Travel Alerts: Europe shoulder season, pizza celebrations, museum events, winter reds, and Disney cruise
Pizza in all ways
Pizza takes centre stage in Milan on June 25 as The Best Pizza Awards celebrates its third edition at the iconic Spazio Antologico, East End Studios. With over 500 international guests, this event unites more than 300 of the world's top pizza chefs, journalists, and gastronomic innovators to celebrate the craft of pizza making.
This year's theme explores how pizza continues to evolve. The programme includes masterclasses from Franco Pepe and Amalia Costantini, offering hands-on insights into both traditional and modern pizza-making techniques, forums about the pizza industry, and the annual Best Pizza Awards Gala. Kiwi chef Vaughan Mabee joins the post-awards Pizza Party, representing New Zealand in this global celebration. From classic margheritas to unique sourdough, the awards highlight the best in the world of pizza. You might not know it yet, but this could be the day you meet your perfect slice. thebestchefawards.com/the-best-pizza
Kiwi chef Vaughan Mabee joins the Best Pizza Awards 2025.
Learn from superstars
Night at Auckland Museum returns this July and September school holidays with the captivating theme, Superstars. Families explore the museum by torchlight, encountering theatrical characters from New Zealand's history and today's icons. Kids dive into interactive activities across three floors, learning to command the spotlight like silent film stars, uncover scientific passions with quirky characters, and pick up self-promotion tips from ancient Egyptian pharaohs. Alongside hands-on games and live audience shows, guests gain exclusive access to the dazzling DIVA exhibition featuring iconic garments worn by global performers. This immersive event offers Kiwi families a fresh, inspiring way to connect with culture and history. aucklandmuseum.com/visit/whats-on/kids-and-family/night-at-auckland-museum-superstars
Discover your inner superstar at the Night at Auckland Museum.
Sip on winter reds
As winter's chill settles over the Adelaide Hills, Winter Reds invites you to gather around warm fires and toast to rich, cool-climate reds. From July 25 to 27, this celebrated festival lights up the region with over 50 events, from intimate tastings to lively food and wine pairings. For the first time, MasterChef's Matt Preston joins the festivities, sharing his love for great food and wine. Easily accessible from Adelaide, Winter Reds offers Kiwi travellers a rare chance to indulge in fine wines, delicious meals, and cosy ambience in a stunning winter landscape. adelaidehillswine.com.au/events/winter-reds
Winter Reds celebrates red wine, great food, and its partnership with Matt Preston.
Cruise with Bluey and Bingo
Disney Cruise Line brings Bluey and Bingo back to sail around Australia and New Zealand from October 2025 to February 2026. The Disney Wonder will cruise from Auckland, Sydney, and Melbourne, offering three to 10-night trips packed with exclusive Bluey meet-and-greets, lively dance parties, and appearances by other beloved Disney characters. Guests can enjoy world-class Broadway shows, themed dining, and youth clubs on board. This cruise offers Kiwis an unforgettable family vacation at sea, blending iconic entertainment with stunning destinations. Early bookings save up to 30% on select sailings, making it an irresistible travel opportunity. To book or for full details, speak to your preferred cruise wholesaler. disneycruise.disney.go.com/en/onboard-activities/bluey-bingo-character-greetings
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NZ Herald
6 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Travel Alerts: Europe shoulder season, pizza celebrations, museum events, winter reds, and Disney cruise
Pizza in all ways Pizza takes centre stage in Milan on June 25 as The Best Pizza Awards celebrates its third edition at the iconic Spazio Antologico, East End Studios. With over 500 international guests, this event unites more than 300 of the world's top pizza chefs, journalists, and gastronomic innovators to celebrate the craft of pizza making. This year's theme explores how pizza continues to evolve. The programme includes masterclasses from Franco Pepe and Amalia Costantini, offering hands-on insights into both traditional and modern pizza-making techniques, forums about the pizza industry, and the annual Best Pizza Awards Gala. Kiwi chef Vaughan Mabee joins the post-awards Pizza Party, representing New Zealand in this global celebration. From classic margheritas to unique sourdough, the awards highlight the best in the world of pizza. You might not know it yet, but this could be the day you meet your perfect slice. Kiwi chef Vaughan Mabee joins the Best Pizza Awards 2025. Learn from superstars Night at Auckland Museum returns this July and September school holidays with the captivating theme, Superstars. Families explore the museum by torchlight, encountering theatrical characters from New Zealand's history and today's icons. Kids dive into interactive activities across three floors, learning to command the spotlight like silent film stars, uncover scientific passions with quirky characters, and pick up self-promotion tips from ancient Egyptian pharaohs. Alongside hands-on games and live audience shows, guests gain exclusive access to the dazzling DIVA exhibition featuring iconic garments worn by global performers. This immersive event offers Kiwi families a fresh, inspiring way to connect with culture and history. Discover your inner superstar at the Night at Auckland Museum. Sip on winter reds As winter's chill settles over the Adelaide Hills, Winter Reds invites you to gather around warm fires and toast to rich, cool-climate reds. From July 25 to 27, this celebrated festival lights up the region with over 50 events, from intimate