Like so many others, the ladies in my family are devoted Maggie fans, and I can recall many conversations over the past decade that have started with, 'did you read Maggie Alderson on the weekend?' So what's so good about Maggie? For starters, she's an absolute authority on fashion and style, and Maggie brings a wealth of experience, maturity, education and - most importantly - good humour to the topic. This is no small achievement, given that so much of what appears in our fashion mags is either pithy, uninformed commentary that takes itself too seriously, or lacks any sense of expertise or knowledge of fashion history. Maggie also knows how to tell a good yarn, the kind of story that's filled with familiar characters and local settings, such as the "high maintenance" women that populate Sydney's Eastern Suburbs who "seemed to get their hair and nails done every day", swim at Nielsen Park and live in "absolute waterfront" properties. I remember reading Pants on Fire, a story about an English magazine editor living in Sydney's Elizabeth Bay and working at the major publishing house in town at the same time that I was also living in Elizabeth Bay and a magazine editor at a very similar-sounding major publishing house in town. Apart from snorting at the Sydney in-jokes, fashion references and descriptions of local haunts, it was a compelling love story and utterly hilarious. I also appreciate Maggie's attention to detail, right down to her English decorator's "droopy pastel-coloured Ghost skirts and cardigans" in Mad About the Boy (2002) which were "all spot-on in London" but seemed glaringly out of place in Sydney's glitzy social circles. And I loved the sound of Antonia's motley yellow jug collection, which she imagined "would make a wonderful group on a table, sitting on the old linen tablecloth, hand-embroidered with primroses, that I had found the day before in a charity shop in Bondi Junction." Sounds pretty good to me. I haven't read her latest novel but it sounds right up my alley. Read the press blurb and you'll now exactly what I mean:

   Everything Changes But You tells the story of three women: Hannah, in her thirties, is happily married to Matt and living the cool life in London’s East End but struggling to reconcile motherhood and her glamorous job as a beauty editor. Her mother, Marguerite, patiently copes with an alcoholic, abusive husband and wonders if this is all her life has to offer. While Matt’s young cousin, Ali, is starting to feel lost looking for love in a strange city.

   Things start to unravel when Hannah becomes certain they’d be much better off down in the English countryside with her family - and Matt’s mum needs them with her, back in Sydney, 17,000km away. All of them have unsettling secrets and while some are better shared, others might be best left unspoken. The problem is knowing which are which.

   In this very modern story of three women’s search for a place to call home, Maggie Alderson, in her most sophisticated novel yet, crosses continents and generations to explore how we find happiness – and whether love can survive betrayal.

   Can't wait to get my un-manicured hands on it! If you want to catch Maggie on her Australian book tour, you can find her on these following dates: Brisbane – Thursday 25 October, 6.15pm Mary Ryan, 40 Park Road, Milton Ticket $5, includes refreshments. To book, please call 07 3510 5000 Melbourne – Tuesday 30 October, 7.00pm Matilda’s Books, 15 Hamilton Place, Mount Waverley Event is free, but bookings essential on 03 9888 1433 Melbourne – Wednesday 31 October, 6.30pm Readings Hawthorn, 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn This event is free, but you must book on 03 9819 1917 Canberra – Thursday 1 November, 6.00pm Paperchain, 34 Franklin Street, Manuka This is a free event, but please book on 02 6295 6723 Bowral – Friday 2 November 10.30am Bookshop at Bowral, at The Gibraltar Hotel, Cnr Centennial Rd & Boronia St, Bowral $20 per person, includes morning tea. To book, call 02 4862 1634 You can also follow Maggie on Twitter @MaggieA.

2. Wee finds: the best tea sets for kids

   October 23, 2012 4:00 pm 3 Comments As you may already suspect, we rather like having tea parties at our place. Here's Harry showing his teddy how it's done. I loved playing with my tea set when I was little, so there was no way that Harry was going to miss out. I picked up this little wooden set from Aldi, and it came complete with miniature wooden tea bags, wooden donuts and sliceable wooden tea cake. Swish! I rounded up the top 12 tea sets for kids over on Kidspot. Here are some of my favourites: Clockwise from top: Children's retro rose floral tea set, $41.91 from Not on the High Street; Schylling traditional tin tea set, $24.95 from Peanut Gallery; Bear tin tea set, $57 from Down That Little Lane; Belle & Boo Dollies tea set, $59.95 from Lark; and Nathalie Lete Vilac tea set US$50 from Opening Ceremony. Read the full round-up over on Kidspot here. * Thanks to Eeni Meeni Miini Moh for gifting Harry this very smart shirt and shorts, and to Scruffy Dog for gifting him these adorable red sandals. Loving these two Aussie fashion labels for kids.

