The Wheat has been separated from the Chaff! The last sixteen have emerged to take their Quarter Final spots but who were the Wheat and who were the Chaff?

The last week of the pool round had some scintillating match ups with Scotland needing to get at least one victory from two very tough encounters against Argentina and England. New Zealand had to face their World Cup boogey team France to win their Pool and Ireland just had the thorny little task of beating Italy to advance.

The week got underway with Australia facing a weakened United States in Wellington. The US coach Eddie Sullivan chose a second string US side to face Australia due to the Eagles hectic schedule. Eagles had little chance of turning over one of the competitions early favourites, and with the Wallabies running in 11 tries to one, the chances of an upset lasted only until the two teams walked on to the field.

Aussies, Rob Horne and Rocky Elsom scored for the Wallabies, before they were surprised by a JJ Gagiano’s try for the US. The two times World Champions Australia, then put the Americans to the sword, as Kurtley Beale and Anthony Faingaa ensured Australia earned a bonus point by half-time. The Aussies stepped up a gear in the second half, running in seven unanswered tries, including a six-minute hat-trick from Adam Ashley-Cooper, to secure all five points from the match with a 67-5 victory.

England took a more assured step towards the Quarter Finals as they trounced Romania 67-3 with returning from injury winger Mark Cueto scoring a hat-trick along with Chris Ashton. Jonny Wilkinson seemed to be returning to better form as he converted three tries with his trusty boot along with a penalty conversion before being replaced by Toby Flood who also had a superb outing with his boot. The Six Nations champions seemed to be on better form after a couple of error strewn games earlier in the tournament but they would need to in much better form to face Scotland in a crunch final match in the Pool stage for both sides.

Hosts New Zealand went head to head with France to see who would be the winners of Pool A. Les Bleus had famously knocked out the All Blacks from the 1999 and 2007 World Cups, but with rumors of France possibly throwing the game, so they would have an easier run in, in the knock out stages the tie was highly charged. The Hosts weathered the early pressure from Les Bleus but were never truly troubled by their old nemesis, as they ended up clear winners 37-17 at full time.

Ireland kept their chance of winning Pool C with a emphatic victory over Russia as they easily earned their bonus point to go with the four for winning the tie 62-12. The Irish scored nine tries with Ronan O’Gara scoring an impressive six conversions and a penalty kick. The victory left them in control of the Pool and an important test against Italy to see who would be the winner of the group between them and Australia.

Minutes after Ireland had all but secured their place in the Quarter Finals their Celtic cousins Scotland had a tough task of their own to secure a place in the last sixteen of the tournament. The Scots had to face an ever improving Argentina side. The Southern Hemisphere nation have steadily improved over the years and will finally get its inclusion in the Tri-Nations in 2012, as they become the Four Nations, with a possible Pacific Islands team to make a fifth nation in the future.

Argentina had run England very close in their opening game and would look to make Scotland’s road to the Quarter Finals as difficult as possible, as they did with a dour 13-12 victory over the Scots. Both teams made life difficult for themselves with a number of errors that gifted their opponent’s chances to put themselves on the board but points seemed hard to find for the two nations, as Scotland’s Chris Patterson and Felipe Contepomi of Argentina, who had given the Pumas the lead despite Scotland’s early pressure missed a number of penalty opportunities.

Scotland survived an early scare as Martin Rodriguez sliced wide a simple drop-goal attempt in front of the posts during the first spell of Argentine pressure. Rodriguez missed another stellar chance from a drop goal attempt just after Contepomi put the Pumas on the score board. Scotland did pull level with the Pumas before the half as the Argentine forwards collapsed the scrum to give Patterson another chance in front of the posts, and this time he did not fail to hit the target.

After the restart Ruaridh Jackson then gave the Scots the lead with a Penalty conversion of his own after another collapsed scrum. The Argentinians pulled level as Contepomi made amends for a failed penalty conversion as the Scots collapsed a scrum of their own. Scotland applied the pressure and went close as scrum half Rory Lawson was held up on the line by some stalwart Argentine defending. A minute later, a beautifully controlled drop-goal from Jackson restored the Scots’ three-point lead.

Dan Parks replaced Jackson with 10 minutes remaining and, after a monster kick deep into Argentine territory, slotted over a drop-goal that appeared to put Scotland in the driving seat. However, Argentina swept up the field and Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino jagged inside Paterson on the touchline and squirmed inside two more tackles before getting over the try line for an superb try that was converted by Contepomi.

In the dying minutes of the tie, Parks came close to steeling it for the Scots as he sliced wide with a drop goal attempt after being forced on to his weaker left foot by an offside-looking Contepomi, but there was to be no whistle other than the final one from the referee.

Wales not to be out done by Ashton, Cueto and Ashley-Cooper got a hat-trick scorer of their own in Scott Williams in their easy 81-7 victory over Namibia. The Welsh running up an impressive 12 tries to give them the full five points form the match and leave them needing a victory over Fiji to claim their Quarter Final spot.

In other matches Japan and Canada had the first tie of the tournament as they drew 23-23 in Napier. Italy kept on target for a place in the Quarter Finals as they beat the USA 27-10. Georgia beat Romania 25-9 to give the Romanians the ignominy of the Pool B wooden Spoon. The South Africans took a lazy ride through the Samoans as they ran out 13-5 winners to claim top spot in Pool D.

