Pic by Dave Conner

From gentle coastal walks to long-distance treks through challenging terrain; open canoeing on a tranquil loch to the thrill of white-water rafting down a fast flowing river; or the fun of a family bike ride to the rush of mountain biking through forests – Active Scotland has something to offer those of all ages and abilities.

Scotland offer endless opportunities for adventure, from snowboarding and ice climbing in the mountains to canyoning in the water, and from skiing in the Cairngorms to mountain biking in the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway and Fort William, visitors are spoilt for choice. Not forgetting that visitors can get out and about in the Home of Golf, with over 550 golf courses throughout the country.

Here are just some of Scotland’s active and adventure events for 2011.

Melrose Sevens, Scottish Borders, 9 April

Rugby 7s was founded in Melrose in 1883. The game of rugby 7s is now played on an international stage from Hong Kong to Scotland and is testimony to its founder in the Scottish Borders town, Ned Haig. 2011 is the 128th playing of the Melrose Sevens and it is proposed to continue an extended tournament with guest teams coming from far and near.

www.melrose7s.com

Pic by Spider Dog

St Andrews Golf Week, St Andrews, 10-16 April

The St Andrews Golf Week is an annual event for amateur golfers and is held in St Andrews – The Home of Golf. The St Andrews Golf Week was established in 1974 and continues to attract golfers from all over the world. In 2010, there were golfers from fourteen different countries including USA, Japan, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, Scotland, Germany, Norway, India, Ireland, Singapore, France and England.

www.standrewsgolfweek.com

O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland, Thurso, Northern Highlands, 29 April – 6 May

Lying at 59 degrees north, Thurso is the most Northern wave spot on the planet to host a professional surfing event, with waves which on their day can rival the north shore of Hawaii.

With its inspired mobile format, the Coldwater Classic Scotland is free to choose between Scotland’s prime surfing venue and the fast reef break of Thurso East, the shallow hollow at The Bowl of Brim’s Ness, and the classic beach break of Strathy.

www.ONeill.com

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, Speyside, Aberdeenshire, 1 – 10 May

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2009. Held each year during the first long weekend in May, the festival creates an opportunity for visitors to enjoy a visit to Speyside before the start of the main tourism season. The Festival invites visitors to celebrate Scotland’s national drink through an inventive and wide-ranging programme of whisky-inspired events, some educational, all of them fun. There are unique tours and tastings, many at distilleries not normally open to visitors, opportunities to meet whisky experts, matching food and whisky events, a local food fair, master classes and lectures, wildlife walks with whisky treats, art and craft, mountain biking tours, family fun days and many more entertaining events.

www.spiritofspeyside.co.uk

The Drambuie Pursuit, Highlands, May

The Drambuie Pursuit has always been an amazing experience. An epic journey for strong minds, wills and bodies. Just as Bonnie Prince Charlie inspired an army, changed history and nailed the impossible because of something he truly believed in – we now want you to run in his footsteps for a cause that you hold dear. The Drambuie Pursuit is a once-in-a-lifetime, energy-charged adventure challenge across the Scottish Highlands, starting on the Isle of Skye and ending in Inverness. En route, you’ll compete in an array of exciting mental and physical challenges, including white-water rafting, abseiling, mountain biking and kayaking.

www.drambuie.co.uk

Highland Games, Throughout Scotland, May-September

Around 100 Highland games and gatherings take place in Scotland each year. Each one has a mix of piping, athletic events and Highland dancing.

Emirates Airlines Edinburgh Rugby Sevens, Murrayfield, Edinburgh, 28-29 May

The Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens is a rugby union sevens tournament, part of the IRB Sevens World Series, held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. It has the honour of being the last event in each season’s IRB Sevens.

www.edinburgh7s.com

Angus Glens Walking Festival, Angus, 2-5 June

The Angus Glens Walking Festival is a walking opportunity which will open your eyes, stimulate your senses and reveal to you many of the hidden treasures of this enigmatic part of Scotland.

