This is always one of the most challenging posts to write. It means that it’s all over for another year. I have said it before; it is such a privilege for us to produce TRENZblog and to tweet about our adventures and the amazing people we meet.

It was a busy time in New Zealand this year – even busier than usual. Social media has created great opportunities to connect and collaborate and it is a quick response, 24/7 approach to outreach. I think we may have hit a record for having tweet invites to meet TRENZ friends in pubs and restaurants this year.

While we did have a chance to have a glass of wine or a good NZ microbrew with many of our TRENZ friends, we were also busy creating content for TRENZblog, interviewing exhibitors, attending press conferences and experiencing everything that Queenstown has to offer (which is a lot!). We were working 18-20 hour days and still couldn’t keep up with our posts – I think that says a great deal about how much New Zealand has to offer visitors.

This was my fourth time in New Zealand and Paul’s first. I think that every time my feet hit the ground in New Zealand, I fall a little bit more in love with the country, the people and the culture. I know that Paul was also amazed at how incredible New Zealand is to visit – even though for all these years, he has edited TRENZblog and has been a huge contributor to the Canadian PR team for Tourism New Zealand. I think New Zealand is one of those places that not only lives up to the hype, but also exceeds expectations on a regular basis.

This will be our last TRENZblog post for a while. We hope you will use this site as a resource and as inspiration. And we know that we will just have to find some way to deal with being homesick for New Zealand and missing our Kiwi friends until we meet again. Which I hope isn’t too far off in the future.

Kia Ora!

As a part of TRENZ, I had the opportunity to take a wine tour with Appellation Central Wine Tours. It was one of the best wine tours of the entire trip. Our guide, Lain, was exceptional. Friendly, knowledgeable and easy going, he educated, informed and entertained – not an easy thing to do with a group of journalists and travel agents, let me tell you!

Situated at an altitude of 45°south, Central Otago is the most southerly wine region in the world. The region’s shaly soil and climate of hot, dry summers, cool autumns and crisp, cold winters provide excellent grape growing conditions for its 177 vineyards which are producing award-winning wines of exceptional elegance and longevity and world-class Pinot Noirs that are increasingly sought-after.

We had a wine tasting at Gibbston Valley, the first commercial wine producer in the Central Otago region. It is also the location of New Zealand’s largest underground wine cave. In an interesting little moment, the Pinot Noir we were to taste had to be taken out of the small wine cooler in the wine cave. The reason, the cave is too chilled for Pinot Noir and the refrigerator keeps the wine at a bit warmer temperature.

We then went on to the Valli Vineyards and spent some time with Grant Taylor, owner and winemaker. For me, this was one of the highlights of our entire trip. Grant is clearly knowledgeable and gifted – he is one of New Zealand’s most awarded Pinot Noir winemaker’s, earning a string of gold medal and trophy accolades throughout his long career. However, none surpasses winning the trophy for Best Pinot Noir – twice – at the world’s largest wine competition, the London International Wine Challenge. A feat achieved by no other winemaker in the world. Yet he is down-to-earth and engaged, interested in what the people he is speaking with think. At one point, he leaned over and picked up a vine to show us and it really felt like he was showing off his babies to us. He was gentle with the vines and clearly had a huge amount of affection for them, the earth and nature. This isn’t just a business to him; it’s his life. And, I have to say, I learned more about wine and wine making during our casual conversation than I have from the several books I have read or the courses I have taken.

And, of course, we got to taste his fabulous wine. I can say without fail, that it is the best Pinot Noir I have ever tasted. I am kicking myself for not bringing a bottle of it back with me. Sigh.

I spent some time with the fabulous people at Cycle Turismo at TRENZ. Cycle Turismo offers high quality guided cycling holidays for the discerning cyclist. Each tour allows participants to sample the deliciously indulgent Classic New Zealand Wine Trail and serves up luxury accommodation, fine dining, world-class wines and abundant natural beauty. We were fortunate to do a little bit of the Classic New Zealand Wine Tour when we were in Hawke’s Bay and loved it! (Click here to see the blog post.)

