Compiled by PHOEBE FALCONER
Weather
Cloudy at times with a few showers from today until Sunday. The easterly wind eases today, stays light tomorrow and picks up in the northeast on Sunday.
Sport
The second weekend of Super 12 rugby pits the Chiefs against the Blues at Waikato Stadium today at 7.30pm, screening live
on Sky Sport. Tomorrow the Highlanders play the Stormers in Dunedin at 2.20pm, the Hurricanes play the Bulls in Napier at 5.15pm and the Crusaders play the Reds at Jade Stadium in Christchurch at 7.30pm. All games will be live on Sky Sport. On Sunday on Sky Sport the Sharks v Brumbies game screens at 8am and Cats v Waratahs at noon.
If boxing is your bag, watch John Ruiz and Roy Jones thump each other on TV2 at 3pm.
There may or may not be America's Cup yachting today and at the weekend. Racing starts at 1.15pm with continuous coverage on nzherald.co.nz from 12.30pm.
For a full list of cricket World Cup fixtures, see this week's e.g.
Freebie: The Italian sail training ship Amerigo Vespucci will be open free to the public this weekend for the last time, from 10.30am to noon and from 2.30pm to 7pm tomorrow and Sunday. The ship is moored at Princes Wharf West. It leaves on its voyage home next Sunday, March 9, after an official farewell.
Today
* The North Shore Home and Garden Show opens today in the North Shore Events Centre in Silverfield, off Porana Rd in Glenfield, and offers ideas on recycling and composting, environmental issues such as water and traffic, a garden competition, antiques, home decorating ideas, free seminars and new products. A free Stagecoach bus service will run between the events centre and Takapuna every half-hour (phone 366-6400 for details or visit www.rideline.co.nz), admission is free and the gates are open from 10am to 6pm today and tomorrow and until 5pm on Sunday.
* The Central Band of the RNZAF plays for free in an outdoor Picnic in the Park on the Paihia village green in the Bay of Islands today from 5.30pm.
Tomorrow
* The Wellesley St offramp from the Southern Motorway will be closed from 7am to 5pm for realignment work. Detours will be signposted.
* Girl Guides will be in the streets today to launch their annual biscuit sale. As well as the ordinary biscuits at $1.80 a pack and the chocolate-coated ones at $2.20 a pack, chocolate-dipped mini-biscuits, at $2.20 a pack, will also be available.
* The Hazmobile, for the disposal of hazardous domestic waste, will be in the carpark in Lloyd Elsmore Park, Pakuranga, from 10am to 2pm today.
* Join the Hibiscus Coast branch of the Forest & Bird Society for a visit to Arthur Dunn's Bush at Puhoi. Carpooling is available from Waiwera Bridge carpark at 10am. Phone (09) 424-1536 for details and bookings.
* A jazz concert today at Kell Park in Albany features the Devine Trio, Guitarra Rumba, Mandorla and more. The concert starts at 11am.
* The Central Band of the Royal New Zealand Air Force performs at 7.30pm today in the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna. Tickets are $12 and $8, with a $30 family price, and are available from the centre or by phoning 488-3133.
* Learn how to stay healthy and fit at the Stay Well Festival in the Kelston Community Centre in Great North Rd, Kelston, today and Sunday. Activities include music, singing, dancing, aerobics, massage, injury prevention, herbs, tai chi and much more. Doors are open from 10am to 5pm and admission is free.
* Bill Sevesi and friends entertain on Hawaiian steel guitars in Tahaki Reserve, Mt Eden Rd, Mt Eden, from 6pm to 9pm today. Admission is free.
* Film-maker Jamie Catto, producer Duncan Bridgeman and friends present a live version of their global music album 1 Giant Leap at Helensville's Grand Hotel at 7.30pm today. Tickets are $30 from Real Groovy or at the door.
Sunday
* Various roads around Auckland Domain and Parnell will be closed from 8am to 2pm for Avanti Bike the Bays, a cycling event to promote road safety. There is a 25km family ride and a 5km ride around the domain for the juniors. Phone 486-3755 for more information.
