Archive for the 'Queenstown' Category
Perhaps the Most Beautiful Hotel View – Eichardt’s
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 14, 2012 at 11:26 am
Paul enjoyed a hotel site visit to Eichardt’s in Queenstown during a TRENZ familiarization afternoon. The group was treated to a wonderful wine tasting, with the best wine being the Eichardt’s Pinot Noir.
Below is Paul’s report.
There are few luxury hotels in the world that could rival the spectacular setting of Eichardt’s. The hotel opens up to reveal the breathtaking panorama of the surrounding mountain ranges. Stepping onto a balcony of their top suite, all I could say was “Wow!”
Eichardt’s Bar, a Queenstown icon and a local favourite since 1867, has atmosphere, history and ambience. With its comfortable sofas, fireplace and gracious service, the bar provides a welcoming and stylish environment for sampling mouth-watering creations and timeless cocktails. And Eichardt’s signature lunch dishes, tapas, and breakfast menus feature fresh and organic produce sourced from the very best local growers. Eichardt’s chefs have built a loyal following for consistently delicious and ever-inspiring dishes. And I can attest to that. We had many wonderful canapés with our wine selection.
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Enjoy the Convenience and Comfort of Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 14, 2012 at 10:29 am
I had an opportunity to meet the people at Hilton Hotels & Resorts and they filled me in on just how much they have to offer. I also was able to experience a Master Class session with the Hilton’s Head Chef – Peter Thornley, an acclaimed New Zealand chef.
Whether you want to experience the thrilling activities of Auckland’s city of sails, relax with the calm views of Lake Taupo and the Tongariro National Park beyond or seek out adventure in the awe-inspiring natural beauty of Queenstown, Hilton Hotels & Resorts offer an easy solution in the best landscapes of New Zealand. And now with four properties between the North and South Islands, Hilton Hotels & Resorts lets your family tour around New Zealand in super comfort.
In Queenstown, Kawarau Village offers a range of dining and entertainment options, is only an eight-minute water taxi ride to the centre of Queenstown, and provides the closest accommodation to The Remarkables ski field.
Hilton Queenstown and Kawarau Hotel, managed by Hilton, are located in the heart of Kawarau Village, Queenstown’s newest must-visit destination for visitors and locals alike. This is a beautiful property that blends in with the natural environment. The rooms are comfortable and well-designed and the fact that you can dine at the Wakatipui Grill is a pretty good reason to go.
On the lakefront, signature restaurant the Wakatipu Grill reflects the best of New Zealand’s culinary heritage. Expertly helmed by renowned Chef Peter Thornley. The cuisine is inspiring, with provocative takes on New Zealand flavours. Vast windows, an open kitchen and rotisserie, along with two circular slate fireplaces, lend even more drama to this magnificent space. In the bar, be tempted by yet another captivating perspective of the lake, or an exceptional vintage – the 1000-strong wine cellar has a keen focus on Otago’s best winemakers.
A small group of us sat with Chef Thornley and went through several dishes, paired with some great New Zealand wines. And, we even got the recipes to take home with us. I am bound and determined to recreate these great dishes. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a foodie like me.
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Art Adventures – Explore Your Creative Side!
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 13, 2012 at 1:39 pm
I had the opportunity to experience Art Adventures and I can tell you, it is amazing.
New and totally original to the tourism industry, Art Adventures offers customized art excursions and tours, allowing visitors to see a spectacular landscape while been driven in luxury through it and to have the unique opportunity to record everything with an expert tutor at your side.
We were flown by helicopter (thank you Over the Top Helicopters and our fabulous pilot Steve) to a remote location for an art lesson. Talk about a fabulous experience. With us was an exceptional art tutor, whose name I believe was Gwen. (I am blaming jet lag on my non-ability to remember her name or the fact that I can’t find my notebook!!!) I can’t draw at all, although I have a huge appreciation for art. Gwen made me feel like I could draw and create something that was uniquely me. It was an incredible experience.
