Win or lose, Wallabies fans will find plenty of amusements far beyond the field during the World Cup, writes Ben Groundwater.
THEY'RE calling it the "stadium of 4 million": an entire country dedicated to celebrating the Rugby World Cup. New Zealanders are obsessed with the game at the best of times but hand them rugby's biggest tournament and the rest of the universe might as well cease to exist.
By September 9, when the All Blacks kick off against Tonga, New Zealand will be filled with Kiwis cheering on their countrymen, as well as a significant number of overseas guests there to support their sides in their quest for the Webb Ellis Cup.
Australia, of course, will provide the bulk of those visitors, with about 30,000 fans expected to invade. That means six weeks for Australians to cheer on the Wallabies but it also means six weeks in which to explore the host nation. A rugby match only goes for 80 minutes - that's a whole lot of downtime.
Fortunately, New Zealand - and in particular the cities that will host the Wallabies during the tournament - has no shortage of ways to keep errant fans occupied. There are activities for the lads, plenty to keep the wives and girlfriends happy and even events and attractions for the kids. Here's the pick of the bunch.
Auckland
New Zealand's largest city will host the Wallabies' pool matches against Ireland and Italy, as well as the semi-finals and final (thinking positive). It will also host plenty of the tournament's biggest events.
Most of the action will be down by the harbour in Britomart - never mind the Land of the Long White Cloud, this is going to be the Land of the Long White Bar. "The Cloud", a long, white semi-permanent structure on the waterfront, will screen all matches, plus host cultural events and exhibitions.
If Australian supporters still have reason to be hanging around by the time the final arrives, there will be a free, open-air concert in the Auckland Domain to mark the end of the tournament. It hasn't been confirmed but one of the bands just might be a Kiwi group Australians have adopted as their own.
For the lads Most blokes can be split into two categories: those who fancy the idea of donning a wetsuit and wading through cold-water canyons in the name of fun, and those who don't. For the former group, AWOL Adventures (awoladventures.co.nz) runs canyoning day trips from Auckland to the Waitakere Ranges. There, the adventurous can leap off cliffs, abseil and swim to their hearts' content.
More sane individuals might want to ride the ferry to Waiheke Island, where Wild on Waiheke (wildonwaiheke.co.nz) hosts two activities that were born to go together: beer tasting and laser clay pigeon shooting. Down a couple of schooners of the brewery's best ales, then pick up a gun and get all Dick Cheney on some virtual pigeons. Pretend the targets are All Blacks front-rowers if it helps your aim.
For the WAGs The girls would be well advised to head to Waiheke as well, though possibly for different reasons. The island is a tranquil and surprisingly tepid getaway from the bustle and cold of Auckland. If the sun is shining, there's no better place to be than the deck at Stony Ridge Winery (stonyridge.co.nz). Even if they don't have a jazz band playing, it's the ideal spot to while away an afternoon with a couple of rosés.
Back in the main town of Oneroa, there are local markets and the Community Art Gallery, which will be hosting a World Cup-themed exhibition. There's also the chance to just relax in the sun on Oneroa beach or, if you're the type who finds pants far too constrictive, the clothing-optional Little Palm beach.
For the kids Ten minutes from the city centre, Auckland Zoo (aucklandzoo.co.nz) has 120 species of animals, including the elusive Kiwi. If the kids need to burn off some energy, Snowplanet, an indoor snow centre, will be open every day throughout the tournament (snowplanet.co.nz). Back in the middle of town, a trip up the Skytower (skycityauckland .co.nz) is great for the views and if the kids are really tiring you out, you can always encourage them to jump off the side. (Seriously, this is New Zealand, you can bungy off pretty much everything.)
Wellington
The New Zealand capital is a city that was made for hosting a big tournament - it's a constant party here any time of the year, let alone when the beloved ABs are taking on the world. The Wallabies have a few games in Wellington, including their clash with the US in the group stage and a possible quarter-final meeting with Wales in October.
Those who enjoy their food will want to head directly to the Wellington on a Plate festival, when some of the city's best chefs will ply their wares for the general population. There's also the chance to learn the haka at Te Papa Museum, although be warned: vision of you prancing around with your tongue hanging out will be beamed on to the museum wall outside.