The award winning 4 day Festival is now engraved in the very fabric of Scotland’s outdoor activities calendar. Each year the festival includes evening entertainment as well as walks to suit all tastes and abilities. Experienced mountain leaders, guide groups, Countryside Rangers and Estate Managers support the walkers’ experience with their knowledge of local history, wildlife and farming.

www.angusahead.com/walkingfestival

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Fort William, 4-5 June

A stunning celebration of two-wheeled action in the Highlands. The Fort William World Cup is one of 9 events taking place in Europe, Canada and USA, from April to September. At a World Cup, riders can compete as individuals, for factory teams or for their National Teams and there are few restrictions on entry other than a minimum standard of UCI points.

Although the Olympics (XCO only) and the World Championships medals are the best recognised titles in mountain biking, they are both one-off competitions, whereas the World Cup overall title is the best reflection of performance over a range of different courses through the season.

www.fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk

Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh, 23-26 June

The Royal Highland Show is held by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, founded in 1784 to promote the regeneration of rural Scotland. Occupying almost a three hundred acre site right next to Edinburgh Airport on the western fringe of Scotland’s Capital City, the event is an annual ‘must’ for the major herds, flocks and studs across the UK as well as being firmly in the calendar of a huge variety of businesses which take trade stands to promote and sell their products.

The 170th Royal Highland Show in 2010 attracted 187,600 visitors over 4 days making it an all time record for the event and ensuring it continues to be one of the UK’s top agricultural shows and Scotland’s leading international agricultural event.

www.royalhighlandshow.org

Barclays Scottish Open, Loch Lomond, 7-10 July

The Scottish Open has been played at Loch Lomond since 1996, just two years after the course was opened. In that short time the tournament and the venue have grown in stature, with brilliant notices from the world’s best golfers, to become a highlight of the European Tour. The course nestles in 660 acres of the Clan Colquhoun Estate and is surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of the mountains and loch. The course is criss-crossed by streams, awash with marshes and cloaked in fabulous mature trees.

www.barclaysscottishopen.co.uk

Johnnie Walker Championship 2011, Gleneagles, Perthshire, August

Diageo is proud to be the host and sponsor of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles on its 11th anniversary. Held over The PGA Centenary Course, venue for the 2014 Ryder Cup, this is one of the leading events on The PGA European Tour International Schedule of Events and will welcome some of the best golfers in the world to one of the most beautiful places in the world.

www.johnniewalkerchampionship.com

Cowal Highland Gathering, Dunoon, Argyll, 25-27 August

The biggest highland games in the world, the Cowal Highland Gathering has all the traditional elements of a highland games. The Highland dancing competitions and the heavy events are always the crowd pleasers, especially tossing the caber! But is also a great family day out with lots of other entertainment on offer, including a food fair, with a focus on Argyll speciality produce.

www.cowalgathering.com

Braemar Gathering, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, 3 September

Each year the village of Braemar in Royal Deeside, Scotland invites people from all over the world ‘to come over the hills’ to attend the Braemar Gathering and Highland Games. The Gathering is always held on the first Saturday in September and it is perhaps the most famous Highland Games anywhere. It features the finest Pipe Bands, pipers, Highland dancers, and athletes in a beautiful setting surrounded by hills. The patron of the Gathering is Her Majesty the Queen.

The Braemar Gathering has been regularly attended by members of the Royal Family since Queen Victoria first attended in 1848. Indeed, King Malcolm Canmore held games nearby almost 1000 years ago so there is a long ‘pedigree’.

www.braemargathering.org

Tiree Wave Classic, Inner Hebrides, October

2010 marks the 24th anniversary of the Tiree Wave Classic; a festival which attracts top windsurfers from all over the world. The backdrop on the remote island of Tiree also pulls in photographers and film crews to capture stunning shots. The festival also incorporates an Event Village giving visitors the chance to try out new activities and hone their skills.

www.tireewaveclassic.org

For more information on things to do during the Year of Active Scotland go to www.activevisitscotland.com or
www.visitscotland.com

Get ready for Mardi Gras!