With only two days of Pool action left there were two crunch mates still to play out of the six remaining games on the last Pool weekend. Scotland had a myriad of permutations if they were to win a place in the quarter finals but ultimately they had to hope that they could beat England and prevent England from getting a bonus point to stand any chance. Whilst Ireland had to beat Italy to claim their place in the Quarter Finals as well, but after their historic victory over Australia earlier in the tournament is was Ireland’s to lose.

Despite the hype of an Italy upset before the kick off the Irish easily saw off the Italian threat with a stunning 36-6 victory to win all their pool matches and head the Pool C table over heavily favoured Australia. Scotland on the other hand were not so lucky.

Needing to beat England and prevent their old rivals from claiming a bonus point they failed dismally as the English stumbled to yet another World Cup victory 16-12. The game was over shadowed by the wet and blustery conditions that made handling a major issue for both sides in Auckland. Scotland will count themselves unlucky that they couldn’t put the game to bed as the English gave way numerous penalties in scoring positions for the Scots and failed to put away scoring opportunities of their own.

The Scots had the advantage at the half with a 9-3 lead but whatever England coach Martin Johnson put in his player’s tea certainly did the trick as England came out a new team. Despite some ranging runs from the English backs, the Scottish defence held out and after another error from the English the Scots extended their lead from the boot of Patterson. The tie was in Scotland’s hand but the every present drop goal threat of Wilkinson bore fruit as on 63 minutes the English pulled three points closer. The Scottish line out failed near the Scottish touchline as Wilkinson again gave the English a lifeline from his boot to put the English within three points. However, with England trailing 9-12 and the game entering its painful finale for Scotland, English replacement Toby Flood threw a devious miss-pass to Ashton on the right wing who dived over to end Scotland’s hopes, with Flood adding the extras from the touchline.

The rest of the weekends fixtures were games to make up the number as the Pools had all but ended as expected, Australia routed the Russians 68-22, Argentina rested a few first team players as they ran out 25-7 winners over Georgia. The Welsh continued their fine form as they demolished Fiji 66-0 in Hamilton and New Zealand took a leisurely stroll to beat Canada comfortably 79-15.

In contrast to the majority of tier one nation’s relatively easy passage to the Quarter Finals, the French failed to qualify in style, as they suffered an ignominious 19-14 loss to Tonga. The loss meant that Les Bleus limped into the Quarter Finals, with Marc Lievremont’s side in disarray after a fine start to the Pool stage of the completion.

So the cream of world rugby has risen to the top and the only shock is the omission of Scotland from the Quarter Finals but for Argentina it is a well-deserved spot in the last 16 after some combative and spirited rugby. The Quarter Finals have separated the Northern Hemisphere sides from the Southern, meaning that it will be a North versus South World Cup Final.

The 2003 winners England have looked less then sterling in their Pool play and can count themselves lucky to have squeaked through, after some awful displays. France has also looked like a disjointed team bereft of originality and clearly not at the races in their last two outings. Ireland and Wales both look like they can beat anyone on their day, unfortunately one of them will miss out on a Semi Final spot.

Reigning champions South Africa have a formidable test against Australia but New Zealand will be quite happy that they be playing Argentina in the Quarter Final and hoping that their possible Semi Final opponents have a very tough match. However, the teams got to the Quarter Finals it is now that the real World Cup starts in earnest.

Pool A
1. New Zealand
2. France
Pool B
1. England
2. Argentina
Pool C
1. Ireland
2. Australia
Pool D
1. South Africa
2. Wales

Quarter Finals

Ireland Vs Wales
England Vs France
South Africa Vs Australia
New Zealand Vs Argentina

IRB Rugby World Cup – New Zealand 2011 – Final Pool Week Round Up. is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Australia collapse another scrum to nullify a dominant Ireland

The 2011 Rugby World Cup got its first upset of the tournament as the Irish turned over Australia in a thriller at Eden Park, Auckland. The United States recorded their first win as they beat Russia, and reigning champions South Africa and host’s New Zealand sustain their dominance in their pools.

The United States had come off the back of a fine performance in their defeat to Ireland to face a Russia side that has one eye on improving their performance as Rugby Sevens is to be included in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The USSR had regularly beaten the likes of Italy in the 1970’s but with the decline of the Soviet Union their players had spread to the four corners of the broken up Soviet Union.

The Eagles outperformed the Bears on their World Cup debut, under horrendous conditions with the wind and rain lashing the Stadium Taranaki in New Plymouth. Russia got off to a fantastic start, as Yury Kushnarev kicked Russia’s first World Cup points from a penalty after only three minutes. Ultimately though, despite the early lead the debutants ended up losing 13-6 to the stronger American side. Russia’s coach, ex-Sale head coach Kingsley Jones would have been pleased with the stalwart defensive play of his charges who despite an overwhelming size difference in the pack managed to hold the Americans to one try in the first half, and prevented them scoring any in the second half.

