Queenstown prepares to party with 27th Winter Festival

Mix Queenstown's outstanding natural attributes with the 9-day programme that is the irrepressible Air New Zealand Queenstown Winter Festival and the resort really goes off with a bang.

It's been 27 years since the first organisers hit on the idea of warming up midwinter with competitions, exhibitions and parties both on and off the slopes. In that time the festival has become the southern hemisphere's biggest and brightest winter celebration attracting thousands of visitors each year.

This year promises to deliver more fun than ever in terms of art, music and family entertainment.

In town, the party's in the streets with an opening parade and fireworks. Once the festival's officially underway, the throngs get stuck into a programme full of exciting challenges, sports events, art displays, shows and entertaining good cheer.

There's an international-flavour Mardi Gras, a night-time Big Air competition and a multitude of zany mountain games and competitions. But it's not all fleeces and ski suits – there's a fine array of classy events including Queenstown's social night of the year, the Winter Gold Festival Ball and the Jazz Night high above the town.

Back to demonstrate superb ice-skating skills, and this year visiting for the entire 9 days of the festival, is the Canadian Moose ice hockey team. In their feature game, the moose will take on New Zealand's Ice Blacks.

Elaborate and intricate designs created by some of the world's best snow sculptors will take shape over three days in the inaugural International Snow Sculpture competition. A far shorter celebrity event will also be worth watching!

Queenstown's unique combination of green valleys and snowy white peaks are put to good use in Slalom Golf – great fun for those skilled in either (or both) disciplines. There's also fantastic prizes including a round-the-world air ticket for a particular hole-in-one.

There'll be plenty of opportunity for everyone to get involved in the zany events of the Challenge Series and, as always, great skiing and boarding as well as the multitude of activities permanently on offer year-round in the resort.