If your New Year’s resolutions don’t include making the most of happenings up and down the motu, add it to your list.

A Celtic-style fair, two-day gin fest, family-friendly kite flying and sandcastle building day, and a Kiwi version of Burning Man are among the events to keep you occupied this month alone.

Hunterville

New Zealand’s answer to Burning Man sees festival-goers set up camp – and larger-than-life sculptures –on a Hunterville farm.

Like its Nevada namesake, Kiwiburn is built on 10 principles, including “radical inclusion”, which essentially means anyone can take part, decommodification and self-reliance and self-expression.

Burners take everything they need for the duration of the festival, including food and water (the only thing you can buy there is ice), but the gifting economy sees people offer up everything from homemade meals and help with pitching a tent to art, music and hugs.

The theme for this year’s festival, which runs from January 24-29, is “decadance”, described as “a play on decades, dance and decadence”.

Activities and attractions include a drum circle, “Rave Cave”, nineties-style gin and juice party, capoeira workshop, kids’ comedy session and oracle readings, with a highlight being the burning of an effigy on the last night.

Wellington

Whether you like your gin neat or shaken or stirred into a summer cocktail, you’ll find plenty to tempt you at Gindulgence – a two-day celebration of the ever-popular spirit.

Tickets to the event, held at Wellington’s Frank Kitts Park from January 20-21, entitle holders to sample gins from 27 distillers from New Zealand and beyond, with gin-based cocktails available for sale by the glass.

There’ll be plenty of quality locally made kai to soak it all up, with options including tacos, dumplings, sushi burritos, and Greek-style street food, while live acts provide the soundtrack.

Christchurch

A family favourite, Kite Day sees the skies above Christchurch’s New Brighton beach fill with colourful diamonds, dragons and cartoon characters.

The 2023 event attracted thousands and, if the weather plays ball, this year’s is likely to too – so get there early if you want to nab a spot in the shade (the space beneath the pier was prime real estate last year).

Bring your spade as well as your kite as there’ll be a sandcastle-building station and beach dig competition – to the tune of live music hosted by radio station sponsor The Hits.

All is not lost if you arrive kiteless though – there’ll be a pop-up shop selling a good-looking range.

No big day out at the beach is complete without an ice cream, and Mr Whippy will be supplying the goods at the South Ramp car park.

Coromandel Town

First held in 1990, the Keltic Fair has become one of the most popular events on the Coromandel summer calendar, attracting upwards of 15,000 visitors.

The Keltic Fair is one of New Zealands most succesful fairs and the highlight of the Coromandel holiday season.

With more than 300 stalls, including tasty treats and arts and crafts, along with kids’ rides, yummy food and all-day live entertainment, you could easily spend the whole day there.

Held on January 2 from 9am - 4pm at the Coromandel Area School, it’s a bargain at just $2 to get in, and under fives go for free.

All gate proceeds go to the Coromandel Area School.

Hokitika

The brainchild of local artist Donald Buglass, the annual Hokitika Driftwood and Sand Festival transforms black-sand Hokitika Beach into an outdoor sculpture gallery.

Both professional and budding artists use driftwood and other items found on the wild West Coast beach to build works, which are up for a range of different prizes, from most humorous and most ambitious to the coveted public choice award.

The guest artist and judge for this year’s event, running from January 24-28, is Lyttleton artist Mark Whyte, who specialises in stone sculpture, public statues and bronze portraiture, and has helped restore many gothic revival buildings damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011.

- Lorna Thornber/ Stuff