For Russia their second match of the week was against a slightly stronger side than the US, in the shape of Italy. The Italians needed to rack up some points if they wanted to challenge Ireland and Australia for one of the two quarter final berths from Pool C. Unfortunately for Russia that is exactly what they did. As the ran out clear winners with a 53-17 victory to claim all five points up for grabs and claim their first victory of the tournament and leave Russia squarely at the foot of Pool C.

The Pool was thrown wide open for Italy as Ireland pulled off a fantastic mauling of the Tri-Nations Champions Australia at Eden Park, Auckland. The Aussies had gone into the match up as clear favourites but the Irish who have stuttered in the last couple of years produced some of the form that gave them the Six Nations, Grand Slam in 2009 to record an historic victory by 15-6. The Wallabies were without their playmaking flanker David Peacock and influential hooker Steven Moore, but the front five of Ireland would have made it difficult for any team out there, with their total dominance.

The other home nations came through relatively unscathed from their ties but England coach Martin Johnson will not be pleased with the manner of his team’s victory over Georgia. England stuttered through their match, winning 41-10, scoring six tries to gain the extra point but it was only the fitness levels of the English that told at the end to allow them the dominant victory, as they only led 17-10 at the half. Johnson will be hoping that his charges concentrate more on their team performance then their late night partying after a number of them were caught drinking late into the night at a local night club.

The Welsh are sitting in third place in Pool D, after a narrow 17-10 victory over second placed Samoa. In previous World Cup’s the Welsh have struggled to defeat the Samoans but with only Fiji and Namibia to play the Welsh will be feeling confident of moving onto the quarter final stages for the first time since 2003. However, they will be mindful that it was a 38-34 loss to Fiji that stopped them qualifying for the quarter finals in the last World Cup.

Scotland did not play this week but there has been some grumbling in the Scottish camp that their most difficult games come in the span of five days against Argentina and England. However, with nine points in the bag and joint top of Pool B with England, a berth in the quarter finals is theirs to lose.

In other matches the hosts New Zealand gave Japan a 83-7 thumping as they continued their dominancy in Pool A. New Zealand’s main rivals for winners of Pool A, are the French who gave Canada a thumping of their own as they ran out 46-19 winners. The two giants of pool face off next week as the All Blacks and Le Bleus attempt to top the pool, but speculation is rife that the French who have knocked out the All Blacks in recent World Cups are going to play a second string starting XV, in an attempt not win, with the hope of an easier route to the final.

Reigning champions South Africa trounced poor neighbours Namibia 87-0 in Pool D, to all but guarantee their place in the last eight of the tournament but with only second placed Samoa to play it is their berth in the quarters to lose.

In the battle for the wooden spoon in Pool A, Japan were on the end of another loss as Tonga beat the Cherry Blossoms 31-18 and in Pool B, Argentina beat the pool’s whipping boys Romania 43-8 to leave themselves still in the hunt for a quarter final spot at the expense of either England or Scotland.

The second week of ties has shown that the established nations will beat the tier 2, nations, in the Rugby World 99 times out of a 100. This has led to a call in some quarters for the exclusion of the emerging nations from the actual finals. However, this would be wrong. For many players from the lesser rugby playing nations it is a chance to play in some of the finest rugby stadia in the world, in front of thousands of fans. It is a chance to pit their wits, energy and skills against the world’s finest rugby playing athletes. It is a chance at glory, a chance to cause an upset and maybe a chance to be seen by a scout from one of the world’s professional clubs and turn professional.

For the established nations these games are vital, they give the teams a chance to come together as a squad for over two months, a chance to iron out kinks in their games, a chance hone their skills so that when they (barring a humiliating defeat) reach the quarter finals they should be firing on all cylinders. The coaches should know who their ideal first XV is. They should know what tactics they should be employing as they take on their top flight opponents and whether they actually have a cat in hells chance of winning the tournament.

Rugby World Cup – New Zealand 2011 – Week Two Round Up is a post from: Anglotopia.net

We’ve been hard at work behind the scenes and now we’re ready to announce the launch of our latest website – Kiwitopia – the website for people who love New Zealand.

I’ve long been fascinated by the other land down under and since a big chunk of our traffic happens to hail from New Zealand, we’ve decided to branch out and launch a site completely dedicated to NZ.

On Kiwitopia, you can read the latest travel news about New Zealand, watch videos, browse pictures learn about places to go and people to see. We have a lot planned for this site so we hope that you’ll take a minute to stop buy, check it out and subscribe.

Click Here to Visit Kiwitopia.net

Oh and if you’re worried this new site will take away from Anglotopia – don’t worry – Anglotopia will continue to be our top priority for some time to come, we’re just diversifying!

Introducing Kiwitopia.net – The Website for People Who Love New Zealand is a post from: Anglotopia.net

South Africa's Captain John Smit Raises Aloft the 2007 William Webb Ellis Trophy

The 2011 Rugby World Cup is only a week old! Everyone has played at least one game but which of the coaches will be the happy hooker and who will feel they are in the sin bin?

The tournament got off to a cracking start with a stunning opening ceremony in Auckland with a choir of 400 singing the Rugby World Cup anthem, World in Union. Martin Sneddon, CEO for Tournament Organiser Rugby New Zealand 2011, said of World in Union, “the performance sums up the cosmopolitan character of our young nation with singers of Maori, Pakeha, Samoan, Fijian, Cook Island, Niuean, Tongan, Tokelauan, Australian, Chinese, Korean, English, Irish, Danish, American, Canadian, Dutch, South African and Indian descent”, and he wasn’t wrong. The massed voices of multi-cultural New Zealand did their nation proud but it was up to the 30 players on the field to make the rugby world proud.