3. My Secret London with Dan Jones

   October 22, 2012 7:45 pm 2 Comments Freelance writer Dan Jones has lived in London for years – and he’s got around: Shoreditch, Herne Hill, Hackney, Victoria Park, Stoke Newington and now Clapton. He’s written for i-D Magazine as shopping editor, ASOS.com as senior men’s ed, is media consultant to fashion brand Antipodium, and was Time Out London’s Shopping & Style editor for four years (where he was also my mentor and boss), covering everything from LFW to funeral parlours – so he’s acquired a big list of London’s best/weirdest bits. You can follow Dan on his shiny new blog dedicated to London stores and style, JONESTOWN,  and on Twitter @jonessecret. In the meantime, here is Dan's Secret London. Enjoy! Best shop in London for atmosphere? Mysteries My mum is a bit of a witch. When I was a kid she’d take me to her favourite New Age shop, Mysteries, on our day trips into London. Being a young cynic, I’d roll my eyes at the dreamcatchers and chakra candles, but when I rediscovered the shop a few years ago, I finally saw how special it is – especially if you suspend all irony. Fancy an amethyst geode as big as your head? Done. Books on faeries and spells? Smudge sticks? Angel cards? Got it. In the market for a polished crystal that looks a bit like Gandalf's dildo? You’ve come to the right place. Hidden at the back of the shop is a slightly slimy-looking grotto with a babbling water feature, encrusted with crystals and icons, and upstairs you can get your fortune told by Mysteries’ psychic staff and Tarot readers. Magic. Best in London for vintage? Princess May Car Boot Sale Just north of Dalston, opposite Beyond Retro’s huge Stoke Newington High Street store, is one of London’s best car boot sales. The mix of sellers is intriguing – from local trendies selling off their Topshop Unique cast-offs, to seasoned car booters (who tend to drive a hard bargain) selling knick knacks. It all makes for a great breadth of tat to pick through. On a hot summer’s weekend the sale is packed with browsers and sellers who cram themselves creatively into every corner of the grounds, selling from trestle tables and blankets. Scoring a great car boot bargain is one of my greatest turn ons and Princess May rarely disappoints. On my last visit I picked up a Death Row Records cap, a Florida Gators sweatshirt, an old leather Camel cigarettes wallet – and possibly my best ever car boot find – a large ceramic bust of Arnold Schwartzenegger as The Terminator for £8. I didn’t even haggle. As I walked away from the stall the seller said, in a creepy Austrian accent, “you’ll be back.” No shit. Best shop in London for gifts? Donlon Books Navigating Broadway Market on a Saturday is sometimes a bit overwhelming – you might not always be in the mood for the crowds and gluten-free cakes, squeezing through the shoppers and poseurs, squinting so your eye isn’t poked out by a chocolate eclair. Donlon Books makes it all worth it. At the north end of the market and usually manned by Conor Donlon, you can browse an excellent selection of art, fashion and culture books (new and old), and magazines, fanzines and cards. It’s great for gifts. I always find something that’s relevant to a friend’s dubious obsession, whether it’s a book on 1970s Australian drag artists or film ephemera from the collection of John Waters himself – Cry Baby tissues or a Serial Mom baseball cap. Best shop in London for food? Lina Stores It’s not much of a secret – Lina Stores has held its own in Soho’s red light district since the ‘30s – but the Italian deli just keeps getting better. The small shop had a bit of a makeover a couple of years back – and achieved the impossible: updating the place to feel thoroughly contemporary but preserving its traditional quirks. You can have a quick snack or a coffee at the standing tables or buy up big from the impressive stock at the fresh counter (cheeses, charcuterie, etc) or the shelves (biscotti, Venchi treats). The homemade bits are best: pumpkin and sage or veal tortellini, pesto. The fresh pork and fennel sausages usually make the shelves in the early afternoon (amazing rolled up into meatballs at home). Your number one London shopping secret? Casa Mexico I discovered Casa Mexico last year - although I’d walked past it lots of times on my way to the Antipodium studio in Bethnal Green. A few earthenware pots at the entrance had always made me think the place was a ceramic store, something to do with tiles or garden furniture – a bit boring. Still, I decided to try it out one day and it’s good I did. Inside it’s all Day of the Dead dolls, handwoven rugs, pinata and paper fiesta decorations, bottled sodas and beers, fresh tortilla – and those ceramic garden pots. The Casa team have opened a Mexican pastry counter next door that’ll be selling tacos come September. In the main store, check out the genuine Caballeros cowboy boots, shirts and hats and Lucha Libre wrestling masks, or pick up some religious candles (£4.50 for Jesus) and proper Mexican sweets. Steer clear of the hot salted tamarind candies though – the packaging’s great but they taste like death. The London trend you're loving right now? The Grill Okay, it may not be the best news for the nervous eater, or those prone to bouts of heartburn or animal welfare, but this past summer in London was all about the grill. Dirty burgers, chunks of bone marrow, pulled pork, barbecued ribs... Alongside the stars of the BBQ scene – Meat Liquor, Meat Market and Pit Cue Co. – there are a few relative newcomers that are worth checking out: Burnt Enz at the Climpson Roastery (currently closed for winter) is less about classic BBQ sauces and more about using the grill to cook posh things like scallops, quail and more traditional stuff like lamb ribs with mint or beef brisket. Elliot’s Cafe at Borough Market collaborated with Raw - Borough’s wine fair - in the form of a pop-up burger stand selling aged beef patties with beer-braised onions, Comte and a brioche bun... it’s totally dirty - in a good way. Thanks Dan! Click here for a Wee Birdy map of Dan’s Secret London, complete with all the addresses and contact details. Click here for more Secret London posts. Image sources: Mysteries; Donlon Books; Lina Stores; Lina Stores.

