It's the flags you see first. WOMAD, held annually at Taranaki's beautiful Brooklands Park, is littered with them.

Glenn Anderson opened his campaign at the New Zealand surf lifesaving championships today in familiar fashion.

Here's more to add to your gig diary - though you'd be in a fairly unique demographic if you were after tickets to all of this lot.

Paige Hareb, New Zealand's top woman pro-surfer has joined forces with Subaru of New Zealand in a car deal.

This year's Weet-Bix Tryathlon series kicks off on February 6 in Hamilton. Diana Clement, whose own children took part last year, offers advice aimed at both young and older readers on how to get the best out of the event.

When rhododendron and world music festivals are the main drawcards to Taranaki, you could be forgiven for thinking the region has traded its wild west coast image for an altogether more hippy vibe.

Taking New Zealand's rich and diverse music scene to the world is the aim of Womad's Emere Wano, who has launched the music expo Sounds Aotearoa to provide an opportunity for NZ artists to be heard overseas.