Archive for the 'Queenstown' Category
Excitement, action, and adventure!!
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 17, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I have been emailing back and forth with the team at Ngai Tahu Tourism and they have quite a few exciting activities that look like they would be awesome to do (my wish list keeps getting longer!). Check out a few images here.
First there is the Dart River Jet Safaris located in Queenstown. According to the info I received, it’s a unique combination of exciting river jet boating, Maori heritage and inspiring adventure. There are three Safari options – the discovery of the Wilderness Safari, the exhilarating Jet Boat Safari or the Funyak Safari adventure.
Next up is Shotover Jet – the world’s most exciting jet boat ride. Shotover Jet is the only company permitted to operate in the spectacular Shotover River Canyons. It’s a thrilling ride – skimming past rocky outcrops at close range as you twist and turn through the narrow canyons at breathtaking speeds.
And last, but certainly not least, is the Hollyford Track. I recently had the opportunity to work with outdoor adventure journalist Peter Potterfield on a cross-Canada tour as he spoke about the great hikes in New Zealand, and this is certainly one of them!
The Hollyford Track is an incredible 3-day/2-night all inclusive guided wilderness experience. Located in Fiordland National Park, Hollyford Track is a walk from the heart of New Zealand – the Southern Alps, to its western boundary – the Tasman Sea. The scenery is geologically spectacular and ever changing with snow capped mountains, glaciers, rainforests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, sand dunes, reefs and surf. Imagine walking into a world that has remained largely unchanged since the age of the dinosaur.
The Life Back Promise
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 2, 2009 at 8:00 am
Tourism New Zealand has, what I think is, a pretty great campaign called the The Life Back Promise. And, full disclosure here, I own a small communications agency that is a part of the team that does the PR for Canada for Tourism New Zealand. However, we’ve built our company (and I’ve built my life) on being authentic…if I didn’t believe this, I wouldn’t write it.
In the time I have spent here in New Zealand (which at the time of writing this is only three days…boy, I’ve done a lot!), I think that’s what is happening to me. I would say slowly but surely—but having been here only 72 hours, it’s more like on warp speed—my mind is waking up to some pretty important things about life. On some level, every person I have met here has shared something special with me. From the young kid who served me my Fergburger and wanted to make sure I was happy with it, to Fraser who made sure I could get some photos on the Kawarau jetboat, to my spa experience and being made to feel at home by John at the Queenstown Park Hotel…it all matters. They all bring a passion to the work that they do because they have chosen a lifestyle. To work at something they love, that they care about, that they want to share. And let’s face it, no one is happy with his or her job all the time, but these folks have made a choice to do the best they can – all the time. And that shows. Their approach to enjoying life and living in the moment spills through from their personal life to their professional work and it makes a huge difference.
Two of the people that have really stood out to me so far on my journey are Franny at Nomad Safaris and Dave of The Helicopter Line. Franny is a character – someone should make a movie about her (and I only heard bits and pieces of her life!). She brings a passion for nature to her work that is so authentic and incredible that you can’t help but be energized about it. She really likes people, and you can see that. She made the trip I took amazing. It would have been great no matter who was the guide, but Franny kicked it up about five notches and made it memorable. Her sense of adventure, her love of nature and her positive attitude about life really touched me – and I hope a bit of it rubbed off on me. Every once in a while, someone comes along that positively impacts you, that shifts you a little bit into a better place, a better mindset and pushes you to really appreciate the moment. Franny did that for me.
Dave the pilot is another incredible human being. Ten years ago, Dave came to Queensland on vacation. He was a business executive in Australia. He was making great money, had a nice family and all the toys. By all standard accounts, he had “made it.” Well, Dave hit Queenstown, took a helicopter tour and life changed for him. He saw the life he wanted. (And he should thank his lucky stars his wife saw the same life!) Dave is now a helicopter pilot for the same company that took him up on his holiday ten years ago.
Dave and I chatted on the way to my helicopter tour and he too rubbed off on me. He LOVES his job, he loves sharing the passion he has for what he does with people (although he wouldn’t let me fly the helicopter no matter how many times I asked!) and he loves taking people out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary. Dave took a huge leap of faith and changed his life, and now he is living his dream. How amazing is that?
It’s easy to read a travel blog like this, look at the pictures and think about what activities you will do. But there’s more to coming to somewhere like New Zealand. It’s what this kind of trip does to inspire and engage you, how the people move you and put you in touch with parts of you that you forgot about because of work and “real life” responsibilities.
For me, actually jumping off the platform on the bungy tower showed me something about myself. Standing on top of a mountain with Dave, a person who was fortunate enough to recognize what he wanted to do and then took the steps to achieve it, was inspiring. To spend time with Franny, who stepped lightly into a forest to show me a small (and I mean tiny) little plant that will someday grow into a tall, strong tree was amazing.
Travelling to New Zealand is more than just “seeing” the sights and tasting the food, it’s about taking it all in. Really experiencing it, living in the moment and—at whatever level works for you—getting your life back.
I will bring you lots of information here on what you can do in New Zealand, but please read between the lines. It’s not just what you will do here, it’s what you will experience that is so magical.
Inhale…exhale…relax
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 1, 2009 at 10:00 pm
After such a busy day filled with fun and adventure, I could feel it in my body. After all, I’m no spring chicken (although after a few experiences like the bungy jump, a helicopter tour and a jetboat ride, I certainly felt empowered!). Thank goodness for Body Sanctum. There, I got to relax and recharge with a most wonderful spa treatment.
