Mount Smart Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the main home ground of the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League and Auckland FC of the A-League Men, and occasionally hosts rugby union and international rugby league matches. Built within the quarried remnants of the Rarotonga / Mount Smart volcanic cone, it is located 10 kilometres south of the city centre, in the suburb of Penrose.
The cuisine of New Zealand is largely driven by local ingredients and seasonal variations. As an island nation with a primarily agricultural economy, New Zealand yields produce from land and sea. Similar to the cuisine of Australia, the cuisine of New Zealand is a diverse British-based cuisine, with Mediterranean and Pacific Rim influences as the country has become more cosmopolitan.
In Australia and New Zealand, a meat pie is a hand-sized pie containing diced or minced meat and gravy, sometimes with onion, mushrooms or cheese and is often consumed as a takeaway food snack.
Georgie Pie was a fast food chain owned by retailer Progressive Enterprises specialising in meat pies that hoped to be "New Zealand’s own homegrown alternative to the global fast-food industry giants such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Burger King". The first Georgie Pie restaurant opened in 1977, and at its peak there were 32 restaurants across New Zealand. After running into financial difficulties, it was bought out by McDonald's in 1996, mainly for its restaurant locations. The last Georgie Pie store was closed in 1998.
The Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT), formerly the Christchurch Technical College, was an institute of technology in Christchurch, New Zealand. It merged with Aoraki Polytechnic and became Ara Institute of Canterbury in 2016.
Armageddon Expo is a New Zealand owned and operated pop culture convention that holds multiple events around New Zealand in cities including Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch. The event, run by Beyond Reality Media Premier Event Management, has been running continuously since 1995. It has evolved from its roots of comics and trading cards to showcase computer and video gaming, animation, film and television, cosplay, comics, live wrestling, and retailers selling pop-culture merchandise.
Kimberley Frances Crossman is a New Zealand actress, author, presenter, producer, writer, director, dancer, stand-up comedian and cheerleader who is best known for her role as Sophie McKay on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street.
Hell Pizza is a New Zealand-based pizza chain. It was established in Wellington in 1996 and has since expanded around New Zealand.
McDonald's Restaurants Limited is the New Zealand subsidiary of the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. Its first location opened in 1976. In 2017 McDonald's New Zealand had 167 restaurants operating nationwide, serving an estimated one million people each week. The company earned revenues of over $250 million in the 2018 financial year.
Christmas traditions in New Zealand—like those in Australia—incorporate traditional Christian, British and North American Christmas traditions, including biblical and winter iconography, as well as modern and local customs. As New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, the holiday falls during the summer months, so it is often celebrated outdoors with barbeques, picnics, and trips to the beach. New Zealand Christmas dishes include summer fruits and vegetables, a variety of locally-produced meats and seafood, and pavlova dessert. Pōhutukawa are displayed as well as the traditional Northern European tree. Christian church celebrations are held on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with carols and hymns sung in both English and Māori.
Hamish Morley Dodd is a New Zealand celebrity interior designer, television and radio presenter. He is most notable for appearing on the New Zealand television show My House My Castle, as the interior designer. The show aired for ten years, from 1999 until the final season in 2009.
Julie Le Clerc is a New Zealand food writer, chef, former cafe owner and caterer and a presenter on TV food shows.
Lois Dorothy Daish is a New Zealand restaurateur, food writer, cookbook author and contributor to Radio New Zealand and Newstalk ZB. She is also a judge of food and restaurant awards and is a food commentator.
Carl (Tiny) Whiting, born 1981 in Auckland, is a New Zealand sailor who has competed at the Summer Olympics and in multiple America's Cups.
Joanna Mary Seagar, generally known as Jo Seagar, is a New Zealand writer, TV personality and celebrity cook.
Stephen Berry is a perennial candidate in New Zealand national and local politics, running on right-wing positions.
The hospitality industry in New Zealand is a major industry operating around the country. It is one of the largest employment sectors in the country, contributing about 1.7% of GDP, equivalent to NZ$5 billion annually.
Thomas Sainsbury is a New Zealand actor, writer, comedian and filmmaker. Sainsbury began his acting and writing career in theatre. He became well known in New Zealand from 2017 for his short form comedy videos released on social media. As a comedy writer and performer he has contributed to Pork Pie, 7 Days, Jono and Ben, Shortland Street and Wellington Paranormal. With Madeline Sami he co-wrote Super City, which won the SWANZ Scriptwriters Best Comedy Script Award in 2011.
Alex Breingan is a UK born New Zealand television executive producer, television writer and former radio producer and host.