Cycle Turismo’s extraordinary cycling package is enhanced by authentic Kiwi experiences, knowledgeable local guides and best in class service to ensure that participant comfort is not comprised.

Think of sun-drenched days riding meandering roads through the quiet countryside, wide-open spaces, rolling hills, breath taking scenery and rural off-the-beaten-track charm.

Imagine being on this kind of a vacation…your riding companions are friends and locals. They know the route and provide directions, offer insights as to what lies ahead, and ride at your pace. They also provide any and all support you might require, and carry the tools, pumps, refreshments and spare clothing. The ride itself is a joy. Not too long, but challenging enough that you can be proud of your accomplishments.

Cycle Tourismo focuses on small group tours (of 2 to 6 cyclists) that enable the group to have a more personalized and interactive experience; to discover new places, to stay in boutique lodgings surrounded by vineyards, to meet and make friends with the locals; and to experience authentic “kiwi” culture.

With Cycle Turismo, the tours include afternoon “free-time” sessions so you can do the activities and sightseeing that interests you. They also provide recommendations and bookings at your request.

It sounds like the perfect cycle tour to me.

I had a chance to learn more about the Waitangi Treaty Grounds at TRENZ. The Waitangi Treaty Grounds overlook the Bay of Islands and it is New Zealand’s pre-eminent historic site.

It was here on February 6th, 1840, that the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed between Maori and the British Crown. The Treaty Grounds are part of the 404-hectare (1000-acre) Waitangi National Trust estate, which was gifted to the nation by Lord and Lady Bledisloe in 1932. In the deed of gift, Lord Bledisloe stipulated that the estate was never to be a burden on the taxpayer, and in keeping with this, it is not government funded. The estate is administered by the Waitangi National Trust Board, whose members represent various sections of New Zealand people.

Features of the Treaty Grounds include:

• The Treaty House – Built for the first British Resident, James Busby and his family. It is one of New Zealand’s oldest and most visited historic homes.
• Te Whare Runanga – Fully carved Maori Meeting House, which is representative of all Iwi (regional tribes) in New Zealand.
• Ngatokimatawhaorua – One of the world’s largest Maori ceremonial war canoes.
• The Naval Flagstaff – Marks the place where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed.
• Waitangi Visitor Centre – Houses an audio visual show outlining the history of Waitangi and the Bay of Islands. It also showcases live cultural performances.
• Gift Shop.
• Artifacts Gallery.

There are a range of activities here, which include guided tours that are most often led by descendants of the people involved in creating and signing the treaty. There are cultural performances, as well as specialized expert guided tours of the Treaty House and garden and historical curator guided tours of the taonga (treasures) of the estate. I have also heard from several people that the Waikokopu Café has fabulous food and seriously good coffee (along with lovely New Zealand wines).

Wanna see what TRENZ 2011 looked like?

Click here to see a few images from Travel Rendezvous New Zealand 2011.

Some fast facts about the Jaffa Races:

• Cadbury Jaffas are round balls of orange candy coated chocolate.
• Every Cadbury Giant Jaffa is individually numbered by hand.
• Each Jaffa Race ticket number is printed on self-adhesive paper, and then stuck on to one Cadbury Giant Jaffa.
• It takes approximately 15 to 25 seconds for the first Cadbury Jaffas to make their way to the bottom of Baldwin Street.
• Cadbury Jaffas have been manufactured and sold in the New Zealand market since 1931.
• Cadbury Jaffas quickly became so popular that Kiwis abroad often phoned home asking to be sent another box.
• Every Kiwi knows the fun of rolling a Jaffa in their mouth and experiencing the unique orange and chocolate taste.
• Dunedin is now the proud home of Cadbury Jaffas, with production of the delicious sweets moving from Auckland to the Dunedin factory toward the end of 2008.
• The Cadbury factory in Dunedin produces nearly 90 tonnes of Cadbury Jaffas each year.
• New Zealanders on average consume approximately 126,404 Cadbury Jaffas per day.
• We were told at TRENZ that the purple Jaffas are faster than the orange ones…

I always like to connect with the AquaTaxi/Abel Tasman Kayaks team when I am at TRENZ. They are friendly, funny and so welcoming. They offer a range of guided half-day, full-day and overnight tours designed to showcase the beauty of Abel Tasman.

