The Australian's may have borrowed Phar Lap, pavlovas and
Russell Crowe and now they're eyeing our Jaffas… but in a friendly
way.
Top rating Australian television current affairs programme A
Current Affair, is in New Zealand this week filming at the
Dunedin Cadbury Chocolate Festival.
Every child's dream, and that of many adults, the chocolate
festival is held annually during July and celebrates winter and all
things chocolate.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the chocolate festival.
The programme will be taking a behind the scenes look at the
chocolate factory, meeting chocolate maker John Booth.
A Current Affair will also meet race organisers of the
Jaffa race down Dunedin's famous Baldwin Street - the steepest
street in the world - and meet locals who have competed in the
race.
A Current Affair is watched by just over one million
viewers a night. Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand are
supporting the project to help boost New Zealand's profile in
Australia.
"Australia's a huge market for New Zealand, with over a million
visitors a year and this kind of exposure for an iconic, and
quirky, New Zealand event is a great way to promote the fun side of
New Zealand to Australians," General Manager Public Affairs Suzanne
Carter said.
In the year to May 2010, New Zealand welcomed just over
1,100,000 Australian visitors, an increase of 11 per cent on the
previous year.
"Australia is New Zealand's only short-haul market, making it
possible for Australians to come over regularly but New
Zealand has to keep giving them new reasons to come and visit to
keep New Zealand fresh and interesting," Ms Carter said.
Tourism New Zealand has been working with A Current
Affair to develop online links from the show's website to www.newzealand.com.
"A Current Affair has a highly-interactive audience,
they like to be informed about topical, interesting and unique
opportunities they can be part of, so it's an ideal show for
Tourism New Zealand to work with to promote New Zealand as a
visitor destination," Ms Carter said.
Update: The story featured in the 22
July episode of A Current Affair, which reached 1.13
million Australians. Watch the story on A Current Affair's
website