If you’re heading over this year, why not time it for one of these festivals:

2011 in New Orleans

· Zulu Lundi Gras Festival/March 7

· Mardi Gras Day/March 8 (Click here for more info on the legendary Mardi Gras)

· Soul Fest/March 12-13

· Spring Fiesta/March 25-April 3

· Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival/March 23-27

· New Orleans Roadfood Festival/March 25-27

· French Quarter Festival/April 8-10

· New Orleans Earth Day Festival & Green Business Expo/April 17

· New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Presented by Shell/April 29-May 8 (Click here for who’s performing : Willie Nelson, Jon Bon Jovi and more…)

· Mid City Bayou Boogaloo/May 20-22

· New Orleans Wine and Food Experience/May 24-28

· Greek Festival/May 27-29

· New Orleans Oyster Festival/June 4-5

· New Orleans Vieux to Do/June 10-12

· ESSENCE Music Festival/July 1-3

· San Fermin in Nueva Orleans/July 8-10

· Tales of the Cocktail/July 20-24

· COOLinary New Orleans/Aug. and Sept.

· Satchmo SummerFest/Aug. 4-7

· Whitney White Linen Night/Aug. 6

· Dirty Linen Night/Aug. 13

· New Orleans Red Dress Run/Aug. 13

· Southern Decadence Festival/Aug. 31-Sept. 5

· New Orleans Seafood Festival/Sept. TBD

· New Orleans Burlesque Festival/Sept. 15-17

· Gretna Heritage Festival/Oct. TBD

· Art for Arts’ Sake/Oct. TBD

· New Orleans Film Festival/Oct. TBD

· Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival/Oct. 14-16

· Krewe of Halloween/Oct. 29

· Voodoo Music Experience/Oct. 28-30

· Louisiana Swamp Festival/Nov. TBD

· New World Rhythms Festival/Nov. 12-13

· Words and Music Literary Festival/Nov. TBD

· New Orleans Po-boy Preservation Festival/Nov. TB

· Christmas New Orleans Style/December

· Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival and Holiday Bazaar/December 10-11

The Invader

Rainbow’s End is a pretty huge institute for any kiwi kid. Us adults are probably used to overlooking it now. A couple of years ago, the Manukau City Council took a 0.4 hectare-sized bite out of the place in exchange for a new lease.

But the End is doing pretty well for itself, and it warrants another visit, especially from us big kids. Through March the park is running Night Rides with live gigs every Saturday night; a little rock and roll to go with your rocking roller-coasters. Ahem.

Always keen to impress my younger siblings with my affluent, perk-fuelled writer’s lifestyle, I took my 17-year old sister along to the inaugural Night Rides session, with indie rockers These Four Walls providing the live entertainment. The bumper boats have never been better served by a backdrop of razor-sharp riffs and teenage angst.

The Power Surge

I must say, and my green-faced companion would agree, the real stars of the show are Rainbow’s Ends two newest additions, The Power Surge and The Invader. Because you’re never too old to be strapped onto a huge disc and left at the mercy of gravity’s sweeping malice.

I recommend bundling up the whanau and checking it out – relive those childhood memories and catch some great kiwi tunes while you’re at it.

Cue ‘gold-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow’ pun for the closer…

Check out opening times and ticket information for Rainbows End Night Rides here.

- Luke Oram

Mine!

The last time I went I thought I was in Rio de Janiero on carnival day! It was one hot body after another wearing hardly anything at all leaping about in the sand, but it was the crowd was who brought the carnival. It turns out Auckland has quite the Brazilian community and when their sexy players are leaping about on the sand they play their drums like tribal warriors. It’s completely awesome and for the vibe alone, well worth the $20 admission.

