Recreation Facilities

New Zealand offers a wide spectrum of things to see and do. All the major towns have cinemas, nightclubs and discos, restaurants, art galleries and museums. There are casinos in Auckland and Queenstown. Professional theatre companies operate throughout the country and pop concerts are frequently, often with artists. Are frequent New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand String Quartet tour the country.

Year-Round Sporting Outdoors

The sprawling spaces and beautiful national parks, alongwith relatively mild winters, mean that New Zealanders seem to just about live outdoors. Children play on the beach and swim, even in winter, though adults leave that for special occasions, like the "Crazy Midwinter Swim" held in many places as a charity fundraising event!

New Zealanders' favourite sports are: swimming, rugby, cricket, cycling, walking, hockey, soccer, netball, horse riding, tennis, touch football, golf, basketball, badminton, bowls (lawn and indoor), yachting, volleyball, squash, cycling, mountain biking, trail biking, motor racing, skiing, shooting, rowing, fishing and aerobics.

You can also go kayaking, surfing, parachute jumping, swimming with dolphins, caving, visiting hot springs and, of course, bungy-jumping! Golf and tennis are much cheaper than in other countries - there are even public golf courses with very cheap green fees.

Fun Timetable

There is plenty to do, you just need to know where to find it. It is easy to access sporting and recreational activities, and also relatively cheap. Ask your friends or look in your local newspaper for detailed up-to-date information in the "What's On" section and maybe also the Arts page which lists all the exhibitions at local art, craft and pottery galleries.

Local and regional authorities provide free booklets or information on their websites, listing sports clubs and recreational facilities, including signposted bush walks, camping areas and so forth.

Free Events

In the cities, there is usually a summer fiesta. Entertainment includes bands, teddy bear picnics, night-time walks to see glow-worms, food and culture festivals and dance performances.

Orientation Week at tertiary institutions is another great festival of free entertainment.

Refer to public libraries to find out about these and other events.

Lonely Planet and AA tourist guides give a good overview of the type of activity available in New Zealand, too. Wine-tasting and vineyard tours are offered, and you may be able to check out some of the boutique wine and food producers in each region. New Zealand salmon, mussels, olive oil, nuts, cheese, sub-tropical fruits and Pacific Rim cuisine are renowned internationally -and rightly so.

Your Institution Information

Staff at secondary schools supervise a wide range of lunchtime and after school activities, including sport, theatrical and musical productions, orchestra and choir. Students at tertiary institutes run their own clubs to suit their interests from chess to caving to electronics to international friendship or religious groups.

Movies, Games and Televised Sport

Movies are available in most cities. There are video rental shops and electronic games centres even in small towns. Watching live televised sport on big screens in bars is a very popular activity.

Discounts

Student discounts are often available for orchestra concerts and theatre performances, as well as outdoor adventure tourism activities.