(photo courtesy stephendepolo)

People in New Zealand are ecstatic today – their football club has qualified for the World Cup!  The Kiwis are coming to South Africa!  

What makes this remarkable is that it's only the second time in history that the club has qualified for the World Cup, and its the first time since 1982! 

28 years between trips to the World Cup means many of the team's fans weren't even born last time the All Whites played in the World Cup.  What a thrill it must finally be. 

Other teams making rare appearances include Honduras, who have also gone 28 years without an appearance, and North Korea, who haven't played in the World Cup since 1966. 

In case you need a reminder, the 2010 FIFA World Cup is now about 200 days away, beginning June 11, 2010. If you haven't already done so, you should make your travel and accommodation plans today!