There is nothing quite like seeing New Zealand from the air. Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters offers awesome New Zealand scenic helicopter flights of the mountains and lakes in and around Queenstown, Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park.

I have had the opportunity to see parts of New Zealand from a helicopter and it is incredible. Majestic mountains and dramatic glaciers rising into the sky, then the clear waters of lakes embraced by forests that are so green it feels like you are seeing something that has been photoshopped.

…And for the skiers, there is Southern Lakes Heli Ski.

Something I didn’t know is that heli skiing isn’t just for advanced skiers. The Southern Lakes Heli Ski people operate on several mountain ranges, with the most exclusive access to over 5,000 sq km of powder. There is a wide range of options available for you to get the best possible location for your heli ski adventure, no matter what your level might be.

The people at Southern Lakes Heli Ski take their role as your guide seriously – skiing in the mountains is serious business. The International Federation of Mountain Guides Association oversees their heli skiing program. They have years of experience in heli skiing in the Southern Lakes region and abroad in Canada, Turkey and Alaska.

They provide a ratio of one guide per five guests, making sure you are safe and get the most out of your adventure.

May 27, 2010

For Immediate Release

New Zealand’s premier visitor destination, Queenstown, will play host to one of the country’s biggest international business events next year.

The tourism industry’s annual international showcase TRENZ (Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand) is to be held for the first time in the resort towards the end of May 2011.

Queenstown Lakes District Council Mayor Clive Geddes says: “This is a significant move and a tremendous opportunity which should be taken as a real sign of confidence in this region. A Queenstown-based TRENZ can only generate enormous spin-offs for this community. It’s great news.”

Destination Queenstown Chief Executive Tony Everitt says it’s a great coup for the Southern Lakes region to be afforded the opportunity to hold an event of this calibre. The Southern Lakes alliance is made up of Destination Queenstown, Lake Wanaka Tourism and Destination Fiordland.

“This is the first time we will be the host region for TRENZ and this means we can showcase the area to more than 200 international travel and tourism buyers and media in one hit,” he says.

“In total the convention should attract more than 600 people to the resort just before our winter season really kicks in. We are really looking forward to working with the Tourism Industry Association (TIA) and the NZ operators for next year’s event.  And, I’m sure our local operators will relish being able to sell their products on their doorstep.”

TRENZ enables the country’s leading tourism operators to reach hundreds of international buyers with face-to-face business meetings in one place.

TRENZ is managed by TIA in partnership with Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Destination Queenstown and other industry supporters.

-END-

For more information please contact Destination Queenstown Communications Manager Anika Forsman on  027 225 5206 or email anikaf@queenstownnz.co.nz.

Gibbston Valley Wines is the flagship of the Queenstown vineyards and the cradle of Central Otago’s successful wine region. Just a 20-minute drive outside of Queenstown, this winery is a must-see.

Gibbston Valley Wines has proved the skeptics wrong in their belief that the cold, dry and rocky landscape could not bear fruit. This winery has an international reputation for Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. They have won countless prestigious awards and accolades for their efforts. Their 2000 Reserve Pinot Noir was named the Champion Pinot Noir of the world!

There is an excellent restaurant and wine bar, the cellar door offers hourly guided wine tours and you can experience a tasting in their wine cave.

I have tried their wine and am going to search it out when I get home!

I had the chance to learn a little bit about Queenstown Rafting yesterday. They provide a range of trips from half-day white water rafting on the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers, to multi-day adventure camping and rafting trips. Check out the video on their site. It will give you a good sense of what your trip could be like.

One of the things I really like is that their company values are front and centre on their site. They are integrity, honesty, hard work and friendliness. Very Kiwi-like!

I had the opportunity to have lunch with Ziptrek’s Trent Yeo and his colleague Nicky Busst yesterday. It’s always a pleasure to spend time with the Ziptrek Queenstown team.  Trent has brought Ziptrek Ecotours, a thrilling eco-adventure, to Queenstown. It combines adventure and ecological exploration in an exciting, but not too scary, two-hour flying journey through the forest canopy. If anyone saw the very cool Ziptrek that was put in downtown Vancouver during the Olympics, think about flying through the New Zealand forest!

Over lunch, Trent was telling me about the environmental approach that is taken both here and with the parent company in Whister, British Columbia. It is an environmentally friendly, education in adventure tourism providing a “green rush” – I like that phrase! While flying through the trees, you have an interpretive guided tour.

All I can say is that this is a new tourism opportunity that I think is going to be very popular in New Zealand. It fits right in with the outdoor, respect for nature, connecting with Mother Earth approach to life here. Plus you get your heart pounding and a bird’s eye view of nature that you just won’t get anywhere else!