Rachel Beer tried to enter the home-brewing competition in the Lake Hayes Agricultural show being held in the South Island adventure tourist centre of Queenstown this weekend.

However, she was told if she entered a beer it would not be judged because the contest was for "blokes only".

"There's no point entering a beer if it's not going to be judged whether it's gold or mud," Beer told the Mountain Scene newspaper.

"At the end of the day a home brew is a home brew."

Sex discrimination is illegal in New Zealand, but the government agency administering the laws said it would need a complaint before it could act.

Beer, whose tipple goes by the name of Beer's Beer, said she would not make a formal complaint but press the organisers to change the rules or have a competition for women.

"I'm sure the show can make room for it in the next round," said Mike Smith, president of the show's organising committee.

New Zealand was the first western country to give women the vote in national elections, in 1893. At one stage, the country's top political, constitutional, and judicial posts were all held by women.

-Reuters