The squad's packed itinerary began with a visit to Wanaka Primary School, where hundreds of children from several schools assembled with staff, parents and local rugby enthusiasts to welcome their guests.
The Georgian players' cameras were in overdrive as they captured a performance from the school's kapa haka group and a rousing rendition of the New Zealand national anthem. They returned the favour by singing their own national anthem, led by the team's VIP guest and good luck charm, opera star Givi Chichinadze.
The delight on the children's faces was clearly evident as they chanted "Georgia", clamoured for autographs and showered their new international rugby heroes with hugs, high-fives and hand-made Georgia-themed gifts.
The players - who despite their lack of English, made an instant connection with the children - were equally as enamoured by their young welcoming party, with many of them getting in a spontaneous strength-training session by hoisting their tiny fans on to their shoulders and good-naturedly tossing them into the air.
The players' natural charm and exotic good looks did not go unnoticed by the women in the crowd either, with several suggesting a visit to Georgia was suddenly an attractive proposition.
After a run around on the rugby field with the children, the team enjoyed a traditional New Zealand barbecue lunch at the Upper Clutha Rugby Club rooms, before an afternoon boating and fishing on Lake Wanaka and a 4WD trip to Criffel Station - where they took part in clay-target shooting and enjoyed spectacular views across Lake Wanaka to Mt Aspiring National Park.
Vice-captain Ilia Zedginidze said it was the first time any of the players had visited New Zealand and their experiences so far had been "fantastic".
"We enjoy the landscape very much, it's similar ... we have in Georgia, very big mountains," Zedginidze said.
The New Zealand hospitality had also impressed the players.
"They try to make us feel as we are at home and we really feel that we are very warmly welcomed."
The Georgian squad will hold an open training session at the Queenstown Rec Ground today.
Its first game in the 2011 Rugby World Cup is next Wednesday, in Invercargill, against Scotland.
Souvenirs of the Irish rugby team's stay in Queenstown have been snatched up - by a hotel thief.
Socks, a suit jacket and suit trousers, reportedly sitting outside a room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Queenstown, were taken yesterday about midday.
Queenstown police received a complaint from the team's management after the incident and the thief has not yet been caught.
The team's media manager, Karl Richardson, said the clean laundry was sitting outside the rooms and the items stolen belonged to one of the management team.
He said the incident would not have any impact on the side's view of Queenstown and its people.
"These things happen wherever you are in the world, unfortunately, and I don't think it will taint any of the players' or management's vision of our stay in Queenstown."
The team had been staying in the resort since Sunday and has now left for its first match, against the United States, in New Plymouth, on Sunday.