Sadly Brazil aren’t playing this year but if anyone has an ‘in’ to the bongo-playing chanters, lets rustle up a bribe to support our kiwi teams!

Speaking of which, there is some stiff competition this year.

We have 4 women’s teams this year and hot faves Susan Blundell and Anna Scarlett (ably assisted by their nerdy fan club of blokes named Team Scundell) are on fire. They’ve just won the Christchurch and Wellington legs of the tour (no pun intended but at 1.85m they do have winning legs). International teams who will be diving about in the sand are 2 women’s teams from Germany, 1 is ranked 4th ranked in the world. The USA team is ranked 5th in the world. And China who will be formidable oponents with World and Asian Games medals to their names.

We also have 4 Kiwi men’s teams playing over the weekend. Hot (and I mean hot) faves is the new combo of Brendan Heath and Edwin O’Dea who just cleaned up in Christchurch and Wellington, but don’t underestimate NZ #1 Greg Lindsay-Brown with 19 year old Sam O’Dea and little brother Ben O’Dea aged 17 towers over the field at 1.92m with his on court partner. (Looking up at him would make me fall backwards).

The guys are up against a strong team from China, a couple of towering Aussies and some “dark horses” (or so I’m told) from Germany.

It’s a really fun day out so if you’re in Auckland this weekend, pop along to the McEntee Hire NZ Open at the ASB Tennis Centre on Stanley Street from Friday Jan 22nd to Sunday Jan 24th

Click here for tickets from Ticketek.

Can you hear him?

Things got hot and heavy on centre court yesterday in Auckland in the quarter finals as I watched John Isner the 6’9″ (six feet nine!!) 24-year old American with the boyish face beat Tommy Robredo (and who has just gone through to the finals as I type) then Frenchie Arnaud Clement (pronounced Cle-monn) beat Austrian Jurgen Melzer. The 2nd game was more powerful I thought and you could seriously brand someone with those serves that came flying into the canvas surrounds.

The best stands are Robinson and Redwood if you don’t want to be baking in the sun and haven’t been invited by any swanky corporates to share their umbrella.

Parking is a bit of a mare. Annoyingly the Carlaw Park Wilson carpark gave me a ticket and allowed me in, only to find after circling up 6 floors that the only vacant spots were all Tow Away and I had to come back down and leave. Grr. The shingle pit across the road from the Stanley Street courts are a makeshift park for $15 for the day and was the only carpark available when I arrived yesterday afternoon.

Lufthansa a sponsor of this event and from whom I managed to blag my tickets. Thanks! But the big news out from them is that they have just launched their own booking website so you can now go direct for flights anywhere in Europe and buy online. Jump here and check it out on www.lufthansa.com

Black Barn's ampthitheatre overlooking Hawkes Bay

It was great fun, even though the weather was a little inclement with a fine misty drizzle circling us for the first hour, but we were well prepared with our picnic and brolleys. (A bucket of KFC and some home-made pizzas followed by chocolates I can highly recommend.) Black Barn’s own wine is sold on site for $20 – $25 a bottle, along with beer for $5. You can take your own soft drinks.

The grass amphitheatre was purpose built for premium views of the stage and screen from every point and the outdoor cinema nights run from Dec 27-30 and Jan 2-6. Tickets are $18 each. Click here for titles and to book. Take a rug and sand chairs if you want some cushioning for your backside. You can lean against the bank though as people are only sitting 1 person deep on each ledge.

Then in January the screen is rolled up and the ampthitheatre becomes a sound stage for concerts through summer featuring the Topp Twins and Don McGlashan, Hayley Westenra, Tim Finn, Bic Runga and Dave Dobbyn, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Ladi 6 and others right through till March. Here’s the list of who, when and how much…

And every Saturday from 9 until noon the Growers Market is a cute little circular affair full of local produce, coffee and artisan goodies.

