This is always a sad post to write. It means that it’s really all over for another year. It is always a privilege to be the TRENZblog writer. The two weeks that I get to be in New Zealand are always busy. And I do mean BUSY! We’re talking 18-hour days, multiple interviews, activities and then getting the blog posts up in a timely fashion for you to read. And now that Twitter has become more popular, we’re tweeting on a regular basis too. It is definitely challenging. I come home in desperate need of sleep and don’t want to talk to anyone for at least two days. But I wouldn’t change a thing about it!

Each time we produce TRENZblog, I learn a few more things about the right way to travel. First off, that old adage about “packing half of what you think you need” is right. I had a very heavy suitcase (ok, that’s plural – suitcases!) and I didn’t need to bring that much clothing. Next time, I will travel with one small bag and that’s it! (Everyone at AHA is rolling on the floor laughing hysterically at the idea that I could ever not have too much luggage.)

I also had the opportunity to do some different things on this trip – including a coach tour through APT. I have to tell you it’s a stress-free and interesting way to travel! I am a pretty independent traveller and I wondered if I would like this approach. Well, let me tell you – I am sold. The only thing you need to worry about when you take this kind of freedom of choice coach tour is what activity you want to do (there are lots of choice) and what kind of wine to have with lunch!

Another tidbit that I learned is that if you really want to learn about a country or a city, go to the local farmers’ market or take a food tour. I took the Zest Food Tour in Wellington and checked out three local markets. They gave me a real sense of the place and the people – and everyone was so friendly.

And following on the food theme – especially in NZ where excellent food is the standard – finding a place that allows you to connect with the earth and have great food can be an amazing experience. The Wild Food Cooking School at Treetop Lodge (what a place!!) was a highlight for me.

Get out of your comfort zone!! One of my more extreme experiences included going to ZORB and rolling down the hill in a giant ball. It was something I will never forget. Now I can check that off my list and find another whacky thing to do since I have already bungy jumped twice. I am thinking that next year, maybe I should try the Ziptrek in Queenstown.

Get off the ground. While I didn’t have the opportunity this year, I did spend some time with the amazing women from Volcanic Air Safaris in Rotorua. Their tours sound incredible and I am keeping my fingers crossed that next year I get to check out the White Island Active Volcano Tour. Everyone I have spoken with that takes this tour raves about it!

And last but not least, expect to have life changing experiences. I had several while in New Zealand and while most of them started with a special moment in nature, what made them extraordinary could be directly traced back to the person I was with at that time.

I mentioned Tom Bryant of Abel Tasman AquaTaxi – you might remember him, he’s the one that made me eat bug pee! He also shared an important life lesson with me about living in the moment – all while bossing me around in a kayak! I spent time on a horse on a beach with Fiona of Pakiri Beach Horse Rides and that gave me a valuable connection to the world as well. Maori Chef Eru Tutaki at Treetops also opened my mind and my heart about the importance of connecting our food to Mother Nature and being appreciative and grateful for the bounty of the earth. Our volunteer guide Allison at Zealandia was so passionate about the work being done there, you couldn’t help but feel engaged.

Everywhere I turned in New Zealand, a stranger was reaching out and sharing something with me that made me see the world differently – better. They weren’t trying to impart some big picture wisdom of the ages; they were just being who they are and shared their special part of New Zealand with me.

Even at TRENZ, where they could only show me video or images and tell me about their tourism product, the passion and pride that tour operators – like the incredibly charming Kate of Dive Tutukaka – shared with me was inspiring. The people that share their piece of New Zealand with tourists do it because they have a passion for it. They know that it can create a lasting impact, something more than just a pretty picture and a checkmark on a bucket list. They do it because they want to find that special moment with people like you and me, where we share laughter or a quiet moment in awe of the beauty of the world we live in. Or perhaps we get the chance to watch a sea creature, land animal or bird in its natural environment and we feel that connection to other living things. They do it because we carry those memories with us as we go home and we call them up again and again to remind us of how very fortunate we are to be able to visit places like New Zealand.

As I say goodbye for another year, I want to say thank you to all of the people that went out of their way to help with this blog. Thank you to the teams at TIA and Tourism New Zealand – who have never once tried to edit me and who always go out of their way to provide leadership, guidance and support. And a big thank you goes out to the Kiwis who invited me to experience their world, took the time to tell me their stories, and shared extraordinary moments with me in a very special part of the world that I have grown to love.