The hosts did not disappoint their fans with a dominant display to open the festival of rugby, beating Tonga 41-10. The All Blacks led by 29-3 at half time with a pair of tries each for Israel Dagg, and Richard Kahui with Tongan, Kurt Morath scoring a penalty to put some points on the board for the visitors. The All Blacks failed to capitalise on fine first half performance but after 19 minutes of the second half gone they managed to break the resolute Tongans with another try, this time from Jerome Kaino after a neat chip from Kahui set him free to power over the line. The Tongans did not take this lying down and took the fight to the All Blacks, gaining some great possession. With New Zealand born Taumalolo burrowing his way over the try line from short range for a well-deserved try, which was converted by Morath.

Despite the five points for the host nation in the opening tie of the competition. New Zealand coach Graham Henry will be happy to have got the opening game under his belt but will be mindful of his team letting the game slip in the second period.

In some of the other opening round match ups, England and Argentina fought out a close match with England ruing five penalty misses from kicking stalwart Jonny Wilkinson. The English looked to be heading for a shock opening defeat at the hands of the Pumas as they were tailing 9-3, with 13 minutes left on the clock. However, a late try from scrum half ,Ben Youngs spared the 2003 champions blushes to leave England second in Group B behind old rivals Scotland.

On paper you would think that Scotland would have an easier task as they took on Romania, but with the Scots ability to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory the game did not seem to be going to plan for their coach Andy Robinson, as his side let a 21-11 lead slip. After victory in all but two of their last twelve encounters it seemed like it was going to be another loss for Scotland as Romania lead 24-21 with only 12 minutes remaining. Unfortunately, for Romania the Scottish kicking metronome Chris Paterson had not left his kicking boots in the dressing room as he leveled the tie before Simon Danielli went over late to take the match away from the Romanians.

Scotland put in a less than impressive display in the second of their first week matches as they struggled to stamp their authority on Georgia, as they won by the tight margin of 15 points to six. Andy Robinson’s side were defensively very strong but had no attacking dynamism which was hampered even more by the difficult wet conditions. Dan Park who was in for Chris Paterson for kicking duties managed to convert only four of his seven penalty attempts and produced all of the Scottish points from his boot. Despite Scotland’s difficulties they still sit on top of Pool ‘B’ with nine points, five ahead of England.

In Ireland’s opening tie the defensively frail United States, showed that they had heeded the warnings of their weak defence and produced one of the best defensive displays so far, holding the 2009 Six Nations Champions Ireland to three points in the first half, and could feel unlucky to have not gone into the dressing room on level terms. However, for the Eagles the Irish were just too strong in the second half running out as 22-10 victors with both side failing to gain the extra point.

The last of the home Nations, Wales can feel slightly unlucky to have lost their opening tie to reigning Webb Ellis trophy holders South Africa, after James Hooks controversial penalty kick was judged to have gone wide despite appearances, to leave the Welsh on the end of a scintillating 17-16 defeat. When questioned about the disputed penalty decision, Tournament organisers said: “Correct protocol was followed. The IRB will not be making further comment.”

In other ties, Australia won 32-6 to run out as clear winners against Italy in a one sided contest that gave them maximum points, and in first place above Ireland in Pool C. France made heavy weather in their opening game against Japan but still ran out clear winners, 47-21. The Frenched claimed the extra point to leave them in second place in Pool A behind New Zealand. Fiji were the first of the second level teams to record a victory as they beat Namibia 49-25. Unfortunately, for Namibia they also lost their second match of the week to Samoa as they the Pacific Islanders won 49-12. It leaves the Africans with no chance of qualifying for the next stage of the Cup.

Canada recorded an impressive victory over Tonga to resign them to a second consecutive defeat in a week as the Canucks ran out winners in a tightly fought contest that ended 25-20. For the Canadians it was the third time that they have defeated Tonga in World Cup competitions and means that Toga have no chance of progressing to the second stage of the Tournament.

With the second set of ties now underway and the Pools starting to take shape it is clear that the usual suspects of England, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and France will be in the mix for the knockout stage. However, the only team to stamp their authority so far on the tournament seems to be Australia and their coach Robbie Deans will be very pleased with their performance. Scotland’s Andy Robinson will be happy to have nine points after two games but won’t be happy with the less then dominant performances from his side, and South Africa’s Peter De Villiers will be unhappy at the way Wales took his reigning champions so close. However, with four more games left for most teams it’s still all to play for.

About the Rugby World Cup

The IRB (International Rugby Board) Rugby World Cup 2011, is one of the preminent sporting events in the world’s sporting calendar and is held every four year. It is the globe’s third most watched sporting event after the Olympics, and the FIFA World Cup. This year’s tournament is being hosted by rugby power house nation New Zealand. The New Zealand, ‘All Blacks’ will be joined by 19 of the World’s finest rugby playing nations. Each country will compete in four ‘Pools’ in their quest to hoist the William Webb Ellis Trophy, at Eden Park, Auckland, on Sunday October 23rd after seven weeks of intense competition.

