The Kawau Kat "Royal Mailrun Cruise" departs from Sandspit Wharf - an hour's drive north of Auckland - at 10.30am daily. After the 90-minute cruise around the bays and inlets of Kawau Island, passengers spend time ashore, visiting the Mansion House, having a barbecue lunch, swimming and bushwalking. The cost is $49 for adults and $18 for children at school, a family pass is $115.
Contact: freephone 0800 888 006 or (09) 425 8006
info@kawaukat.co.nz
Kawau Kat
Island art
Fine art and high-style is the theme of the Palm Beach Art Market on Waiheke Island on Sunday.
From 10am to 4pm savour Italian coffee, beautiful food and admire or buy work by at least 20 artists. For the children, there will be a lolly scramble, a clown and a sandcastle-making competition. The free event is in and around the Palm Beach Hall.
Contact: Palm Beach Art Market (09) 372 9367.
Grin and bear it
Waiheke Island's Teddy Bears' Picnic Day is also on Sunday at Little Oneroa Beach Reserve. Held in conjunction with National Children's Day, this event is also free.
Take a rug, children and their teddies, plus a picnic for the 11am to 2pm gathering.
Contact: Teddy Bears' Picnic (09) 379 2020
Freephone 0800 FULLERS (0800 385 5377)
Fullers
Lighting up
The Asia 2000 Diwali Festival of Lights - one of the most important and colourful Indian festivals - is celebrated on Saturday.
In Auckland, the free festival is on from 10am to 10.30pm in the Mahatma Ghandi Centre in New North Rd, Eden Tce.
Contact: event manager Barbara Strong-MacKinnon
(09) 353 9584
Info Asia
Don't be square
Auckland's Aotea Square Markets are not bothering to wait for the weekend. The stalls' canopies will be lifted on Friday at 9am until 5pm, and again on Saturday, amid free entertainment.
Contact: (09) 307 5060
The Edge
Colour on K Rd
The colourful street markets on Karangahape Rd's overbridge are also on this weekend - Saturday only, from 10am to 4.30pm.
Contact: (09) 377 5086
All aboard ...
Take to Auckland's harbour aboard the Maritime Museum's Ted Ashby this weekend. Leave Viaduct Basin at either noon or 2pm on Saturday or Sunday.
The tours last about 90 minutes, with a reduced rate for Labour Weekend. Adults' tickets are $12 and children $6. There are no sailings on Monday.
Contact: (09) 373 0800 or from out of Auckland
freephone 0800 SALTYSAM - 0800 725 897 26
New Zealnd Maritime Museum
... for Cup races
The sea-going days of old can also be experienced aboard the William C. Daldy during Louis Vuitton race days. Departing Devonport Wharf at 10.30am on Saturday and Monday, tickets are $75, or for a family of two adults and two children, $200.
Food is available on board at extra cost, and there is a licensed bar.
Contact: freephone 0800 111 444.
Southern beauties
A five-day "Deep South" summer rail and coach tour holiday departs from Christchurch every day throughout Labour Weekend. Get to the platform with a special package that includes flights from Auckland, starting at $1231 a person.
The journey takes in Mt Cook, three nights in Queenstown, and Dunedin. Accommodation, transfers, a cruise at Milford Sound, a ride in the gondola at Queenstown and aboard the Taieri Gorge Scenic Railway are covered in the price.
Contact: travel agent or Great New Zealand Rail Tours
0800 545 556
info@nzrailtours.com
New Zealand Rail Tours
Crafty kids
Art workshops for children at the Auckland Art Gallery cost $2 and are suitable for five-year-olds to 10-year-olds. Run for one hour from 2pm this Sunday in the Main Gallery, the workshops aim to inspire kids to be "arty and crafty". Bookings essential.
Contact: (09) 307 4540
Auckland City Art Gallery
Raglan rhythm
The coastal town of Raglan has its annual Beats Festival this weekend. From Saturday through Monday the festival has acts ranging from a Bavarian Oompa band, to Midge Marsden and Bullfrog Rata, comedian Gary McCormick and Auckland-based band, Tongue and Groove.
Contact: Raglan Information Centre
(07) 825 0556
raglaninfo@xtra.co.nz
Thames time-warp
The Heritage Market will take Thames back in time this Saturday when stallholders and willing visitors dress in the style of 100 years ago.
The Thames Heritage Market is also celebrating the centenary of the Kauaeranga Valley Hall. The market is to be held at the northern end of Pollen St.
Contact: market co-ordinator Dianne McKinnon
(07) 868 7213.
Family fun
Hamiltonians can celebrate National Children's Day on Saturday and Sunday at Hamilton Lake. A free event, the family fun days run from 10am to 2pm.
Contact: Mareta Ford at the Hamilton City Council
(07) 838 6623
Hamilton City Council
Trail around the zoo
Magical tales and intriguing trails are Auckland Zoo's way of celebrating National Children's Day. Every day three different trails will depart regularly between 11am and 2pm to visit different animals and listen to stories along the way.
Children who dress up as their favourite animal can win prizes. There is also free face painting.
Contact: Auckland Zoo (09) 360 3800
Auckland Zoo
Jazz it up
Queenstown will immerse itself and its visitors in five days of jazz over the weekend. Sounding off on Friday, around 75 jazz musicians will deliver every type of jazz at 45 venues.
Contact: Jenny Ferguson
(03) 442 9516
ifnz@xtra.co.nz
contact@queenstownjazz.co.nz
Queenstown
It's showtime
More than 100 years since it began, the Hawkes Bay Show is on again over Labour Weekend at the showgrounds, Kenilworth Rd, Hastings. Tickets are $10 or $4 for children. Under-fives are free and family passes are $20.
Contact: (06) 878 3123
fax (06) 878 3121
Hawkes Bay Show
Backing Britain
As long as it's British and it has wheels, it's on display at Western Springs Stadium in Auckland this Sunday. The "All British Show" has gathered together trucks, motorcycles and cars for 15 years.
Entry is free, but donations to charity welcome.
Contact: Don Willan on mobile (021) 949 634
Under cover art
The Mangere Bridge Art Group is running a free art show - under a covered courtyard - at the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens this Sunday from 9.30am to 4pm. If it rains, the exhibition will be held on Labour Day Monday.
Contact: the gardens (09) 267 1457
botanicgardens@arc.govt.nz
Steamin' ahead
The Glenbrook Vintage Railway is running for three days this weekend, hourly from 11am, with the last departure at 4pm. The journey lasts 45 minutes, with a stop at the workshop. Family tickets are $25, or $10 for adults and $5 for children, under-fives free.
Contact: (09) 636 9361 or on the day
Glenbrook Station (09) 236 3546 or from out of Auckland freephone 0800 4RAILFUN (0800 4724 5386)
secretary@railfan.org.nz
Rail Fan
Feeding time
Next to Glenbrook Railway's station and sharing its visitors' carpark, is the Glenbrook Farm Park, open all weekend from 11am to 5pm. Take a picnic, pet tame animals and take $2 pony rides. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children 15 months to 18 years.
Contact: (09) 236 3628 or the Waiuku Information Centre which is open every day (09) 235 8924. (use the 09 prefix from Auckland).
Twenty reasons to get out this Labour Weekend
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