Thing #1: Tying a pink balloon to your car's radio antenna is not as silly as it sounds. In fact, when parked in a paddock-cum-carpark amongst hundreds of other vehicles, it's downright clever.

Pink balloons aren't really the norm here at Wynyard - a North Canterbury sheep and beef farm - but today they're certainly not the only things that seem a little out of place. For today this isolated rural property has undergone a transformation, dressed in its festive finery for the annual Christmas Country Fete.

Arriving late I park near the back of the shimmering sea of cars and decide I can forgo a locator balloon (which is good since I'm not nearly well-feted enough to have thought of bringing one!). Trudging through the vehicular maze I'm engulfed by the smell of sheep manure, rising up from the flattened grass. Distant guitar riffs flitter to me on the breeze and, up ahead, a small snowy mountain range of marquees rises up from the next paddock.

Soon I hear the clamour of excited shoppers; I smell barbecue smoke and see parcel-laden women thronging to and fro. I glimpse potted plants and garden sculptures, children's puzzles and silver jewellery: the first of the 220 stalls I have yet to explore.

Located along a lonely gravel road 12km from the small rural town of Culverden, the Christmas Country Fete is like a shopper's mirage, magically rising up from an arable desert. Last year, 6,000 visitors descended on Wynyard for the day. The hordes come from Blenheim, Christchurch and further afield to browse and buy everything from hand knitted babies' booties to life-sized bronze moulds of naked bodies.

Thing #2: It never rains in Culverden. At least not on the last Thursday in October. Local lore has it that there hasn't been even a hint of precipitation on Fete day for the event's 17 year history. And this year is no exception.

As the sun beats persistently down the crowd becomes a rainbow sea of newly purchased, glamorously oversized raffia hats. A tidal wave of magenta, mustard and emerald brims engulfs the Pimm's tent and flows out into the food arena. Judging by the queue length, venison burgers are the order of the day. In second place is avocado and bacon butties then garlic grilled scallops. Sushi, sandwiches, icecream sundaes - every palette is catered for with local wines and some hearty live crooning with which to wash it all down.

The hat stalls continue to empty as the afternoon wears on. Those without, like me, have to hunker down upon strategically placed hay bales for a stint of shelter beneath the trees.

When sufficiently cooled I head back to the stalls. I rummage through one-off designer handbags, queue three people deep at the jewellery tables, and sample lime-infused olive oil, elderflower cordial and gluten free chocolate brownies.

Thing #3: You can pickle three batches of onions without shedding a single tear if you're wearing a pink pair of onion goggles. That's according to Jo Seagar, local celebrity chef and owner of nearby cafe and cooking school, Seagar's at Oxford. Jo is one of three presenters in the fete demonstration tent and has a full marquee sitting to rapt attention for her 2.30pm Easy Peasy Christmas ideas show.

After whipping together some delectable looking Christmas recipes (which I have to admit, look extremely easy peasy!) Jo produces a range of her 'favourite new kitchen things'. The onion goggles may be good in the kitchen but they aren't stopping any of the crowd's tears as Jo continues to serve up her trademark cheeky humour.

Soon, the sun wavers. Wind starts to blow raffia hats to the ground. Children start crying and parents start making their way towards the exit and the paddock of cars. I trudge back through the diminishing rows; all around are people scratching their heads, looking from side to side and wishing they'd tied a bright balloon to their antenna.

Thing #4: Sun + Pimm's cocktails + shopping + farm = happy, pink people with overstuffed shopping bags and fond memories of a day in the country.

Amelia is Content Editor of the New Zealand travel and tourism website www.fourcorners.co.nz. She visited the Christmas Country Fete courtesy of FourCorners and Alpine Pacific Tourism.