One of the characteristics of summer time in New Zealand is the celebration of food and wine with all things outdoors. The festival is the weapon of choice. This is where hundreds, if not thousands of kiwis are bused, biked or boated in to a wine growing area, such as Waiheke, Blenheim, The Bay of Plenty and Martinborough, and a plied with an over-indulgence of life. Cleo Pascal calls it the symphony of busy happiness.

Food and Wine Festivals in New Zealand have been a staple of the landscape for the last 20 years, the Toast Martinborough is in it’s 21st year and sells over 10,000 tickets for each festival. Although they vary in size and style, they all accommodate the key ingredients of sun, music, food and wine. Each one emphasis one particular ingredient that makes the festival unique and compelling.

Although not unique to New Zealand, it is one of the Kiwi experiences that speaks to travelers:

The atmosphere is what the 1950s pretended to be. Outside, families are picnicking on the grassy slope, watching a cheerful jazz band playing old standards. Older kids are sledding down the grass on sheets of cardboard. Gingerbread cookies and lemonade are for sale. And the teens are flirting in a not-that-I-care-or-anything way.

Uploaded on Flickr by juliatenney

The Waiheke Island Olive Oil festival this year is on November 20th and 21st. The promoters characterize it as a mixture of Olive oils, jazz, food, wine and song. With 13 different Olive growers on the Island, it promises to be a palate watering experience.

Waiheke olive oils are recognised as some of the best in the world.  Try the free tastings  & buy at festival prices. The island’s olive harvest has high recognition from New Zealand awards to international acclaim.

Waiheke Island is in the middle of the Auckland Harbour, a 40 minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland. It is the Sausalito of Auckland. An encave of weathly winegrowers, bankers and artists. There are 8000 residents but swell to over 50,000 during the summer.

The festival will be held at Rangihoua Estate Olive Grove -  1 Gordons Rd, Rocky Bay, 20th and 21st November 2010. Toast Martinborough will be held on the 21st 2010 in Martinborough in the Wairarapa Valley, north of Wellington.

Positively Wellington Tourism and Grow Wellington have joined forces again for this years Wellington On a Plate, an annual festival of food to run from August 14-29th this year. Positively Wellington Tourism General Manager of Marketing Sarah Meikle says the festival will start small and local, but the long-term vision is for Wellington On a Plate to be an annual gourmet showcase that will draw residents into the downtown area and attract visitors from around the country and Australia.

Uploaded on Flickr by alliance1911

Festival spokesperson Sarah Meikle said the phenomenal success of last year’s event “blew organisers out of the water” and judging by the incredible ideas planned for 2010, this year’s event would be stepping up even further.

Boutique weekend markets are planned to run throughout the festival in Thorndon, a suburb rich with history and also the birthplace of Katherine Mansfield, one of New Zealand’s best-known authors.

Stalls will sell a range of local produce, olive oil, wines, brews, sweets, seafood and sauces.

Wellington on a Plate
14 – 29 August, 2010

Hippy Gourmet continues their journey through New Zealand and visits Westport’s Bird’s Ferry Lodge.

Hangi in the Summer at Waimango.

Hippy Gourmet visits the Resurgence, an eco lodge in the Abel Tasman Region.

Kiwibloke’s cousin, Charles Royal is featured on Hippy Gourmet TV.

Charles is the executive chef with Maorifood.com, Charles gives us a behind the scenes look at his native bush cooking tours, as well as his MaoriFood.com wild herb brand of products called Kinaki.

Kiaora Bro..