NZ goes ‘green and gold’ for Aussies
A new series of advertisements that successfully promoted New Zealand in the Australian market under the ‘What’s On in New Zealand’ tagline was launched on February 3. Announcing a further extension to the highly successful What’s On campaign, Minister of Tourism Damien O’Connor said since the launch of the campaign in August 2006, the number of Australians visiting New Zealand increased by more than nine per cent.
“As a thank you, New Zealand is paying homage to Australia’s national colours claiming to turn New Zealand ‘green and gold’ to welcome them in the autumn months.”
The What’s On campaign focuses on promoting off-peak seasons and specific seasonal events to give Australians more reason to visit New Zealand, and ideas to encourage them to do so outside the peak summer months.
Australia is a vital market for this country’s tourism industry, providing more than 38 per cent of New Zealand’s visitors last year, the minister added.
To view the ads go to www.tourismnewzealand.com
Grand old lady marks century
The Rotorua Museum team is gearing up to celebrate the building’s centenary on August 13. While the Bath House opened to the public for spa treatments in May 1908, the official opening was held on August 13 to coincide with a visit from the US Great White Fleet to New Zealand in August 1908, museum marketing manager Catherine Donovan says.
“The global show of force by the US Navy and its involvement with the opening a colonial spa facility in a fledgling tourism town is one of the intriguing stories that will be brought to light and celebrated to mark the building’s colourful 100-year history.”
The Great White Fleet was a US naval force that circumnavigated the world (between Dec 1907 and Feb 1909) on then US president Teddy Roosevelt’s orders to demonstrate the growing military might of the US. Some 100,000 people (10% of Auckland’s population) lined every vantage point as the fleet sailed into Waitemata Harbour on August 9, 1908.
Tarawera update
With the takeover of the Landing Café (which will reopen as a casual pizza café, garden bar and general store) looming on July 1, Clearwater Cruises owner/operator Paul Connell is working hard behind the scenes to ensure The Landing Lake Tarawera becomes what he calls “the gateway to adventure activities” in the area.
A booking office, to open at the Landing on July 1, will offer a number of tourism options to enable visitors to explore the lake and mountain. Options include private charters on two luxuriously appointed Clearwater Cruises vessels, self-drive pontoon boats, pedal boat and canoe hire, guided boat trout fishing, guided lake-edge fly fishing, water taxi services, guided tramping, mountain biking and tramping combos including a boat cruise to the Tarawera Outlet, guided kayak tours (full day activity or twilight paddle options), scenic helicopter flights with optional Mt Tarawera landing and scenic floatplane flights.
There will also be various combo packages that could include the Landing Café, Clearwater Cruises, Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Buried Village, guided kayaking, helicopters and floatplanes on request. Paul is also working on an exciting half-day Pink and White Terrace combo that he says is really interesting.
Open day ‘buzzing’
WHAKAnuia!, the inaugural event at Whakarewarewa The Living Thermal Village on Waitangi Day, was a great success. WHAKAnuia!, which means to acknowledge, to promote, to celebrate, was about bringing the community together to celebrate Waitangi Day as a Rotorua day. It was the first time tangata whenua had run such an initiative, and Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick congratulated Whakarewarewa for its vision.
More than 2500 people attended, enjoying the various activities and gaining an insight into daily life at Whakarewarewa. Marketing co-ordinator Justin Te Hau said the village was buzzing, creating the perfect atmosphere.
“Feedback has been excellent and we were still getting comments from people three weeks after the event.”
One of the day’s highlights was the native tree planting ceremony. Local children escorted representatives of various ethnic groups to plant their native tree and plaque around one of the vilage’s walking tracks. Visitors to Whakarewarewa can now learn what different cultures live in Rotorua.
WHAKAnuia! will be held again on February 6, 2009.
Hip Hip Hupai!
BNZ Operation Nest Egg is celebrating its 1000 th kiwi chick, born on February 18 at Rotorua’s Kiwi Encounter.
Hupai, which means ‘to overcome’, is a North Island brown kiwi. Its birth marks a significant milestone in the programme’s 14-year history. BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust executive director Michelle Impey says Hupai’s arrival is a symbol of hope for New Zealand’s icon.
‘I would like to thank the hundreds of community volunteers, Department of Conservation staff and workers at captive facilities around the country that have got us to this point. Without BNZ Operation Nest Egg and everyone involved, small kiwi populations would have a very difficult road to recovery and an uncertain future,” she says.
Hupai will be returned to its home at Waimarino, near Wanganui. Its name was the winning entry in a ‘name the chick’ competition, chosen from almost 1000 entries.
Exciting new opportunity with Tourism NZ
Tourism New Zealand would like to pass on an exciting opportunity to operators – The Pure Enterprise Mission to the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.
This is a great way to establish contacts in this vital market for New Zealand, under the guidance of Tourism New Zealand. For more information visit www.tourismnewzealand.com |