All Fanzones are free to enter and are a great place to watch the matches with other fans, both local and international. Many Fanzones also feature live entertainment before and after the matches.
Auckland will feature five Fanzones across the city, at the Mangere Arts Centre in South Auckland, the Trusts Stadium in Henderson, Albany Lakes on the North Shore and Queens Wharf at Auckland’s central waterfront.
The opening night of RWC 2011 on September 9 will see a 60,000 strong crowd pack out Eden Park for the Opening Ceremony and match between New Zealand and Tonga, and thousands more are expected to descend on the waterfront for free Opening Night celebrations.
Fans are encouraged to join in the fun and follow Auckland’s Fan Trail - a unique walking route from the city centre to the stadium which will be activated on all Eden Park match days. The Fan Trail is an event in itself, packed with live performances, roving entertainers, face painting, refreshment stops and special installations from The University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries.
The Fan Trail begins at Queen Elizabeth Square and follows Queen Street to Aotea Square, through Myers Park and St Kevins Arcade to Karangahape Road (K’Road), along Great South Road and Bond Street, where it meets up with Sandringham Road, Wairepo Swamp Walk and Eden Park. The Fan Trail takes about an hour walking briskly – but with all the things to see and do along the way, organisers recommend you allow two hours to get to the stadium.
Auckland’s waterfront Opening Night celebrations will be the place to be for those without match tickets on September 9, with a breathtaking cultural spectacle and magnificent fireworks and lighting show planned from 4pm until late.
Highlights include:
The arrival of a fleet of 20 waka into the Viaduct basin, followed by a 600-strong haka
Entertainment from headline act The Finn Brothers, plus Dave Dobbyn, Midnight Youth, Dane Rumble and more
The biggest fireworks and lighting show New Zealand’s ever seen
Screening of the Opening Ceremony and match live from Eden Park.
Other Fanzones around the country will be active for local matches and many will also stay open for the Finals matches.

City.Mobi

Also in New Zealand today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Wellington.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Wellington.mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.