I had the Fiji Island Wrap, which is heaven. In a lovely, quiet room – I got to slow down a bit with a gentle, dry body brush, then warm exotic coconut oil (which has a subtle aroma) was massaged into my whole body – including my face and scalp. My muscles just melted into happiness. Then hot stones were placed on specific points on my body while my hands and feet were wrapped in coconut butter. It was pure bliss.
If my activities had made my mind come alive and feel younger, this experience let my body catch up. I felt better than I had in weeks (maybe months). Calm, refreshed and now I have the softest skin in all of New Zealand! It was incredible. Even writing this, I am taken back to that feeling of bliss.
The Body Sanctum has quite a few interesting spa packages, including floatation. I didn’t try it, but it’s on my list for my next trip. It is described as floating in mid-air and your entire nervous system goes into a state of rest, free from gravity – where you experience total weightlessness. In a state of the art pod, you float in a warm and buoyant Epsom salt solution, which creates a gravity free environment. Soft music plays and you feel a sensation that has been described as being in outer space, yet as warm as if back in the womb. It sounds pretty amazing.
I now had my Zen back and headed home to the Queenstown Park Hotel for the evening and to get ready for the next stage of my adventure. I am heading to New Zealand’s West Coast.
Yes, I love the water!
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 1, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I had a few minutes down by the wharf in Queenstown before my jetboat experience. I took a few shots from the dock. It is beautiful. I have had the great fortune to visit many harbour areas in my life – and Queenstown has done it well. It’s touristy, but not overdone. It has some old world charm about it – and as you can see in one of the photos, a great big kiwi bird is in the middle of the square!
I then went over to the Kawarau Jet dock to get ready for a thrilling ride. We had the added excitement of having an Australian film crew along with us – they taped us from another boat and in our boat, so who knows maybe I’ll end up being a movie star down under!
Like just about everyone I have encountered here in New Zealand, the team at Kawarau Jet was friendly, professional and they want to make sure you have a great experience (and a safe one). Our driver was Fraser and he was excellent with the passengers. I would imagine he deals with a wide range of people – some want to go crazy fast, others maybe would like it a bit slower. He was great at reading the group and giving everyone what they wanted.
We got to do a little extra on this ride because the film crew wanted to tape. (I think that one of the producers that was in our boat just wanted to have extra fun and it had nothing to do with the filming!)
We got to see some of the Queenstown area from the water. We had some fun speeding up the river, coming close to bridges, rocks and huge tree trunks in the water. With precision driving, Fraser would turn just at the right moment. And, of course, the famous spins in the boat. Here, Fraser would signal us and then seconds later – we’d spin about at a fast speed and end up facing the other way – a complete spin around. There was a bit of a splash back here and there—but I was lucky—I didn’t get hit with any water!
What a great way to see a bit more of Queenstown and have some fun! (Check out the images.)
Up, up and away!
Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 1, 2009 at 8:00 pm
If first impressions are everything, then The Helicopter Line has it made. I was picked up at the Queenstown Park Hotel by an upbeat and friendly Dave. Turns out, that not only is Dave kind enough to drive me to the helipad, he’ll also be my pilot! (When I discover this, I pay close attention to how he drives on the way to the helicopter pad!)
Dave has a pretty interesting story, which I will share in a later blog post. But by the time we covered the ten-minute drive from my hotel to the helipad, had they said: “Sorry your flight can’t go because of weather,” I would have been perfectly happy having had one of the best conversations ever with Dave. It might sound a little cheesy, but Dave is one of those people that makes you question everything and embrace life all in a few minutes. Our chat, while to him was probably quite low key, was filled with inspiration and possibilities to me. More on that later – so you’ll have to come back! Let’s just say that Dave lives The Life Back Promise that New Zealand offers.
Once at the helipad, I meet the team and Brad, who also works for The Helicopter Line, and he accompanies us on a tour that can only be described as spectacular. The Helicopter Line has a range of tours that you can choose from half to full day. In the helicopter, you see the world from a different perspective. The view is breathtaking and you see the dramatic views and stunning beauty of Lake Wakatipu, the Queenstown region, The Remarkables, Coronet Peak, Skippers Canyon, the Southern Alps and beyond.
The day was beautiful and sunny, although one of the regular landing spots “the ledge” has just a wisp of cloud in front of it making it too dangerous to land there – so Dave and Brad discussed their options and we landed on another peak. I have to confess that I was so wrapped up in the view and the experience, that I completely stopped taking notes and just lived in the moment. (I have an email in to Dave and Brad to ask where we landed and will let you know.)
As you can see from our pictures on Flickr, seeing New Zealand by helicopter lets you see some spectacular sites. When we landed and stepped out into the snow – it was such a feeling of freedom and pure enjoyment, that I am not sure there are words to describe it. The air was so clear and crisp, you could feel the energy it brought to your mind and body. (If that could only be bottled.) After my chat with Dave and standing there on a mountain overlooking Lake Wakatipu and Queensland, the song “I can see clearly now” by Johnny Nash was running through my mind. It was a moment filled with magic; one that I will never forget.
And then, to make things even better – Brad popped the top off a bottle of champagne and we had a glass of bubbly on top of the world. Dave didn’t drink since he was our designated driver – I offered to drive, but he didn’t look interested in that option!
After our (locally made) champagne, which was excellent, we got back into the helicopter and took a tour around the area. It was truly exceptional.
The time I spent with Dave and Brad made an impact on me and I saw the world from a different perspective. In both a global and very personal way, it changed me. (Don’t forget to check back for Dave’s story and a bit of our conversation in a later post!)
I am seen here with Dave - what a great guy!
