Northlanders who missed the snow and ice that hit Kaikohe last Friday will have to wait until next year to find out exactly what brought the winter wonderland to town.
The winter spectacle in a Northland summer was created by the makers of a new TV3 show called Cadbury Dream Factory, hosted by Brooke Howard-Smith. In each episode, someone's wish will be made to come true.
The show's producers are not giving much away but the episode filmed last Friday is thought to have been sparked by resident Alex Baker's wish to see it snow in Kaikohe. Ms Baker was nominated for her community spirit and readiness to help others.
While there was plenty of real snow spread on the slopes beside Recreation Rd, the white powder blanketing Mrs Baker's Orrs Rd home and the Pioneer Village was a special foam. An ice-skating rink, also at the Pioneer Village, was made from a highly slippery synthetic material and air-conditioning kept the temperature inside the snow dome suitably chilly. The real snow was trucked up from Snow Planet, near Auckland.
Hundreds of children made the most of the convincing spectacle.