There are many tours available from Art Adventures. They offer you the opportunity to meet local artists and to talk with gallery dealers about the vibrant New Zealand art scene (ideal for conference / incentive options). They operate year-round and prefer small groups (maximum of six), giving you a more personalized experience. And they work around your time schedule, so there is plenty of time to purchase artwork and to view exactly what you are interested in.
Their drivers can explain environmental, geographical and historical features; and their tutors are all professional artists with a mature understanding of how to allow you to discover and explore your creative side. Their products are of high quality so that your results are exciting and immediate. You also get to keep the art equipment they supply so that you can keep sketching while on holidays and continue to work on the skills you learned.
Art Adventures is about extending yourself in a relaxing and rewarding way. You leave feeling as though you have connected to New Zealand in a very intimate way. I can certainly vouch for that. For all of the moments of connection that I have felt in New Zealand, sitting in a remote spot sketching the beauty of the mountains and the sky, I felt deeply connected to this great land. It is something I will always cherish.
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Guided Walks NZ – YOU vs WILD
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 12, 2012 at 1:53 pm
The team at Guided Walks New Zealand is very knowledgeable and passionate about what they offer visitors. It’s always interesting to connect with people that love what they do.
Guided Walks’ philosophy is to give their guests an interactive nature experience – a hands-on understanding of every component of New Zealand’s South Island wilderness. They are the only guiding company permitted to walk “off track” in the National Park. This allows you to avoid the crowds and experience a true wilderness walk, letting you touch, see and feel the real New Zealand.
Visitors to Queenstown and Wanaka have a choice of expeditions on foot – either privately guided walks, specially tailored to their requirements and abilities, or half and full-day hikes in small groups.
This is a very exciting time for the team at Guided Walks New Zealand. They have a new product, YOU vs WILD, which has given people a whole new way of taking a walk – and it’s this product that they showcased at TRENZ. This walk has a similar approach as the Bear Grylls survival show Man vs Wild.
They also just bought a new 11-seat Ford Transit. Their next new purchase was of course another vehicle – a new Mitsubishi Delica D5 – which can take six passengers, in the luxury they have come to expect from Guided Walks. The Delica D5 is for private clientele – agents can be assured of a high-end product from beginning to end.
You learn so much in New Zealand when you take a guided walk. It is an excellent way to experience the beauty of New Zealand, to spend time in nature and to hear incredible stories from a guide who is passionate about their life in NZ. This is a great way to discover what really makes New Zealand different – every step has a story to fascinate and astound you.
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NZONE Skydive – I Dare You!
Posted by Ruth Atherley on May 12, 2012 at 12:34 pm
It really does take a certain kind of person to jump from an aircraft into thin air. Although it’s not quite as scary as you might think since you are harnessed to an experienced qualified Jumpmaster. Although you do step out of that aircraft door and for some 60 seconds you plummet towards the ground at 200 kilometres per hour – Terminal Velocity.
Skydive dropzone is located 20 minutes from central Queenstown in a rural tranquil environment. Access to the dropzone is by courtesy coach, departing hourly (weather permitting) from central Queenstown. And in Rotorua, the renowned geothermal area of New Zealand, the NZONE dropzone is conveniently located at Rotorua Airport. They will arrange courtesy transport from your accommodation in Rotorua at the time you make your reservation.
A new plane was introduced last year – Supervan 900. It holds 18 people – so up to nine customers can jump together, keeping groups together for their once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s also the quietest and most fuel efficient aircraft for commercial skydiving, thus reducing the impact on the environment and on the neighbours.
NZONE produces the most comprehensive photo packs in the country, which includes 20 – 6×8 printed images, a CD-ROM of high resolution images, a DVD of your experience, seven personalized postcards and a certificate of achievement. And there is a new briefing room in the town centre shop. The cinema-style presentation room is twice as big as before, allowing for better customer comfort and experience.
In a Tandem Skydive with NZONE Skydive, you see some of the most dramatic scenery in New Zealand, from 15,000 feet. Now celebrating 21 years of skydiving and over 180,000 tandem jumps to date, NZONE is the only tandem skydive company to have been awarded the Supreme Tourism Award. NZONE also runs XLR8 Go Solo courses so you can learn to skydive solo. Achievement doesn’t come sweeter.
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