For the lads Like beer? The Malthouse has 150 of them. One-hundred-and-fifty different beers. If that sounds a bit daunting, Neil Miller, a local beer expert (and a man who clearly had a great guidance counsellor), runs beer tours of Wellington (wildaboutwellington. co.nz), which seem to centre around the Malthouse. While there are plenty of tasty imports to try, it would be criminal to avoid New Zealand's excellent microbrews. Order the Hop Zombie and then clear your schedule.
Alternatively, there are several companies that run Lord of the Rings tours, taking in filming locations from the famous trilogy, or you can head over the hills to visit the seal colonies at Red Rocks Reserve (wellingtonrover.co.nz).
For the WAGs Wellington has more cafes per capita than New York, so it can be a bit hard to know where to start. That's where Zest Tours (zestfoodtours.co.nz) comes in, walking gourmet food fans around the city to show them what's what. The tours take in cafes, markets and food stores throughout the city and finish up with a three-course lunch with matching wines at local restaurant Logan Brown.
For the kids Go directly to Te Papa Museum at the waterfront; set your children free; relax. Te Papa (tepapa.govt.nz) is an incredibly good museum and one that parents will enjoy visiting as much as their offspring. From the giant floor map of New Zealand to the blue whale skeleton to the earthquake simulator, it's the kind of place you could easily get lost in for days at a time. This one's a no-brainer.
Nelson
The Wallabies' only foray into the South Island is going to be a good one - Nelson is an outdoors man's paradise, as well as being a great food and wine destination. Throughout the tournament, the city's main drag, Trafalgar Street, will be closed off to traffic, with big-screens at each end to show the games, plus performances by live bands and DJs that will go long into the night.
Coinciding with the Wallabies' crunch clash with Russia is the Indulge Marlborough festival, which is happening in Blenheim, just a short drive from Nelson. There'll be great food, there'll be live music, and - most importantly - there'll be enough of the region's famous sauvignon blanc to keep everyone happy.
For the lads Nothing says hangover cure like jumping out of an aeroplane. The guys at Skydive Nelson (skydive.co.nz) will gladly throw you into an ultra-light, fly you up to 16,000 feet, clip themselves to your back and then push you out the door. It gives you a stunning view of the surrounding Nelson/Tasman area, although if you're thinking of anything other than your possible impending death, you're a braver person than this writer.
For something a little more sedentary, the Nelson area is famous for its fly-fishing, although it's not easy to get to the best spots: we're talking heli-fishing here. It's worth the expense, though, when you're dropped into untouched wilderness, trout basically leaping into your arms and not a care in the world. The Wallabies could get thumped by Russia and you'd still be happy.
For the WAGs It's a bit of a mouthful but the World Of WearableArt (WOW) is a surprising gem to find in a little town such as Nelson. The museum (wowcars.co.nz) hosts a huge collection of haute couture garments that have been entered in previous WOW fashion competitions. Nelson is actually home to a thriving arts community, with galleries and workshops spread throughout the town and most are within easy walking distance of the city centre.
Alternatively, Nelson's 25 boutique wineries are only a short drive from town.
For the kids The wisdom of sticking your child at the wheel of a powerful motorised vehicle might be questionable but there's no doubt they'll have fun roaring through the hills on quad-bikes at Happy Valley Adventures (happyvalleyadventures. co.nz). And the high-wire ride in the middle is a blast.
If you would prefer to keep them under their own steam, nearby Abel Tasman National Park offers some amazing sea kayaking adventures. Sightings of baby seals at Tonga Island are the icing on the cake.
The writer was a guest of Tourism New Zealand.
Getting there
Emirates flies daily from Sydney to Auckland, from $457 return. 1300 303 777, emirates.com/au.
rugbyworldcup.com; nz2011.govt.nz/experiencerealnz, newzealand.com.
Words to know when touring New Zealand:
Jandals Thongs or flip-flops. An abbreviation of "Japanese sandals", which makes sense when you think about it.
Dairy A corner store or convenience store. "Just popping out to the dairy."
Tramping The Kiwi version of hiking or trekking. Not to be confused with "trampling," which is what the rugby team does.
Crib/Bach A small house or cottage. Known as a bach in the North Island and a crib in the South Island.
Trim Skim milk. As in: "I'll have a trim latte thanks, bro."
The Mainland The South Island. This holds true only for South Islanders.
The West Island Slang for one of the world's main concentrations of New Zealanders: Australia.
