I scream, you scream...

Ice cream’s a big deal in New Zealand. Kiwis are amongst the highest per capita consumers of ice cream in the world—lying either 2nd or 3rd (with Australia) behind the USA. In fact, Kiwis each eat on average around 18 litres of ice cream per annum.

One of the first things I do when I get back home is to get my tongue around either a blueberry or a hokey pokey ice cream cone—hokey pokey being our national icon ice cream. Or perhaps a rum and raisin…

So much so is it a big thing that this year's annual New Zealand Ice Cream Awards attracted a record 206 entries.

International judging guidelines are followed, with each ice cream being awarded a maximum 100 points, with points deducted for imperfections in appearance, body and texture, flavour and melting defects.

Interestingly, the mainstay of ice cream flavours—vanilla—won the top prize, beating the more unusual flavours of peanut butter, bacon and egg and Mexican. Entered by Invercargill business Deep South, the standard vanilla flavour impressed judges more than a raft of other more exotic choices. Deep South was also named as winner of the Best in Category prize for their standard chocolate and hokey pokey ice creams.

But what makes me feel good about eating ice cream, is that ice cream is about 50% air by volume—so shouldn’t that mean half the calories?

Woo hoo!

Well, the Kiwis have taken the Louis Vuitton Cup, battling against the Italians on Luna Rossa, to win the best of nine final, 5-0.

That's a rare bit of jubilation on the face of Kiwi helmsman Dean Barker (Deano) and his fellow crew in the top photo. The Kiwi team is famous for its very low key celebrations when winning any of its races. In fact one reporter mentioned yesterday, after the NZ boat won race 4 of the final, that the Kiwis had finally given each other a "high-five" - that is, a subtle raise of the eyebrow.

Roll on June 23, when the challenge for the America's Cup begins!

Woo hoo!

BTW, that's a Buzzy Bee on the banner in the second photo - a true bit of Kiwiana - which is also painted on the bulb of the Kiwi boat's keel.