Fine fun for long weekend

The Sky Tower made of Lego bricks on show at Kohimarama. Photo / Bradley Ambrose

New Zealanders should be able to make the most of the long weekend with mostly fine weather forecast for today and tomorrow.

WeatherWatch analyst Philip Duncan said the North Island especially would see warm temperatures and clear skies for much of the remainder of Labour Weekend.

"Most parts of the country are fairly even this weekend. Most of the holiday spots all have good things going for them. Normally there's one or two which miss out but not in this case."

However, a cold front was expected to hit Southland early today and begin its way up the South Island throughout the day. It was expected to reach Canterbury in the afternoon and move on to the North Island tomorrow.

The travel forecast for people heading home tomorrow afternoon looked "fairly moderate" with smatterings of rain in the north, Duncan said. "There could be some showers at the popular holiday spots around Auckland, Northland and Coromandel so not the best weather for driving."

His top picks were the Bay of Plenty, Coromandel or Nelson.

Things to see and do

With two days of the weekend left, there's plenty of time to take in the holiday attractions.

• Armageddon: ASB Showgrounds, Epsom, today and tomorrow. New Zealand's gaming event with displays, collectibles sales, comics, anime, toys and more.

• Auckland Brick Show (Lego Display): ASB Stadium, Kohimarama, today and tomorrow. The largest private Lego display in New Zealand, plus a 4m Lego Love Boat being displayed here for the first time.

• Light Show: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, today. Playing tricks of the mind, as well as tricks of the eye, Light Show immerses and surrounds the viewer with stunning environments, from atmospheric installations to intangible sculptures you can move around and even through.

• Soulfest: Western Springs Stadium, 1pm-10pm today. The best of R'n'B and funk join forces with the newest neo-soul, jazz and hip-hop artists.

• Halloween Family Tour: Napier Prison, Bluff Hill, Napier, tomorrow and Tuesday. Family-friendly guided tour of the prison complete with games, fancy dress and trick or treat.

• Gisborne Wine and Food Festival: Awapuni Stadium, Centennial Marine Drive, Gisborne, 11am-6.30pm today. Head down to spend the day with an array of local wineries and foodies.

• Kiwi Spring Festival: Tangiaro Kiwi Retreat, Port Charles, today and tomorrow. All sorts of yummy food, local beer and wine, live entertainment, arts and crafts and heaps of kids' activities.

• NZV8 Pickup Roundup: Tongariro North Domain, Taupo, 10am-3pm today. A USA Pickup/Panel Truck Show 'n' Shine, fundraising for the NZ Cancer Society.

• Oktoberfest: Peak Brewery, Masterton, 1pm-7pm today. Had enough of the winter blues? Then dust off your Dirndl and Lederhosen and head to the brewery.

• Wellington Phoenix v Newcastle: Westpac Stadium, 5pm today. The mighty Phoenix welcome Newcastle Jets in round three of the season.

• Wellington Chocolate Factory Tour: 5 Eva St, Te Aro, Wellington, 5pm tomorrow. This tour will introduce you to the process of making chocolate at New Zealand's first open-to-the-public "bean-to-bar" chocolate factory.