Lou and Blaise Davison Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
One of New Zealand's biggest Fêtes, in Culverden, attracts more than 5000 people from all over the world, eager to spend a great day out in the countryside. The idea behind this Christmas Fête, that started 24 years ago, was to supplement the incomes of rural people in the area at time when farming was in the doldrums. It was the brainchild of local farmers Lou Davison, Fiz Rutherford, Sue Gardner and Jossy Davison and for the last several years it's been held in the elegant gardens at Wynyard Farm on Lowry Peaks Road. The Fête has gone from having 30 to more than 200 stalls and now it showcases talented crafts people, artists and food and wine producers from all over the country.
