Queen’s Birthday in New Zealand by S Pakhrin / CC BY
The Queen’s Birthday is celebrated with great fanfare in New Zealand, one of the largest of Commonwealth Realms within the Commonwealth of Nations. New Zealand celebrates Queen’s Birthday (Queen Elizabeth II) on the first Monday of June each year. It is a public holiday and schools, banks and government offices are closed. The Queen’s birthday is actually on 21st April but the celebration dates across the commonwealth countries differ in order to fit into each nation’s spread of public holidays.
One of the most significant relevance of the day is the release of the Queen’s Birthday Honours’ List where appointments are made to the Order of New Zealand, which includes Orders, Orders of Merit, Dames, Knights, Companions, Officers, etc. An individual’s service to the society and nation, at large, are the basis of these appointments.
What’s on offer in 2014!!
An extended weekend in June brings a great deal of good cheer to New Zealanders. A lot is on offer during Queen’s Birthday Weekend, including the Steampunk Festival in Oamuru, Resene’s Architecture and Design Festival in Wellington, Out Takes Film Festival in Auckland and Wellington, and the Tauranga Readers and Writers Festival. Travellers, who are keen to explore the myriad offerings, germinating out of the celebratory cause of the Queen’s Birthday, can find great deals with Travel Trolley, which offers comprehensive holiday packages to New Zealand. Queens Birthday on Queens Wharf (Auckland), Armageddon Expo (Wellington), Special Queen’s Birthday Craft Market (Auckland) and Scape Sculpture Park Exhibition (Wellington) are few other attractions that have been created or modified to celebrate Queen’s Birthday in New Zealand.
The day also marks the official opening of the ski season in New Zealand. Skiing is a big crowd puller in the country. Along from locals, a number of foreign tourists always seem keen to explore this great thrilling pursuit. The ski fields in New Zealand are popular because of their impressive terrains, remarkable scenery, wide-ranging snow trails and top class resorts. Travel Trolley, again, is a reliable partner for creating a holiday itinerary including visits to top ski resorts of New Zealand.