* Celebrate the diversity of Auckland at the International Culture Festival in Potters Park, on the corner of Dominion and Balmoral Rds today from 10am to 5pm. Music, dance, food, arts and crafts from more than 30 nations will feature, admission is free, and the event will be cancelled if the weather is bad.
* Handcraft markets open today include the St Heliers Bay village market in the Tamaki Ex-Services Association Hall on the corner of Turua St and Polygon Rd, from 10am to 4pm, and the Milford market in the Senior Citizens' Hall behind New World in Milford, from 10am to 3pm.
* Polly Sussex performs Bach, Vivaldi, Telemann and Barriere on her five-string cello piccolo, at 3pm in the Auckland Museum. Standard museum donation entry applies.
* The monthly walks through Waikumete Cemetery have been suspended while the spraying for painted apple moth continues.
* Learn how to create a simple and effective water garden with Jack Hobbs of the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens, at the gardens at 11am today. The cost is $8, no bookings are necessary, and you can find out more by phoning 267-1457, ext 201.
* It's Scruffs Dog Show again. There are categories for owner/dog lookalike, waggiest tail (dog, not owner), biggest ears (ditto), loudest bark, hairiest dog, ultimate Westie dog and heaps more. The show starts at 11am at the Hobsonville Air base and admission is $1 for owners, $3 for dogs and for the under-5s, a smile.
* Musician Jelani Eddington performs on the Wurlitzer organ in the Hollywood Cinema, St Georges Rd, Avondale at 2pm today. Tickets are $18. A second concert will be held on Wednesday at 10am, and tickets cost $10.
* Enjoy summer on the North Shore with a fun event on the Rothesay Bay beachfront from 2pm to 5pm today, or at Onepoto Domain in Northcote from 3pm.
* Music in Parks has jazz in the band rotunda at Auckland Domain from 2pm, with the Phil Broadhurst Quintet, and the classical tones of the Waiheke Strings at the Winter Gardens in the domain at 5pm.
* Follow the steps of Bishop Selwyn up Purewa valley and the Kepa Bush Reserve in Kohimarama, in today's urban safari. Tours set off at 9am and 11.30am from the main entrance to the reserve in Kepa Rd, between house Nos 251 and 253. Bookings are essential, by phoning 379-1341.
* How do you embalm a body? What do funeral directors actually do? Find out at an open day at a funeral parlour near you, from 11am to 3pm, for the price of a gold coin. Participating practices are Tilton, Opie and Pattinson in Grey Lynn and New Lynn, Morrison Funeral Directors in Henderson, Manukau City Funerals in Manurewa, Davis Funeral Services in Mt Eden, Henderson & Pakuranga, Dil's Funeral Services in North Harbour, H. Morris Funeral Services in Northcote, Murray Brown Funerals in Orewa, Lambert R. Fountain in Papakura, Faithfull Funeral Services in Red Beach, Sibuns Funeral Directors in Remuera and Graham's Franklin Funeral Services in Tuakau.
* The Cornwall Park Sunday afternoon concert features Shayn Will and the Swamp Diggers at the band rotunda between 1pm and 3pm.
* St Matthew's Chamber orchestra plays its first concert of the year at 2.30pm in St Matthew-in-the-City, on the corner of Hobson and Wellesley Sts. The concert features Mozart, Farquhar, Boccherini and Schubert. Tickets are $20, $15, $10 and $5. Phone 308-0147 for details.
* Hearing-impaired and deaf New Zealanders can see a captioned version of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers this week. It screens in Village 12 in Queen St at 11am and 7.30pm today, Tuesday, Thursday, next Sunday and Tuesday, March 11. For more information phone the Human Rights Commission on (04) 471-6740.
* The courtyards and quadrangle at Massey Albany will be alive with food, wine and jazz today from 11am to 5pm. Admission is $10.
* Email us information for this column
Compiled by PHOEBE FALCONER
Weather
Cloudy at times with a few showers from today until Sunday. The easterly wind eases today, stays light tomorrow and picks up in the northeast on Sunday.
Sport
The second weekend of Super 12 rugby pits the Chiefs against the Blues at Waikato Stadium today at 7.30pm, screening live
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.