One of the activities that they told me about at this year’s TRENZ is the Seal Swim. Guests can join these playful and curious creatures at close quarters in their environment at Tonga Island Marine Reserve. Their low impact, eco-friendly swim allows these beautiful animals to respond in their own way. Being respectful and considerate of the marine life, the ocean and Mother Nature, in general, is a big part of their business. And their consideration for nature makes touring with them even better.

With the seal swim, you get to swim with the seals for an hour – and that’s guaranteed.  The groups are small in numbers, so you get a real chance to experience the cheeky seals (and probably your cheeky guide) without a big crowd.

You can see a video of the seal swim here. (Click the dropdown beside “Seal Swim.”)

One of the TRENZ functions that we went to was held on the TSS Earnslaw. The TSS Earnslaw turns 100 next year and it is the only working coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere. As we sipped lovely New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, we could look down into the belly of the Earnslaw and see coal being shovelled in to feed her engine and imagine what it must have been like to sail on this beautiful ship almost 100 years ago. Sailing on her in 2011 was pretty amazing too.

The TSS Earnslaw is a piece of working history and definitely worth a visit when in Queenstown.

Some fun facts about the TSS Earnslaw:

• The Earnslaw carried the Duke of York in 1927 and the Duke of Gloucester in 1935.
• In March 1990, the Earnslaw carried Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip.
• Other royalty to travel on board have been the King and Queen of Belgium, the Prince of Thailand, and the Emperor and Empress of Japan.
• The TSS Earnslaw made a brief cameo appearance in the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) as an Amazon River boat.
• The TSS Earnslaw uses one tonne of coal every hour.
• Parts of the TSS Earnslaw were used as the basis for the SS Venture, the steamship in the movie King Kong.
• The TSS Earnslaw was launched in the same year as the RMS Titanic – 1912.
• Former president Bill Clinton travelled on board the TSS Earnslaw in 1999.
• The TSS Earnslaw travels 1.5 times the circumference of the earth each year. Not bad for a 100-year-old steamship!
• TSS stands for Twin Screw Steamship.
• Famous composer Ron Goodwin composed a piece of music inspired by the rhythm of the TSS Earnslaw’s engines. It was first performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

I was listening to a couple of journalists in the media room at TRENZ chatting about Fergburger. They were convinced that there is some kind of secret conspiracy in Queenstown about Fergburger – because everyone you speak with tells you that you have to go there. And you do. I don’t think it’s any conspiracy. It’s just that Fergburger makes the best burger in the entire world. It is a Queenstown landmark and if you are in Queenstown, find the time to go for a burger. The memory will stay with you for a long, long time.

We went back again so I could deconstruct the burger and try to recreate it at home. Fingers crossed that I can or I will be dreaming of it until I am able to return to Queenstown.

Paul didn’t believe me when I told him last year that it was the best burger ever. One bite, and he was a believer!

Ziptrek in Queenstown is incredible. And, of course, there is a nice little Canadian connection – because Ziptrek here in Queenstown is the sister company to Ziptrek in Whistler, BC.

We had an amazing time – our guides Scottie and Linus were exceptional. Engaging, charming, cheeky and knowledgeable about the area and sustainability (a focus on the tour) and they made us feel safe enough that we could be adventurous.  We did the Kea 6-line tour – which includes two incredible new flying foxes, including the steepest tree-to-tree flying fox in the world. (And let me tell you, it was STEEP.) We flew down the hill on this line for about a kilometer, the equivalent length of 10 rugby pitches. We also got to hike a little along the local “Tiki Trail,” an ancient native beech forest.

At Ziptrek, there is something for everyone – more dramatic, adrenalin-inspired opportunities along with some that are a little “calmer” – if a flying fox can be described as calm.

The one thing that comes across at Ziptrek is that you feel safe, secure and confident in the care of your guides. And learning about sustainability and what each of us can do to take care of the world is an added bonus as you move through nature with Ziptrek. Definitely a must do in Queenstown.