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As if the high wages and the sunshine weren't enticing enough, Tourism Australia tempted more Aucklanders to its shores with food and wine at the Lindeman's Longest Australian Lunch, held yesterday in the Viaduct.
The sell-out public event was attended by about 500 people who tucked into char-grilled Queensland prawns and salmon fillet smoked over indigenous Australian barks, accompanied by Aussie favourites macadamia nuts, Oz lemon spice and Victorian olives and washed down with Lindeman's wines and Crown Lager.
The major drawcards of the event, Kiwi band Dragon, played all their classics - April Sun in Cuba, Are You Old Enough and Still in Love With You.
A mixed crowd of corporates, Dragon fans and ad creatives looking for a Friday swill were entertained by lively MCs Simon Dallow and Alison Mau. The husband and wife duo stirred up parochial rivalries by asking the guests if pavlova was an Australian icon or a New Zealand one. The home-turf crowd mostly said New Zealand, but they were less vocal when asked about Russell Crowe.
The fun was all part of the G'Day NZ Australia Week, designed to highlight Australian food and wine, film, arts and culture.
- Flash NZ Herald
