Where Should We Go? D'oh, Springfield, NZ!

Where should we go? D'oh, Springfield, New Zealand!

With a catastrophe of Simpsonesque proportions threatening the world there is one place where America's most famous family can still find refuge.

Where's that? D'oh, Springfield! In Canterbury, New Zealand.

It's about as far away as possible - in every respect - from the fictional Springfield in the United States where disaster is about to strike but it is ready with the welcome mat and some good old Kiwi hospitality for Homer Simpson and his dysfunctional brood.

The tiny picturesque town of Springfield, nestled at the foot of the snow-covered Southern Alps in the scenic heart of New Zealand's South Island, is even erecting a giant donut in its main street in honour of the Simpsons.

The Simpsons have been a hit on TV since 1989 but now they're about to hit the widescreen with their first feature film. The Simpsons Movie opens worldwide on July 26 and in the United States, where there are hundreds of towns named "Springfield", there is a major competition in which the winning town will hold the US premiere of the film.

But Springfield, New Zealand is set to steal the march on all of them by holding its own celebrations this weekend. Central to the celebration is the erection of a new icon for the town - a giant pink donut. Guests of honour, Bart and Homer Simpson, will arrive in Springfield on the TranzAlpine Express for its unveiling on Sunday 15 July.

Months of planning have gone into this weekend's mid-winter festivities and Springfield Township Committee president William Townshend says the town of 300 is buzzing with excitement.

"This is really putting Springfield on the map,'' says Mr Townshend, who has lived in the town for the past 12 years. "This is a great place with good community spirit.''

It is also the gateway to many alpine visitor attractions and the last town on the Great Alpine Highway before the Southern Alps. It's just a 50 minute drive west from Christchurch International Airport.

Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism acting chief executive Ian Hay says towns like Springfield often go unnoticed by visitors but they offer a unique and authentic visitor experience.

Springfield, because of its close location to the Porters Ski Area, the Korowai/Torlesse Tussockland National Park, Castle Hill Rocks and the Waimakariri River, provided visitors with easy access to a wealth of tourism adventures.

"This is a stunning part of the country, which is why Hollywood chose to film the battle scenes from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in this area. The scenery is just spectacular,'' Mr Hay says. "This is Narnia and Springfield is where many of the crew stayed while the movie was being filmed.

"You could spend days here exploring and taking in all that the area has to offer.''

ENDS

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