4. Birdy pick of the month: SHAG

   October 18, 2012 1:08 am Leave a Comment Californian artist SHAG (aka JoSH AGle) has always had a thing for beautiful birds - of the feathered variety, naturally - although come to think of it, there are very few of his works that haven't portrayed some lovely lounging ladies of the bouffant hair and bikini variety, either. As a long-time fan of SHAG's inimitable '60s-style work (his glorious depiction of Sydney's Rose Seidler House hangs above me as I type), I'm rather excited about his upcoming Australian exhibition and the book launch of Supersonic Swingers Revisited. 'Original Owner', SHAG. For those unfamiliar with SHAG's work, imagine a darkly glamorous '60s world inhabited by women in wiggle dresses, cocktails in hand, batting their lashes at the sharply-dressed men reclining on the lounge. Long before Mad Men brought us the likes of Joan, Don and Betty, SHAG was creating anonymous but no less complicated characters in his colour-saturated, detail-rich, mid-century landscapes, and he's attracted a cult global following. 'Kookaburra's Roost', SHAG. His upcoming Australian exhibition is hosted by the fabulous Outre Gallery in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth and his devoted fans will be thrilled to learn that there are loads of new works for sale. You can also meet the man himself at the Saturday book signings in each city. Naturally, I'm sold on his new combined print/sculpture work, appropriately titled 'Pecking Order' (see top), which is a very low edition of only 100 world-wide, and is approximately $1350 for the sculpture set and framed print. For more information, contact Outre Gallery. Don't miss SHAG'S Australian exhibition, Outbound with the In-Crowd: MELBOURNE: Outre Gallery 249 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne 3-­16 November 2012 Book Signing: Saturday 3 November from 12 noon (all welcome) PERTH: Outre Gallery 260 William Street, Northbridge 10-­23 November 2012 Book Signing: Saturday 10 November from 12 noon (all welcome) SYDNEY: Outre Gallery Shop 7, 285a Crown Street, Surry Hills 17-­30 November 2012 Book Signing: Saturday 17 Nov from 12 noon (all welcome)