Each of the four pools consist of five teams, with the top two teams qualifying for the quarter-finals, where it becomes an elimination competition. The pool stage is a round-robin competition of ten games, with each team playing one match against each of the other teams in their group. The teams are awarded four points for a win, two points for a draw and none for a defeat. If a team scores four or more tries in one match, or if a team loses by seven points or less they will score a bonus point.

Sport: Rugby World Cup 2011 New Zealand – 1st Week in Review is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The 2011 Rugby World Cup is now taking place in New Zealand and we have some key info if you’re in the USA and would like to watch some of the matches.

According to the official website:

Rugby World Cup matches will be broadcast on US network television for the first time after the International Rugby Board announced that NBC Sports and Universal Sports have been awarded the exclusive rights to the 2011 tournament in New Zealand and the 2015 tournament in England.

The groundbreaking deal, announced by IRB Chief Executive Mike Miller in New York today, will see the final of each Rugby World Cup broadcast on NBC and Universal Sports network as a key element of a multi-platform approach that will ensure unprecedented television and digital media coverage in the United States of all 48 matches from Rugby’s premier event.

Under the deal, NBC and Universal Sports has also committed to broadcasting other key matches from each tournament, while live and delayed match video will also be accessible at Universal;sports.com and on Universal Sports’ mobile platforms.

Universal Sports’ and NBC Sports’ match coverage will feature a studio pre-match show, halftime and post-match reaction and all the action will be broadcast in high definition.

IRB Chief Executive Mike Miller said: “Today’s announcement represents a significant milestone in the development of Rugby in the United States. NBC and Universal Sports are globally renowned for quality broadcast delivery of major sports events in the United States and their considerable experience and passion for sport will deliver the widespread platform for Rugby World Cup to truly capture the hearts and minds of American sports fans.”

“The announcement further underscores the sport’s rapidly growing profile in emerging Rugby markets, further accelerated by the IOC’s decision to include Rugby Sevens in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Sports fans across America will be able to look forward to a Rugby World Cup that will showcase the very best that our sport has to offer. I am sure that it will be a hit.”

Universal Sports Chief Executive Officer David Sternberg said: “This is a very significant rights acquisition for Universal Sports, especially given the growing popularity of Rugby around the world and in America. We are delighted to be partnering with the IRB for the Rugby World Cup and other top events, and we look forward to showcasing global Rugby, at its highest level, for our audiences across all of our platforms – television, online and mobile.”

The deal enhances Universal Sports’ commitment to Rugby in the United States and reflects growing interest in the sport following the International Olympic Committee’s decision to include Rugby Sevens in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The network has also broadcast the US College Sevens and the Churchill Cup this year, bringing Rugby to the attention of more sports fans across the country than ever before.

Source.

Where To Watch the Rugby World Cup 2011 in the USA is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This video is lovely and whimsical. It hasn’t snowed in Wellington, New Zealand since the 1930′s so the snow was greeted with understandable excitement. Watch people take time out of the their day to enjoy the fluke of weather.

Snow on Cuba Mall in central Wellington (HD) from Ro Tierney on Vimeo.

Video: First Snow in Wellington, New Zealand since the 1930′s – Whimsical is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Peter Jackson, the director of The Hobbit, is personally giving a behind the scenes look at the production of The Hobbit which has recently got underway in New Zealand.

It’s a fantastic look at the film in production and makes me really excited for what’s next!

The Hobbit: Peter Jackson Gives A Tour of the Set in his first Video Blog is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The speech by Prince William at the official service on March 18 in Christchurch, New Zealand at a memorial service for the recent Earthquake victims.

Video: Prince William Speaks at Christchurch New Zealand Memorial is a post from: Anglotopia.net

He may be busy with work and his upcoming wedding, but Prince William is going to manage a visit to disaster-stricken Australia and New Zealand next week.

According to the BBC:

Prince William will visit New Zealand and Australia next week to tour areas devastated by recent natural disasters, St James’s Palace has said.

The prince will travel to Christchurch, New Zealand, where more than 150 people died in an earthquake last month.

He will also go to Greymouth, near the site of the Pike River mine disaster in New Zealand in which 29 people died.

William will then travel to Australia, where he will visit areas hit by flooding in Queensland and Victoria.

The prince will visit the two countries on behalf of the Queen following invitations from the prime ministers of New Zealand and Australia; he will not be accompanied by his fiancee Kate Middleton.

I’d wondered if the Queen was going to send a Royal to pay respects in her other realms, and I’m glad to see that it’s happening.

William’s glamorous fiance will not be joining him on this trip – which I think is a shame. While it may be seen untoward to introduce some glamour to this occasion, it may do well to build good relations.

We’ll provide coverage of William’s visit to Australia and New Zealand as it happens. Stay tuned!

Prince William to Visit Disaster Stricken Australia and New Zealand Next Week is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This news comes via our friends at Anglophenia – the cast of The Hobbit has gathered together for the first time in New Zealand in preparation for principle photography to begin on March 21st.

