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While travel buyers from 26 countries held about 16,000 business meetings at TRENZ 2025 in Rotorua this week, social events were not forgotten, complete with superlative New Zealand wines, great beers, and free carrots.

The carrots were distributed at a networking event on Wednesday evening to publicise the imminent approach of the Annual Ohakune Carrot Carnival, held this year on Saturday, 31 May 2025.

Ohakune is a township in the North Island’s central Ruapehu district. Organisers say the Carrot Carnival offers “a huge day out for the whole family with exciting entertainment, a good range of food, and retail stalls and games”.

Carrots aside, New Zealand is renowned for its gourmet food and drink products.

Wines are justifiably famous, and beer lovers are not forgotten. There’s plenty to choose from. New Zealand’s wide range of craft breweries turns out a fine selection of ales.

One beer on offer at the TRENZ networking function was Lakeman, from Lake Taupo, where the company’s small but talented team works in what was once a farm utility shed to produce award-winning craft beers from a pristine freshwater bore, located right below the brewery.

: Coopers Stout longneck NZ$7.50

: TFE Hotels Sales Manager – New Zealand, Aish Rangarajan, at TRENZ 2025 networking function on Wednesday

: Get ready for the Ohakune Carrot Carnival!

Lakeman Brewing Co brewer and owner, James Cooper, sums up the philosophy: “Whether it’s cattle or lambs or beer, we’re always striving for the best. We want to have the best stock and the best brews.”

Lakeman’s Big Hairy, a 6% ABV IPA, is an excellent example, but there are plenty more to sample.

Further down the North Island, Wellington’s Garage Brewery produces a fine selection.

A little-known fact about liquor in New Zealand is that Australian beers, and in some cases wines, are on sale a lot cheaper in NZ than you will ever find them in Australia. The reason for this is largely the difference in the tax and excise regimes between the two countries.

In New Zealand, supermarkets and small corner grocery stores can sell liquor. That may be another factor driving the cost down. It’s possible in New Zealand to buy longneck bottles (750 ml) of Cooper’s ales and stouts, brewed in Adelaide, for as little as NZ$7.50, which is about 7 Australian dollars. That’s almost half of what they sell for in Australia.

Not that beer lovers from Australia need to seek out Australian beers while visiting New Zealand. The local drops are far too good!