There’s tons of stuff on from Keri Keri to Invercargill, mostly around music and fireworks (Gin Wigmore and Dave Dobbyn in Waihi anyone?) – although a couple of singles events in Auckland look interesting for a new year’s snog if that’s what you’re after…

Check out the full list of New Zealand’s best New Year’s Eve events to herald in the new decade here.

Auckland Sky Tower - bungy from the top... if you dare.

Wherever you are when the clock strikes 12, make sure you can see the fireworks that will fire from the Sky Tower.

Sale Street Bar is a good place to sit. They’ll have DJs spinning their tricks from 3pm – and views of those fireworks.

Greg Johnson is live at the Windsor Castle, Parnell. One of New Zealand’s most accomplished singer/songwriters will open up his extensive songbook in the newly refurbed pub. Go for the show or make a night of it with dinner.

Within cooee of the fireworks, you can get sweaty at a dance party at the Aotea Centre. Our:House and Hed Kandi with DJs Tim Phin, Peter Urlich and mates.

Get out of town. Head to Waiheke Island for Island Time at the Sand Bar from 3pm featuring The Nomad with MC King Kapisi.

Or scoot up north to Matakana Country Park for the Highlife New Years Eve Experience from 2pm with 8 music stages featuring Sneaky Sound System (AUS), The Freemasons (UK), DJ Scratch – EPMD (NYC), DJ Cash Money (USA), Vandalism (AUS), Stonebridge (SWE), Mischa Daniels (NDR) plus a huge local lineup of DJs and live acts.

But just down the road in Matakana from noon on New Years Eve is Music Mountain Matakana featuring a 12 hour boutique festival of New Zealand’s finest dub, roots and electronica will get underway headlined by Salmonella Dub, Ladi6, Cornerstone Roots and Whirimako Black.

Or you could stay in and play Scrabble. What will you be doing this New Years Eve?

There are probably as many marathons around the globe as there are stars in the sky, but I thought I’d pull a cool selection together of 20 of the world’s best marathons in 2010, so lace up and read on…

31 January 2010 – Marrakech Marathon

28 February 2010 – Tokyo Marathon

7 March 2010 – Kilimanjaro Marathon

9 March 2010 – Antarctica Marathon

21 March 2010 – Red Sea Marathon (for the first time next year),  Monaco Marathon and Rome Marathon (tricky to achieve all on the one day)

7 April 2010 – North Pole Marathon (run by Santa’s elves on their days off)

11 April 2010 – Paris Marathon and Zurich Marathon

19 April 2010 – Boston Marathon

25 April 2010 – London Marathon

15 May 2010 – Great Wall Marathon (which is apparently more of a shuffle up and down the steps of the wall than a full stride for much of the time.)

27 June 2010 – Rio de Janeiro Marathon

17 July 2010 – Great Tibetan Marathon

25 July 2010 – San Francisco Marathon

31 August 2010 – Australian Outback Marathon

7 August 2010 – Siberian Marathon (disclaimer: must be able to read Siberian for this link)

29 August 2010 – Victoria Falls Marathon

12 September 2010 – Moscow Peace Marathon

19 September 2010 – Sydney Marathon

31 October 2010 – Athens Marathon – the home of the original Marathon first held in 490BC after the legendary run by Pheidippides from the Marathon battlefield to the city of Athens. 

31 October 2010 – Auckland Marathon

7 November 2010 – New York Marathon

5 December 2010 – Cayman Islands Marathon (ok this may not be major but it keeps my brother happy)

If you’re in Auckland this weekend, head down to Britomart to watch the Tom Hanks movie on the outdoor screen and get into the spirit of the festive season.

Oh and the Whitcoulls scary Santa has apparently had a facelift and he’ll be standing tall on Sunday beckoning children with his dodgy finger to come and tell him their wishes…

Polar Express under the stars is free and starts at 8.30pm Saturday 21st November
Takutai Lawn (cnr Gore & Tyler Streets, Britomart)

BYO picnic and bean bags or eat at one of the local bars and restaurants in the area.