Are You Reddy? Norfolk Island Offers A Feast Of 2013 Events

News release


Are You Reddy? Norfolk Island Offers A Feast Of 2013 Events

Auckland, 19 February, 2013 – Fancy a week of stunning operatic concerts in a South Pacific Paradise? Or the sheer magic of a tour featuring two special concerts by world-acclaimed entertainer, Helen Reddy, performing some of her greatest hits? Norfolk, the ever-surprising island just 90 minutes from Auckland by air, has all of this in store for 2013, and more.

The year kicks off in spectacular style between 17-21 February with the unique annual event, Opera in Paradise. Each year, Queensland-based boutique opera company Operatif brings a line-up of internationally experienced opera singers and musicians to Norfolk for a week of large-scale opera concerts, intimate matinées, Champagne afternoon concerts and a traditional Island banquet and launch. This exclusive festival, where numbers are limited to only a few hundred, draws patrons from afar as the US and UK to enjoy excellent performances and the opportunity to socialise with the artists and enjoy the many other attractions Norfolk offers. For something completely different, you might want to stay on for Boot Scooting (Line dancing) Week, held at various venues on the island from 22 February to March 1.

At mid-year, Christmas in July is a great reason to enjoy the island’s mild winter weather on an escorted tour with Australian celebrity singer, Helen Reddy. Highlights include a midwinter Christmas lunch, two fantastic shows by Helen Reddy, who maintains a home on the island, and a week-long programme of tours, activities and dinners at local restaurants. This wonderful event begins on 9 July and with the chance to hear Helen Reddy singing many of her Grammy-winning classics from the 1970’s, it is sure to fill fast.

Got a hankering for Bluegrass or Nashville Blues? 20-24 May sees the celebration of the 20th Norfolk Island Country Music Festival, showcasing some of the best talent on both sides of the Tasman, with a Pacific twist. The festival culminates in the much-coveted Trans-Tasman Entertainer of the Year Award, with a prize pool that has been compared to the Bledisloe Cup!

Perhaps t’ai chi is more your thing? Or ballroom dancing, quilting, archery, tennis, golf, pistol shooting, clay target shooting or bowls? Norfolk is famous amongst Australasian sports and recreation aficionados as a special interest destination. 26-29 August sees the Hardy’s Wine Pro-Am Golf Classic held on the world-class nine-hole golf course adjacent to the World Heritage site at Kingston, where the water hazard is the largest in the world – the Pacific Ocean. The Oceania Squash Masters Tournament takes place on the island from 21-28 September.

Norfolk also hosts a year-round programme of festivals and events celebrating its rich and unique history and culture, from Foundation Day (6 March), the First Fleet 225th Anniversary

(1-8 March), Bounty Day (10 June) to Thanksgiving Day (27 November).

After a busy year, what better way to relax than by listening to some world-class jazz? In 2013, the annual Norfolk Island Jazz Festival will be held from 1-5 December.

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Norfolk Events 2013
(For more details visit www.norfolkisland.com.au)

February 12 to 14: Veterans Golf Tournament sponsored by Air New Zealand
February 17- 22: Opera in Paradise: www.operatif.com.au
February 22- March 01: Boot Scooting Week

March 6: Foundation Day
March 1-8: First Fleet 225th Anniversary
March 17-21: Maritime Week ‘From the Sirius to the Bounty’
March 29-April 5: T’ai Chi and Qigong Retreat

April 22-29: Quilting Retreat
April 28-May 2: Bowls (Bounty) 52nd Tournament

May 19-26: Norfolk Island 20th Country Music Festival: www.norfolkislandcountrymusic.com

June 10: Anniversary (Bounty) Day
June 30-July 4: Archery Open Field Tournament

July 9-15: Christmas in July (with Helen Reddy): http://probussouthpacific.org/probus/files/pages/Retreats/Ex_Melbourne.pdf

August 18-22: Bowls Tournament TAB Triples,
August 26-29: Hardy’s Wine Pro-Am Golf Classic

September 21-28: Oceania Squash Masters Tournament,
September 30-October 4: Norfolk Island Theatre Festival

October 14: Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Show

November 27: Thanksgiving Day

December 1-5: Norfolk Island Jazz Festival
December 1-8: Pistol Championships
December 20: FMX Trans-Tasman Challenge

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