A celebration of culture in New Zealand

Britons looking for a late winter pick-me-up might want to book a flight to New Zealand in time for the country's huge biennial arts event.

The 2008 New Zealand International Arts Festival will take place in Wellington between February 22nd and March 16th and will see a diverse range of arts being represented through various performances, exhibitions and screenings.

Fans of opera, music, outdoor productions, theatre, dance and the literary and visual arts are all catered for by artists and companies from New Zealand and around the world.

Just a few of this year's highlights include opera performances such as The Lindbergh Flight/The Flight Over the Ocean and The Seven Deadly Sins, an exhibition of photographs taken of people on the streets of various international cities, and a star-studded Russian production of Anton Chekhov's play The Three Sisters.

Festival attendees might also want to take the opportunity to explore Wellington and other locations within New Zealand - particularly the scenic spots where the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy was filmed - while in the region.

For more information, check out the New Zealand International Arts Festival website.

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