5. A week of tea: The top 20 tea pots

   October 13, 2012 8:04 pm 10 Comments Here's something I've been working on for a little while: the Wee Birdy buyer's guide to the 20 best tea pots. The value of a good tea pot should never be underrated, especially if they pack in as much charm and good looks as these little beauties. From chintzy rose buds and polka dots to a modern interpretation of the classic Willow pattern, these little pots do more than brew a good cuppa - they add a splash of personality, colour and good design to the diurnal grind. Essential qualities, really. 1. Oranges and Lemons hand-painted tea pot, £75 from Tobyboo's Etsy shop. 2. Camellia tea pot, £35 from Pierrot et Coco. 3. White lace hand-painted tea pot, US$58 from Clayful Impressions' Etsy shop. 4. Mr Jones tea pot by Polly George, AU$84 from Everything Begins. 5. Lace tea pot by We Love Kaoru, AU$105 from Everything Begins. 6. Vintage enamel mid-century tea pot, US$85 from Hindsvik's Etsy shop. 7. Salt and Pepper green tea pot with infuser by Salt and Pepper. Click here for your nearest stockist. 8. My Teapot' in yellow with an anthracite lid by Anouk Jansen, £45 from Howkapow. 9. The New English x TNE Studios Benday cobalt tea pot, £122 from Culture Label. 10. London Willow tea pot by We Love Kaoru (features Big Ben, London Eye and the BT Tower), AU$96 from Everything Begins and £60 from Culture Label. 11. Gordon Ramsay Maze by Royal Doulton blue tea pot, AU$39.95 from Royal Doulton. 12. Provence rose tea pot, £18 from Cath Kidston. 13. Blossom tea pot by Swedish designer Camilla Engdahl, £30 from Howkapow. 14. Cupcakes tea pot by Poppy Treffry, made from fine bone china in Stoke on Trent, £24 from The Green Apple. 15. Blodwen white enamel Caernarfon tea pot, £35 from Liberty. 16. Wedgwood Polka Dots teaware tea pot, AU$89.95 from Wedgwood. 17. Royal Albert Polka Rose Vintage tea pot, AU$199 from Royal Albert. 18. Miss Etoile Gold polka dot ceramic tea pot, US$63.04 from Oliver Bonas. 19. Limogues pink tea pot, price on enquiry from The Bay Tree. 20. Wedgwood Butterfly Bloom Teaware tea pot, AU$125 from Wedgwood. It’s A Week of Tea on Wee Birdy. WIN a stunning Twinings wooden tea chest packed with Twinings tea - click here to enter now! You might like to also read about:

   • The perfect tea dresses.
   • Etsy tea-themed finds.
   • A very Twinings Tea Party.
   • Maureen Valfort tea prints.

   I'm curious. Which tea pot is your favourite? Tell me in the comments below.

6. Frock on Friday: the perfect Tea Dress

   October 12, 2012 7:33 pm Leave a Comment How are you liking A Week of Tea so far? (I've got loads more tea finds to share with you, so it might end up being a slightly extended "week".) I thought I'd round up the working week with a return to Frock on Friday, and my pick of the perfect tea dresses. Now, before the pedants leap on the "comments" button, I realise the dress above is not strictly a "tea dress", which according to Emily Post in 1922,

   "is a hybrid between a wrapper and a ball dress. It has always a train and usually long flowing sleeves; is made of rather gorgeous materials and goes on easily, and its chief use is not for wear at the tea-table so much as for dinner alone with one's family."

   Right. So far, so confusing. Especially since designers and high-street brands have a tendency to slap any old floral-print frock that falls below the knee with the "tea dress" label. And "ditzy". But I've always interpreted it as a frock that falls somewhere between the knee and lower-calf with 1940s-style shirting, sleeves and prints - and this super-lovely pink silk tea dress by Sessun, £195 from Liberty (above) pretty much fits the bill. Here are some of my other favourite tea dresses: 1. NW3 Mr Duck Dress, £169 from Hobbs. 2. Summer bloom tea dress, US$150 by Soho Mode on Etsy. 3. NW3 Winter Leaves dress, £149 from Hobbs. 4. Custom tea dress in yellow lila, US$184 from Soho Mode on Etsy. 5. Tea Shoppe Dress, US$397.99 from ModCloth. 6. Vintage landscape tea dress, US$150 by Soho Mode on Etsy. 7. Cute as a Fox wool crepe tea dress, £345 from Orla Kiely. 8. ASOS bird print 40s tea dress, reduced to AU$33.91, from ASOS. 9. ASOS tea dress in floral print with twist front, AU$67.82 from ASOS. 10. Bluebird midi dress, US$158 from Anthropologie. 11. NW3 Dandelion Dress, £169 from Hobbs. And if you're after some stellar advice on how to wear a tea dress minus the victory rolls and T-bar shoes (though I rather like them, too!), read this excellent piece by the Guardian's Jess Cartner-Morley. It’s A Week of Tea on Wee Birdy! You might like to also read about:

   • Etsy tea-themed finds.
   • A very Twinings Tea Party.
   • Maureen Valfort tea prints. 

   Don’t forget to enter my competition to win a stunning wooden chest of Twinings Tea!

7. A week of tea: Etsy finds

   October 11, 2012 7:00 am 3 Comments There are so many lovely tea-themed things around at the moment, and nowhere nails tea-time as well as the various designer-makers around the world who sell their wares on Etsy. Here are my top tea-themed picks: 1. Teapot made to order wall hanger, US$75 by Misako Mimoko on Etsy. 2. The earl & lady grey coasters, AU$30 by A Bird of Play on Etsy. 3. 'Brew happy' limited edition giclee print, US$25 by Helen Dardik on Etsy. 4. Tea Party note card set of five, US$8 by Bella Stationery on Etsy. 5. Smiling Tea Cup hand-carved stamp, US$12 by Doodle Bug Design on Etsy. 6. Kitchen Art tea print, US$19 by Handz on Etsy. 7. Big Ben London tea bag tidy by Cecily Vessey on Etsy. 8. A Cup of Tea Solves Everything giclee print, £4 by What Nikki Made on Etsy. 9. Tea on the Go linen tea towel, US$18 by Side Sideways on Etsy. 10. Happy Teacup necklace, US$44 by Mary Mary Handmade on Etsy. 11. Kitchen art print, US$19 by Handz for Etsy. It's A Week of Tea on Wee Birdy! You might like to also read about:

   • A very Twinings Tea Party.
   • Maureen Valfort tea prints. 

   Don't forget to enter my competition to win a chest of Twinings Tea!

8. Sponsored post: A very Twinings tea party

   October 9, 2012 6:00 am 51 Comments Back in the early days of Wee Birdy I was living in London and happily living out my obsession with tea. Whether it was having afternoon tea at the Dorchester (yes, that’s afternoon tea, not high tea, people – but that’s another post/rant altogether), visiting the original Twinings store on the Strand or running a ‘Week of Tea’ on Wee Birdy, I was pretty much in tea leaf heaven. So I naturally leapt at the opportunity to host a Twinings ‘tasting’ morning tea with my friends. Now for someone who likes a good cuppa, I’m surprisingly boring and predictable with my blends. Apart from a brief flirtation with Irish Breakfast during my university days, I’m a strictly English Breakfast bird. The only other tea I’ve ever fancied was the exquisite flowering tea I tried at Liberty, but it was more ‘performance art’ than a really good cuppa. I’ve had some pretty memorable tea experiences. There was time I was at the Dorchester and Dita Von Teese was having tea at the next table; and the decadent birthday afternoon teas I shared with my birthday twin in London at the likes of Fortnum’s, Claridges, The Ritz and The Berkeley (the Pret-a-Portea was particularly fabulous). Then there was the time I went to a serious tea café and attempted to have a rather intimate conversation with a friend while the proprietor sniffed deeply from the soggy leaf dregs at the bottom of cups. But I can now add my morning tea to my ‘memorable tea moments’ list – if not for my terribly acidic lemon bars that set everyone’s teeth on edge, but for the chance to properly sit down, without a bunch of toddlers demanding our attention, and have a proper catch-up with my friends. Pure joy! It was such a good day for a morning tea outdoors – I dug out my vintage table linen and threw it over the table in the backyard, and decorated it with my collection of teapots filled with flowers from the garden (wisteria, lavender, roses, gardenias, daisies and sprigs of may bush). It was also the perfect opportunity to use all my ‘fancy’ tea cups, vintage spoons and the vintage hand-embroidered napkin holders I found at a shop on Columbia Road in London. I briefly ran through the tea selection, ranging from lighter teas like Lady Grey to stronger blends like Twinings new Assam Bold, which is actually Twinings’ strongest tea in Australia. It's a smooth and full-flavoured blend that certainly packs a punch, and if you’ve ever resorted to using double tea-bags to make your brew extra-strong, you’ll definitely get your tea fix with Assam Bold. It’s got a rich biscuity taste and I was tempted to hunt down a packet of Milk Arrowroots – purely for dunking purposes, of course. Predictably I sampled the English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast, but rather daringly tried the Australian Afternoon Tea blend, which was a bit of a revelation – it’s my new favourite post-dinner, pre-blogging cuppa! To accompany our tea tasting, I baked two batches of scones and served them with strawberry jam and double cream, as well as a plate of meringues, which I topped with cream and lavender. The unfortunate lemon bars were banished from the table, but luckily I had my ‘back-up’ Bourke Street Bakery flourless chocolate cake – which was also a hit. (I always have a lovely store-bought ‘back-up’ when I’m baking, just in case things go wrong… and they often do.) It was such a lovely morning, sitting under the trees in the dappled light and enjoying each other’s company. It was all too simple, really, and we all wondered why didn’t do it more often. Here is my trusty scone recipe – it’s never let me down: 2 ½ cups self-raising flour 1 tablespoon caster sugar 30g butter 1 ¼ cups of full-fat milk