I hope that this blog helped bring New Zealand and the incredible people I met there to life for you.

If you get a chance, go! I promise you – it will be the trip of a lifetime.

Until next year…Kia ora!

Ruth Atherley

I’m leaving on a jet plane, I don’t know when I’ll be back again…

More blog posts will be up in a day or so. I need some time to recover from my time in New Zealand…but I still have lots to say.

I bet you aren’t surprised!!

Bye New Zealand…hope to see you again soon!

While TRENZ 2010 drew to a close last night with a great closing gala, TRENZblog is still going strong. (Remember we’re 19 hours ahead of you and this blog is on North American time.) I have several blog posts to write, which means there will be live content going up here for at least a few more days.

I spoke with buyers, exhibitors and media last night at the party and from what they had to say – TRENZ 2010 was a great success. While I am looking forward to getting home to my real life and my family, I am also sad that TRENZ is over. I love working with Ann-Marie and the Tourism Industry Association team and with Jo and the Tourism Auckland team. They always make me feel welcome and involved. They go out of their way to support me so that I can deliver interesting information here. I will miss connecting with them each day.

It isn’t often that you get an opportunity like this and I want to say thank you to everyone at Tourism New Zealand for all of their exceptional support for TRENZblog. They have given us editorial freedom, have supported and encouraged us and, as always, have provide me with the incredible opportunity of spending time in New Zealand.

And to the TRENZblog readers and Twitter peeps – thank you for your support and engagement. We’re building a solid little community online of people who want to tell the rest of the world how great New Zealand is and why they should visit.

Please keep reading – I’m not done yet.

Today, I go to Pakiri Beach Horse Rides, which I am really looking forward to! Then, late lunch in Matakana Village and a quick rugby tutorial with former All Blacks player, Brian Williams. And I’m doing the driving!!!

I will update more tomorrow.

I had a chance to connect with the team from Hawke’s Bay yesterday and I have a few fun, interesting and unique photo opportunities to share with you.

Looking to make some digital memories? Hawke’s Bay offers you the chance to get your photo taken in some amazing and unique places. They include:

• The sign of the longest place name in New Zealand. The name on the sign that marks the hill is: “Taumata­whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­turi­pukakapiki­maunga­horo­nuku­pokai­whenua­kitanatahu,” which translates roughly as The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one. At 84 letters, it has been listed in Wikipedia as one of the longest place names in the world. Try saying it three times as fast as you can after a couple of glasses of New Zealand wine! (Click here to learn how to say it.)

• The National Tobacco Company building in Napier is one of the most photographed art deco buildings in the world.

• Walk or drive along the historic Oak Avenue in Hastings. Planted in the 1800s, Oak Avenue (the real name is Ormond Road) is over a mile long and is a stunning sight.

• Swim at Mahia Beach and keep your waterproof camera ready for the potential appearance of Moko, the resident dolphin.

Hawke’s Bay has a lot to offer – the art deco beauty of Napier, more than 70 vineyards throughout the area, a range of beaches, art galleries and artists, excellent food and, of course, friendly welcoming people.

Biking Marlborough - photo credit to Ian Trafford

You have to love New Zealand, they have a wine trail that runs through the country! The Classic New Zealand Wine Trail is a 380 km (236 mile) self-drive touring route that leads you off the beaten track. You travel through many of New Zealand’s most interesting and scenic regions, including three major viticulture areas that account for more than 70% of the country’s wine production. And you don’t have to worry about getting lost, because along the way, there are road signs with images of grapes. No words, just a bunch of grapes. It’s like a little secret code for wine lovers.

Wine growing regions in New Zealand include Northland, Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury/Waipara Valley and Central Otago.

All through the trail are lovely little villages, historic towns, artist studios, specialty food, live theatre, forest hikes, brewery tours, fishing, hiking and of course – a range of wineries producing everything from Sauvignon Blanc to Pinot Noir.

You will come across both large estates and smaller vineyards that make batches by hand. In most of New Zealand’s wineries, the emphasis is placed on quality rather than quantity.

I’m sold. Another adventure to go on my bucket list!!!

Anyone want to join me?