From Anglophenia:

BBC News reports that select cast members of The Hobbit gathered for a press conference on Friday (February 11). And whaddya think about the new cast shot above? Being Human’s Aidan Turner is looking fab with that beard, isn’t he?

Filming for the Lord of the Rings prequel was originally scheduled to get underway on Valentine’s Day (February 14). But in late January, director Peter Jackson fell ill with a stomach ulcer and subsequently had to have surgery. It was announced last Monday (February 7) that work would resume on March 21.

And while Jackson was unable to participate in today’s presser due to being “under a medical form of house arrest,” UK actors like Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins) and Robert Kazinsky (Fili) chatted about what’s coming up next.

Source.

Here’s a video of the cast together at a press conference:

Cast of The Hobbit Comes Together in New Zealand for the First Time is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I came across this in my feeds last week. This airline pilot, hot on the heels of riding his jet-ski all the way around New Zealand, is riding it from London to New Zealand (for a good cause).

Yes, you read that right.

From Gadling:

51 year old Jeremy Burfoot is a bit of an adventurer – and while some consider an afternoon bike ride to be an adventure, Mr. Burfoot takes things way beyond the next level. Yesterday, the Kiwi pilot left London on his jetski, blasting down the Thames on his way to Rotterdam. The rest of his trip will take four months, and his final destination is Auckland, New Zealand – 19,880 miles away.

Riding his jetski 12 hours a day, Mr. Burfoot will travel down the Rhine and Danube rivers, then cross the Black Sea, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, through Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia before making the final trip to Auckland some time in November.

You can read a blog chronicling this journey on the Jeremy’s Website here.

Crazy Guy to Jet-Ski from London to New Zealand is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The New Zealand singer who shot to fame and fortune with the hit How Bizarre has died at the age of 40.

It’s not really clear what he died of yet, but he died at a Hospital in New Zealand with his family at his side.

As typical with unknowns who shoot to fame like he did – things did not really work out for for OMC or the Otara Millionaires Club after their brief brush with fame. May he rest in piece.

If you’d like to be transported back to 1995 – here’s the video for this classic 90′s song.

Pauly Fuemana from the One Hit Wonders OMC Has Died is a post from: Anglotopia.net

"I Can't Believe We're in Coach"

Air New Zealand – the ever innovative airline from New Zealand has just announced changes to their cabin layouts that are going to be a game changer in the transpacific travel industry.

They’ve introduced lie down seats in coach.

Yes, you read that right.

They’ve developed the SkyCouch – where 3 seats can turn into a space big enough to stretch out. The cost of being able to lie flat will be about $200 more than the lowest economy seat, along with the cost of the third seat at half price.

The new SkyCouches will be added to their newer planes as a new feature. By far one of the most daunting aspects of travelling to a place like New Zealand is the 12+ hours you spend on a plane. By spending just a little more on your economy seats, you’ll be able stretch out, lay down and enjoy some of the comforts generally reserved for the ridiculously priced business class seats.

It’s awesome, innovative and I hope one day I can check it out for myself.

The first route is planned for December, on selected NZ5 and NZ6 services between Auckland and Los Angeles (and NZ1 and NZ2 return), followed by services on to London in April 2011.

Boeing 777-200 aircraft are also in line for a re-fit from mid 2011, with flights to Asia, North America and the UK operating with the new seats by 2012.

Great job AirNZ. Great job.

Air New Zealand Unveils Revolutionary New Cabins – Lie Down in Coach! is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Prince William’s journey to woo the people of the lands down under is now over and it’s time for the pundits to weigh in on whether or not it was a success and just when New Zealand and Australia will finally ditch the monarchy.

Fromt the Guardian:

In the end the lure of celebrity proved just too much. The arrival of the diffident 27-year-old Old Etonian, who might conceivably one day become their monarch, provoked sneers in Australia before he touched down on Tuesday. But by last night he had been transformed from Willy the Wombat into – acccording to the tabloid Herald Sun – a Dinkum Aussie Larrikin. You could go a long way through the Outback to find someone less like a larrikin (which usually translates as a bit of a hoodlum), but that’s what the presence of royalty can do for you.

Many thousands turned out to see the prince here in Australia and in New Zealand earlier in the week. Outside the new supreme court building in Wellington, which William had been sent to open on behalf of his grandmother, people greeted him with cheers and worried about the effect of the sun on his bald spot. Maoris beamed with pleasure that the grandson of the Great White Heron had come amongst them.

In Sydney, Aborigines who spend their lives crammed into a dismal slum area called the Block came out in their thousands to welcome a young man as different from them as it is possible to imagine. William’s gay fanbase turned out in “I Love Willy” T-shirts.

Read the rest here. It’s worth a read and the included video is hilarious!

Good Summary of the Success of Prince William’s Odyssey Down Under is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Prince William is done with his whirlwind visit to New Zealand and now it’s off to Australia for his ‘unofficial visit.’ Here’s pictures from his last day in New Zealand and his first day in Australia.

Pictures from Prince William’s Final day in New Zealand

Pictures From Prince William’s First Day in Australia

Prince William Pictures Official State Visit to New Zealand and Then Onto Australia is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Here are some more pictures of Prince William’s Official State Visit to New Zealand. He spent the second day of his trip opening the new New Zealand supreme court and seeing the sights. Stay tuned for further updates.

