
Billy Connolly's World Tour of New Zealand
- 2004 – 2005
- Ended
- Documentary · Comedy
- ~40m / ep
- 1 season
- 7.7/10
Billy Connolly is back with the fourth in his massively popular World Tour series. This time Billy journey's to the other side of the globe to New Zealand, a country he has been visiting since the 1970s and of which he is immensely fond. Billy's extraordinary journey covers the length and breadth of New Zealand and is mixed with the best of his comedy from sell-out shows around the country.Filmed in 2004 during the first leg of his Too Old To Die Young Tour this series is a stunning journey around New Zealand's two islands from the Southern-most tip to the far north where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific. Along the way Billy takes in Maori traditions, sand paintings, whale-watching, a 90 mile beach and much more to give us a fascinating insight into the spectacular scenery, culture and people of this amazing country.
Latest: Season 1 · 2004
View all seasonsE1. Stewart Island
Nov 20, 2004 · 40m
The popular Scottish comedian tours the 'Land of the Long White Cloud' with his stand-up show Too Old to Die Young, taking to his trike for a spot of sightseeing along the way. His first stop is Stewart Island, where he performs to 255 people - half the local population - before travelling from Bluff to Dunedin, the country's answer to Edinburgh. Billy gets off the tourist trail and learns to fish Maori-style as he uncovers the real New Zealand.
E2. Queenstown
Nov 27, 2004 · 40m
The Scottish comedian travels to Queenstown, where he takes a nostalgic trip on a 92-year-old ferry before baring all in a bungee jump from the Nevis tower. The map leads him on to Greymouth, and an encounter with a Bush-music band evoking the 'white' sound of New Zealand, followed by a meeting with a Maori who demonstrates various uses for jade. Billy ends his visit on a high note as he soaks up the breathtaking views during a helicopter ride over the famous Fiordland
E3. Christchurch
Dec 4, 2004 · 40m
The comedian marvels at the scenery as he trikes through Arthur's Pass, travelling on to Christchurch, where he plays to his largest audience in New Zealand - 14,000 in two nights. En route to Nelson, Billy pauses to recount the story of how a Maori woman rescued all but one from the ill-fated ship Delaware. He continues on to the Museum of Wearable Art, which houses a collection of unusual garments, but his enthusiasm knows no bounds when he spots a couple of sperm whales during a trip out to sea from Kaikoura.
E4. Wellington
Dec 11, 2004 · 40m
The comedian heads for the North Island of New Zealand on waters which witnessed a disastrous accident in 1968 involving a ferry made in Glasgow, an incident which left an indelible mark on the Scottish city. His first stop is Wellington, where he pays a visit to an architect friend and an artist who makes pictures entirely out of toast, before boarding a train to New Plymouth and pointing out the site of the country's worst railway disaster. Billy also finds time during his journey to pause for breath and offer an insight into what it means to him to perform on stage.
E5. North Island
Dec 18, 2004 · 40m
The comedian wends his way by trike along the stunning Forgotten Highway from Wellington to Palmerston North, before taking a helicopter ride above Lake Taupo, which Maori legend has it was created when six male mountains that surround it fought a fierce battle for the affections of one female. His next stop is Napier, rebuilt in art deco style after being destroyed in 1931 by the biggest earthquake in New Zealand's history. Billy then travels on to Rotorua, where the Waiotapu Park's multitude of geysers and thermal springs bring thoughts of hell and hunger to his mind
E6. Mount Tarawera
Dec 25, 2004 · 40m
The comedian climbs Mount Tarawera, one of a chain of volcanoes that erupted to devastating effect in 1886, annihilating the nearby Pink Terraces. His journey then takes him to the Waitomo Caves and a kiwi reserve in Hamilton, where the country's national bird is raised in safety before being released into the wild. Billy visits a gathering place where Maori learn about their culture and traditions, a sacred grove and an opencast gold mine. This form of mining can leave the area looking ugly, but plans are in place to turn the pit into a lake once it is exhausted
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