TRENZblog POSTS

Who Throws Candy Down the Steepest Street in the World?

Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 2, 2011 at 3:35 am

This July 23-29 is the Dunedin Cadbury Chocolate Carnival in Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand. There is a great deal going on at the carnival, but the one event that always catches our attention is the Jaffa Races. There are two races and in each, 25,000 Jaffas are rolled down Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world. The money raised through betting on which Jaffa will win goes to charity.

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…

AquaTaxi/Abel Tasman Kayaks

Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 2, 2011 at 3:35 am

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.”)

TSS Earnslaw

Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 2, 2011 at 3:35 am

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.

Mmmmm… Fergburger

Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 1, 2011 at 2:11 am

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!

The Fabulous Ziptrek Ecotours in Queenstown

Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 1, 2011 at 2:10 am

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.