   • Preheat oven to 220 degrees celcius and lightly grease a baking tray.
   • Sift flour and sugar into bowl and rub in butter.
   • Add milk – use a knife to cut thorugh the flour mixture until it just comes together as a soft and sticky dough. Whatever you do, don’t over-work the dough. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead lightly.
   • Press dough gently to around 2cm thickness and cut out rounds with a scone cutter (or a glass tumbler). Place scones on the tray and brush with a little extra milk.
   • Bake for around 15 minutes or until risen and golden brown. Don’t go opening up the oven and poking and peeking before then! Pop them on your prettiest plate and serve immediately with lashings of jam and double cream (or if you’re in the UK, a good dollop of clotted cream).
   • Eat up, buttercup!

   WIN! Twinings wooden tea chest (filled with tea, valued at $75). I've got one Twinings wooden tea chest (as seen in the top picture) to give away to one Wee Birdy reader. To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me what's your favourite accompaniment to a good cup of tea. Entries will be judged on  creativity. Entries close 5:00 pm AEDST October 19, 2012. Sorry, competition open only to Australian residents. Click here for full terms and conditions. This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.

9. A week of tea: Maureen Valfort screenprints

   October 8, 2012 1:26 pm 1 Comment Welcome to a Week of Tea on Wee Birdy! It's been quite a long time since I last ran a themed week devoted entirely to tea, so I hope you enjoy it. Maybe you'd like to join in on your own blog? This week I will be blogging about the best teapots, tea gifts and tea party essentials, my favourite afternoon tea spots as well as the morning tea I recently hosted for some friends. I love this series of  limited-edition screenprints (above) by London artist Maureen Valfort. Depicting sweet tea-time scenes with a charming retro aesthetic, each tea-themed print is hand-printed on Somerset paper and has four torn edges. They make extremely affordable art for your walls at £35 each, but you could also make a statement 'tea' wall with all four prints. Clockwise from top left: 'Laura', 'Astrid', 'Ellie', and 'Anna', £35 each from A Little Bit of Art. Do you love tea? Let me know if you're going to join in with 'A week of tea' on your blog!

10. A wee break in New Zealand

    October 4, 2012 10:06 pm 1 Comment So sorry for the lack of new posts this week. I've been a very busy bird in New Zealand, exploring the wonders of Nelson, Wellington and Dunedin. Can't wait to share my city shopping guides, designer profiles and incredible Kiwi finds with you all. In the meantime, you can follow my real-time travel updates on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Full birdy service returns on Monday. X p.s. I took this image from a boat on Marlborough Sounds. It's really an extraordinarily beautiful part of the world. Wee Birdy travelled to New Zealand courtesy of the good folks at Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand. Head to www.newzealand.com for more information.