Auckland International Cultural Festival. Photo / Supplied
Auckland International Cultural Festival. Photo / Supplied
Remember when you were a kid the day before Christmas, and mum made you keep busy so you weren't getting over-excited? Saturday and Sunday are going to be like that. We've found plenty to do so that the days won't drag until the start of the Cricket World Cup finals:
1. World class
On a smaller scale, celebrate Auckland's 55 ethnic communities at the annual International Cultural Festival, sharing live entertainment, music and dance. Best of all, sample culinary delights from around the world with superb food and markets you won't find anywhere else. Try sports including kbbadi, curling or Gaelic football and watch the hotly contested football matches with the FIFA New Zealand Under 20s team making an appearance.
Details: Sunday, 10am - 5pm. War Memorial Park, Mt Roskill.
Get the kids clued into nature with the annual Eye on Nature family day, themed around adaptation. Pack a picnic and try arts and crafts, amaze, a cave, an archeology dig, cooking competition and more. High schools wearable arts parade in the evening. Or join the 22 hours of BioBlitz, when scientists and volunteers count and document every species in the Pourewa Reserve and Kepa Bush.
Be entranced by the Royal New Zealand Ballet's staging of Don Quixote, the epic shaggy dog story. The ballet is a flirtatious delight, with virtuoso choreography, comic flair and a spectacular staging that delights young and old.
Details: Saturday (1.30pm, 7.30pm), Sunday (1.30pm). ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre.
RNZB's Don Quixote. Photo / Supplied
4. High there
Take a road trip south to lose yourself in the magical sights (and sounds) of Balloons Over Waikato. There are sunrise shows on Saturday and Sunday, a terrific ASB Nightglow where the balloons are lit up to orchestrated music, finishing with an epic fireworks display. Or for something more earthy head to The Great Pumpkin Carnival at Hamilton Gardens.
Details: Balloons over Waikato, Saturday and Sunday. Innes Common and University of Waikato, Hamilton. Pumpkin festival Sunday,10am - 3pm
If world-beating is in your blood this weekend, shoot down to Rotorua for the international Crankworx - an explosive week of mountain biking which started Wednesday. Friday it's the Rotorua Downhill with an evening of PumpTrack Challenge, Saturday's Giant Toa Enduro kicks off the Enduro World Series season with all the top riders in contention and competition culminates Sunday, with the Crankworx Rotorua Slopestyle. For the small sorts, there's a great range of Kidworx events with Pimp my Ride, downhill races, a chance to meet the pros and more.