Prince William New Zealand Official State Visit Day 2 Pictures is a post from: Anglotopia.net

Prince William is on his first official visit to New Zealand and pictures are starting to make their way on the web. He’s in New Zealand representing the Queen, opening the new New Zealand supreme court and doing a few other bips and bobs. We’ll keep you posted on the trip.

Mouse over each image for a detailed description.

Pictures of Prince William’s First State Visit to New Zealand Day 1 is a post from: Anglotopia.net

The official Airline of New Zealand has launched an innovative contest to create buzz for their brand, and they’re using Twitter to do it.

Every day they’ll ask a trivia question about New Zealand on their Twitter account, you need to reply with the answer and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a trip THAT DAY.

Yes, you could know if you’re going to New Zealand for free the very next day!

They’re doing it for 30 days – with a prize every single day. They’re now on day four – so if you want the maximum amount of chances to win – you need to start now.

Today’s Question:

Q#4 – If our flight attendant suggests a lovely Devil’s Staircase or Spinyback (and you’re of legal age), what will you be enjoying? Tweet answer back to @KiWeets

The question does not go out at a set time, so you’ll have to monitor the Twitter account – I recommend using Tweetdeck or a similar tool to do so.

Speed of your answer counts as the faster you answer, the more points you’ll get and you could win the Grand Prize, which is a business class ticket to New Zealand.

So, head on over to KiWeets and enter!

Anglophile Alert: Win A Trip to New Zealand from Air New Zealand is a post from: Anglotopia.net

For reasons I can’t figure out – Schick and Wolverine have teamed up to offer a chance to win a free trip to New Zealand.

Here are the details:

Grand Prize: Trip for 2 to Queenstown, New Zealand including airfare, hotel, ground transportation, a helicopter excursion for 2 to Mount Cook and its glaciers, an overnight cruise for 2 on Milford Sound, and $1,000 spending cash.

You have until November 15, 2009 to enter. You must be a US citizen of the lower 48 states to enter.

To enter, click here.

Good Luck!

Anglophile Alert: Win a Trip to New Zealand is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I recently posted about New Zealand being rated the most peaceful country on the planet. Well, now anyone can have a chance to experience it for three months in the latest ‘best job in the world’ contest!

Queensland in Australia made waves a few months ago when it offered the “Best Job in the World” and held a competition to choose the winner. Well, that contest is done and over with. But there’s now a new opportunity on the horizon, this time for a chance at a three month working holiday in New Zealand. Entirely Kiwi, a New Zealand based travel company is looking for someone who wants to travel New Zealand for three months for free.

Here are the details from Entirely Kiwi:

Title:

World Famous New Zealand Expert on Everything New Zealand

Job role:

Your role will be to travel the length of New Zealand, meeting with our suppliers, clients and the occasional possum and promoting Entirely Kiwi to the world through any means possible, and telling everyone exactly why New Zealand is the best country in the world – beyond the obvious fact that it is.

Job requirements:

A sense of humor, a love of travelling, excellent communication skills, the ability to brag, lots of friends and followers (or the ability to make them) to tell your travels about and mostly the ability to have a good time and enjoy yourself. You may be required for media purposes so you need to not be afraid of cameras or other tourists or locals taking photos of you. You will also need to be able to take photos/video and use a laptop to update your journey.

In return you will get:

Return tickets from your point of origin to Christchurch, New Zealand. We will help you get your working holiday visa if you need one. We will provide you with three months of FREE accommodation, transport, a daily food allowance and some spending cash so that you can live life to the fullest and become world famous in New Zealand. We will even organize regular “social gatherings” along your journey so that you can meet the locals and have a fabulous time in Aotearoa. And you get to keep the camera you used along the way so you can take a copy of all the photos home to show family and friends what you were up to.

What you need to do:

Firstly, if your not already a New Zealander or Resident, you will need to qualify for a working holiday visa check this out for details:

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday/

Sorry for the age requirements – we are not ageist but apparently the working holiday visas are.

Don’t stress the small stuff – we will be assisting the winner in the visa application process to make sure you have all the insurance and financial requirements met.

Then you need to create a video and email it to us at worldfamous@entirelykiwi.com outlining exactly why you would be the best candidate for the job. Please include your name, address and a contact phone number so we can contact you if you become a finalist.

Applications close 31 August 2009. Ten finalists will be advised within 7 days of this date. They will then be required to partake in interviews for the position. Winner will be advised as soon as possible and the application for visa will be required to begin immediately after notification. Travel time to New Zealand will be dependant on the applicant and the confirmation of the visa – hopefully for summer!

So, there you have it. Do you have what is takes to win a three month working holiday in New Zealand. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime and definitely worth applying for!

For more details, check out the official website here. You can also read more about this in an article in the New Zealand Herald here.

The Best Job in the World Redux: Win a Free 3 Month Trip to New Zealand is a post from: Anglotopia.net

What were the criteria?

From the Article:

According to the Institute for Economics and Peace that rated the relative tranquility of 144 nations according to 23 “indicators” – including gun sales, the number of homicides, the size of the military, the potential for terrorism and the number of people in jail.