Since Auckland is the host city for TRENZ, and an amazing place, we thought we would bring you some fast – and I hope interesting – facts about Auckland, courtesy of Tourism Auckland.

• Auckland’s sparkling waters, varied landscapes and cosmopolitan city life combine to make it one of the most desirable places in the world to live or visit.
• The Sky Tower is the largest building in the Southern Hemisphere standing at 328 metres and is the 12^th largest building in the world.
• On a clear day you can see approximately 82 km (51 miles) from the Sky Tower observation deck.
• Auckland’s landscape is dotted with 48 volcanic cones. The largest and most iconic is Rangitoto Island, Auckland’s youngest volcano, which emerged from the water 600 years ago. The Auckland War Memorial stands at the domain’s highest point.
• Auckland is known as the “City of Sails” as the region is said to have the highest boat ownership per capita in the world. It is a true water lovers’ paradise.
• The Viaduct Harbour in downtown Auckland was formerly the home of Auckland’s fishing fleet and in the late 1990s it became the America’s Cup Village. Today it is full of fine dining restaurants and is a hub for Auckland nightlife.
• Auckland recently starred in the final two episodes of America’s Next Top Model.

Full disclosure – it’s my job to promote New Zealand. So take this post with whatever grain of salt you need, but it’s a post from my heart.

Yesterday morning I got up early and looked out my window and saw a farmers’ market directly across from my hotel. I had planned to go to the City Market at Chaffers Marina, but hadn’t realized that I was staying so close.

I did a quick little tour and then headed to the coffee stand. As they made my flat white, the baristas asked me where I was from and we got to chatting. I got my coffee and prepared to head back around the market and one of the baristas asked, “Where are you going?”

I didn’t quite know what to say, so I laughed and said, “To the market.”

“Stay here and have your coffee with us.”

That’s why I love New Zealand. It was the two baristas, who then proceeded to introduce me to anyone who came for a coffee over the next five minutes so I’d “know a few people here.” It’s the people at the jam, jelly and cheese counter, who took the time to tell me about their small company and explained how they make their products. It’s the security guard who took the time to walk me over to the other part of the farmers’ market so I could find the City Market – which is a little bit more upscale. It’s the taxi driver who, when I arrived five minutes late to be picked up and taken to the train station, laughed off my apologies and said, “We’ve got a few extra minutes, do you want me to take you back to the market?”

There are a lot of great things to see and do in New Zealand, but none of them would be as exceptional if it wasn’t for the people. Kiwis are an incredible bunch and from North Island to South Island, coast-to-coast, they can be as different as they come, but they all have one thing in common – they are warm and friendly.

Ann Parker

I used a photo for TRENZ last year that had me in a helicopter with a headset on. (It’s also the image on the Twitter account.) A few months later, I got an email from someone that said that her boss had pointed out the photo and thought we looked alike. After going back and forth for a bit, it turned out we have a fair amount in common. We’ve been friends on Facebook ever since.

Me

My Facebook friend, Ann Parker, and Dorien Vroom, her boss and the woman who started this whole process, came and met me for a drink last night. It was great fun. Ann works with Dorien, a partner in Volcanic Air Safaris, so we have tourism and a love of travel in common as well. It also means that I will get to see Ann and Dorien at TRENZ too, which gives us more time to catch up.

Ann is one of those people who come into your life and you feel like you have known them forever. One of the great things about travel is the people that you get to meet. Sometimes it might just be a brief exchange with people, others you might spend a bit of time with, and others become friends for life. I have a funny feeling that Ann is the later.

New Zealand is always full of surprises, amazing moments and new friends.

I stayed at SKYCITY in Auckland last night and head out this morning with APT for two days checking out the convenience of a luxury coach tour. I will write more later.

Oh yeah, I drove on the other side of the road and arrived in once piece! Although my Flip Camera didn’t. It got wet kayaking and is currently out of service. Perhaps the hotel’s hairdryer can remedy the problem…

Today, I am going to take my turn and drive completely opposite to what I am used to. It’s like mirror reflection world! Left is right and right is left! Everyone out there, please say a little prayer that I remember to stay to the left, no right, no left…dang it!…that I stay on the correct (notice I didn’t say right) side of the road and that I don’t frustrate the other drivers.

I am hoping Adriena videotapes my learning to drive lesson so I can share it with you, but only if I don’t look completely foolish!

Wish me luck!