tastings to lively food and wine pairings. For the first time, MasterChef's Matt Preston joins the festivities, sharing his love for great food and wine. Easily accessible from Adelaide, Winter Reds offers Kiwi travellers a rare chance to indulge in fine wines, delicious meals, and cosy ambience in a stunning winter landscape. Winter Reds celebrates red wine, great food, and its partnership with Matt Preston. Cruise with Bluey and Bingo Disney Cruise Line brings Bluey and Bingo back to sail around Australia and New Zealand from October 2025 to February 2026. The Disney Wonder will cruise from Auckland, Sydney, and Melbourne, offering three to 10-night trips packed with exclusive Bluey meet-and-greets, lively dance parties, and appearances by other beloved Disney characters. Guests can enjoy world-class Broadway shows, themed dining, and youth clubs on board. This cruise offers Kiwis an unforgettable family vacation at sea, blending iconic entertainment with stunning destinations. Early bookings save up to 30% on select sailings, making it an irresistible travel opportunity. To book or for full details, speak to your preferred cruise wholesaler.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Adventures to unfold on big screen
Some of the best adventure films from across the globe will be shown in Queenstown next week. The annual NZ Mountain Film Festival, now in its 23rd year, this year received a record 294 entries — the final lineup features 64 award-winning and finalist films, including 18 by Kiwi film-makers. Being held at the Queenstown Memorial Centre next Thursday and Friday, the films will also be available to watch online from July 1 to 31. The Thursday session here, from 7pm, starts with a 'social session' before a conversation with Beth Rodden, regarded as one of the greatest rock climbers of all time, who's recently published a memoir, A Light Through the Cracks, from 7.30pm. Four films will then be shown including Trango, directed by Leo Hoorn (US), the grand prize winner this year. The film follows a team of ski mountaineers, including previous NZ Mountain Film Fest guest speaker Christina Lustenberg, of the US, who skied the first descent of the Great Trango Glacier in Pakistan, after a two-year attempt. Navigating risk, grappling with grief and facing physical danger, the team pushes the limits of human experiences, facing the unimaginable together. Other films on Thursday night are Body of a Line (Henna Taylor, US), solo award winner Far Enough (Julien Carot, France), and Alone Across Gola (Jude Kriwald, UK), the best film on adventurous sports and lifestyle. Another seven films will screen during Friday's 'Pure NZ' session, between 3pm and 6pm. They include the community spirit award-winner, Spirit of the West (Pedro Pimentel), which is set against New Zealand's West Coast and captures the spirit of the Old Ghost Ultra, All In or Nothing, directed by Gordon Duff, which won the best documentary award, and follows young athlete Matthew Fairbrother who's up against 120 riders with full support crews as he attempts to win the overall title at the NZ MTB Rally, on his own, and Waiatoto (Josh Morgan and Jasper Gibson), winner of the Hiddleston/MacQueen Award for best NZ-made film. It tells the story of a traverse across the Southern Alps through packraft, skis and tramping. Starting at the Matukituki, Gibson, Nick Pascoe and Charlie Murray travelled via Tititea, the Volta Glacier and the Waiatoto to the Tasman Sea. "We didn't set out to make a film," Pascoe says, "the focus was on a creative adventure through an incredible corner of the country, simply for the sake of it." Rounding out this year's festival is Friday night's 'Snow Show', from 7pm, which includes best snow sports film Painting the Mountains (Pierre Cadot, France), set in El Chalten, a remote Patagonian village beneath Fitz Roy, where three French skiers arrive to pioneer new lines. Tickets to Thursday's session cost $30 ($5 youth discount) and $25 for each of Friday's sessions, with youth discounts. For more info, or to buy tickets, see
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Soundscapes of the Southern Lakes
Celebrated Kiwi pianist Michael Houstoun. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Some of New Zealand's most acclaimed chamber musicians are heading our way in October, to perform during the fifth At the World's Edge (AWE) Festival. Artistic director Benjamin Baker's brought together acclaimed pianist Michael Houstoun, cellist James Bush and composer in residence John Psathas, who'll be joined by a cast of international artists. This year's festival draws on the natural world as a source of creative inspiration — between October 4 and 12 there'll be seven curated performances across the district and a series of free events to highlight the many ways composers engage with nature. In Queenstown, AWE will be based at Te Atamira. "As a festival rooted in the landscapes of the Southern Lakes, we're constantly inspired by our surroundings," festival director Justine Cormack says. "It's a privilege to celebrate five years of extraordinary performances with artists and audiences who share our belief that music, like nature, can shift our perspective and stir something deeply personal." That theme's also guiding the AWE+ series of free public performances, workshops and talks, which include Queenstown-based architect Fred van Brandenburg, who'll share insights into biomimicry and design, and Olympic freeskier Jossi Wells on the parallels between performance, creativity and the alpine environment, while there'll also be a keyboard-focused programme with works for piano and harpsichord, and performances from Aussie harpsichordist Erin Helyard and Houstoun. AWE culminates in a tour of schools across the Southern Lakes between October 13 and 17. For more info, or to buy tickets, see