The index defined peace as “the absence of violence,” and so far, things are a little dicey. Violence and instability have increased, respect for human rights has decreased. The researchers also calculated that the world’s nations have collectively lost close to $8 trillion due to the complications of widespread violence.

So, what is the most peaceful country on Earth? Well, it’s not Britain and it’s certainly not the USA (which places 83rd).

The answer is:

New Zealand

Yes, the land of Hobbits and Kiwis is officially the most peaceful country in the world.

Not only does New Zealand have all the benefits of an English speaking country, it’s also incredibly beautiful with an open society. And they don’t spend a lot of energy trying to kill each other.

Sounds rather nice.

Read the rest of the Article here.

If this piques your interest and you’re interested in moving to New Zealand, here are some useful resources.

Immigration New Zealand – Government Website

Info in Immigrating to New Zealand

Moving to New Zealand

The Most Peaceful Place on Earth is a post from: Anglotopia.net

If you’re looking to travel to New Zealand, it’s never been a cheaper time. I got this alert a few days ago and the prices are insanely cheap, not that much more than it would be to fly to Europe from the USA.

It’s going into the winter in Australia and New Zealand, but that doesn’t mean it still won’t be beautiful this time of year.

From the Sale Page:

Fares from Los Angeles or San Francisco starting at US$399* Each Way Based on Round Trip

If you’ve been dreaming of a vacation in New Zealand, take advantage of our current fare sale! On top of saving heaps on airfare, you’ll feel like you’re saving massive amounts of dollars while traveling in New Zealand due to the continued strength of the US Dollar. From the fabulous food & wine to the fabulous scenery that abounds… now truly is the time to plan your New Zealand vacation.

For this special deal, start your travel between now and 8 June 2009 or between 26 July and 21 September 2009.

Hurry, adventure awaits but this deal will expire 6 May 2009.

To take advantage of this offer, check on the sale page here.

Anglophile Alert: Record Low Prices to New Zealand is a post from: Anglotopia.net

As if you needed more than one reason, Travel Blog Gadling has come up with ten VERY good reasons to consider a vacation in New Zealand. And no, none of them are because Lord of the Rings was filmed there.

Here’s my favorite reason:

3. Fare Wars: Ever since V Australia entered the transpacific market, fares between the United States and Australia/New Zealand have been outstanding. Several Gadling bloggers reached Sydney from Los Angeles for under $500 earlier this year, and even now, tickets are hovering around the $800 range. At about this time last year, these prices were around $2,000.

Despite the bad economy, there are deals to be had on airfares and not just to New Zealand. If you’re relatively financially secure then recessions are good times to take vacations. Airfares are cheap, exchange rates are good and companies will do a deal.

Check out the whole Ten Reasons to Visit New Zealand Now here.

From Gadling: Ten reasons why you should visit New Zealand NOW is a post from: Anglotopia.net

I came across this fascinating story from the Daily Mail today. An English fellow named Paul Smith made it his goal to hitchhike his way to New Zealand soley via the good graces of people he met on Twitter. He gave himself 30 days to do it and wanted to raise money for charity.

The catch was that he would only make is travel plans via Twitter and the good will of his followers.

Well, yesterday, he reached in final destination – Invercargill, New Zealand – the southernmost city in New Zealand. His journey took him to mainland Europe then to the USA and eventually to New Zealand.

He did not spend any of his own money. Brilliant! A great example of the possibilities behind social media and what it can do you for. I’m a huge fan of Twitter and it’s allowed me to meet many great people all over the world.

Congrats Paul! You made it.

You can read the account of his journey on his blog, Twitchiker.

Now, how can I utilize social media to get my wife and I to England for a week?

Man Hitchhikes to New Zealand with the help of Twitter is a post from: Anglotopia.net

This will be a quick Anglophile Alert but I thought it was worth sharing. Airlines are desperate for passengers these days and Qantas, the Australian Flag carrier, is locked in a price war with the new Virgin Trans-pacific competitor – V.

So, in this instance the consumer wins as Tickets to Australia are the lowest they’ve been in years. Departures from most major US hubs are now less than $1000 person, round trip. Not only that, but most Qantas flights from the US use the awesome new Airbus A-380.

Here’s a sampling from the e-mail Qantas sent me:

Can’t Miss Airfares from $299* each way!

We’re proud to announce the release of our “travel stimulus” offers! For a limited time, you can save up to 60%** off flights from Los Angeles or San Francisco and up to 55%** off flights from New York (JFK). So if you need to get away, and Australia or New Zealand have been calling you, it’s time to answer… but don’t wait too long, this sale ends at midnight Pacific Time (PT) on Friday, 20 March 2009.

Don’t wait, book today!
Australia & New Zealand Travel Stimulus Offers

Travel is valid for departures between 15 March 2009 and 24 October 2009 unless otherwise noted. Fares listed are each way based on roundtrip purchase.

Chicago to Each way from*

Australia
Sydney $439

Brisbane $439

Melbourne $439

New Zealand
Auckland $439

So, if you’re planning a trip to Australia or New Zealand, now is the time to go. The e-mail says that you need to book by Friday, March 20th, but honestly, with the downturn in the economy continuing, I expect airfares to be this low for a while.

Happy Travels!

Anglophile Alert: Australia on Sale is a post from: Anglotopia.net