New Zealand - Growing all the time

New Zealand has two growing seasons and our plants can grow enormously quickly.  Sometimes it feels the same in tourism.  I was driving through the country once again last month, undertaking some supplier visits and product updates and was delighted at the pace and style of change.

From new well-thought-through products like Kyle's cave in Waitomo, to Delani Brown's launch as a private guide (see his website here) to places like Millar Road in Hawkes Bay, the change of ownership at Long Island Tours, also in Hawkes Bay, re-opening of Matakauri, re-opening of Oliver's in Clyde etc.  There is certainly a lot to keep us busy in the off season doing our homework so we can delight our clients in the new season.

On top of that we have strengthened our ties with people like Gilbert van Reenen, top landscape photographer (who took the excellent photo in this article); have added further private homes to our network as well as an alliance with Ed Coutts of Waiheke Unlimited; have developed an excellent relationship with House of Travel for Rugby World Cup and beyond; have brought on several new private guides, and are in the process of establishing roots at our new base in Central Otago.

And yes, we have been discovering Central Otago, mentoring a new exclusive horse trekking business; finding the right four-wheel-drive guides; developing new exclusive locations; developing menus and hampers with top chef Dave Miller; and I just had to stop writing this and take a phone call which introduced me to a beautiful 20,000 hectare high country station.  Which reminds me we also saw Mount Nicholas Station a week or so ago and that incorporates 100,000 acres of authenticity on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.

So what does this all mean?  What it means to me is that tourism is vibrant and strong.  Older, shonky attractions are increasingly being edged out by sharper, authentic wonderful experiences put together by interesting, dynamic people with brains.  I don't think I've ever seen authentic tourism looking stronger.  And the prices are wonderfully low.  Freed from the shackles of historic pricing (another superlodge dig) they are delivering just what the authentic traveller wants at a price which leaves their eyebrows on their heads.

What it means for us is even more work in the off season doing our homework.  But instead of mentoring and creating so much we are now struggling to keep up with innovation all round the country.  That's a problem we're very happy to have!

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