Client News

Both investments have ensured the multi-award-winning South Island tourism attraction, renowned for its innovation and continued business developments, continues to be at the forefront of ‘must-do’ activities for visitors.

Tekapo Springs owner Karl Burtscher said Tekapo Star Gazing had been “extremely well received” by international and domestic visitors as it combined the top two attractions in Tekapo.

The tours take advantage of the fact that the tiny township of Tekapo sits within the world’s largest international dark sky reserve (4144sq km), only the fourth such reserve in the world.

They incorporate a 40-minute guided night sky tour with trained star guides followed by a 40-minute soak in the hot pools. Guides continue to give information, answer questions and ‘story tell’ on request, while guests chill out to relaxing astro music. Guests can also get closer to the stars and planets by looking through one of three powerful telescopes installed at the pools.

“Developing a product that marries our beautiful Southern night sky with a visit to the relaxing Hot Pools makes for an exceptional experience,” said Mr Burtscher.

“Visitors have called it an ‘out of this world experience’ or said they felt like they were floating in space, and our guides have been praised for being so knowledgeable about some of the closest and brightest features in the night sky such as stars, planets, constellations, and galaxies.”

Mr Burtscher said bookings were highly recommended as some tours were booked out well in advance.

“Even if the weather’s not perfect for star gazing, our guides provide an indoor audio visual about the night sky using the same content, with a high definition projector screen and astro photos and videos,” he said.

“It makes the tour an all-weather attraction, and we even have a cosy open fire to warm up the night too!”

The tours will operate on a winter schedule until October 31 with tours departing seven nights a week at 9.30pm (Mandarin-speaking), 10.30pm (English tour) and 11.30pm (both languages). The latest tour will also cater for visitors who like astro-photography.

From November 1 tour times change to 10.30pm, 11.30pm and 12.30am.

Last year Tekapo Springs also officially launched its new pools to great acclaim, proving “hugely popular” with visitors and locals and resulting in a significant increase in visitor numbers.

“We now have two busy seasons both summer and winter,” said Mr Burtscher.

“The pools are popular throughout the year, perfect for visitors in summer who want to relax while enjoying views of the lake and surrounding mountains, while in winter they’re a magical escape for visitors day or night.

“We just keep adding more and more reasons to visit Tekapo Springs including our winter ice skating rink, winter snow tubing and a huge inflatable summer waterslide.”

Tekapo Springs is a year-round attraction nestled on the shores of stunning Lake Tekapo, beloved by visitors from all around the globe and winner of multiple tourism awards. The new pool additions – themed ‘High Country Tarns’, each with its own distinctive shade of aqua green – are part of Tekapo Springs’ long-term growth strategy for expanding its aquatic attractions and offering a wider range of water temperatures and features.

Click here to visit Tekapo Springs’ website.

Picture caption:

1/ A stunning display of stars and constellations lights up the night sky for Tekapo Star Gazing at Tekapo Springs

The hugely popular Zip & Wilderness combo neatly packages up a Ziptrek Adventure, soaring to new heights ‘zipping’ through the trees above Queenstown, with a Dart River Wilderness Jet journey from Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu deep into Te Waipounamu World Heritage area of Mt Aspiring National Park.

Both experiences offer a unique combination of breathtaking scenery and exhilaration, and Ziptrek Ecotours is “delighted” to be working with Dart River thanks to a shared passion for environmental sustainability and protection.

Dart River Business Manager Harald Ulriksen said they were delighted to be working with Ziptrek.

“Both experiences have a natural affinity with nature and our environment,” he said.

The Zip & Kiwi combo combines a Ziptrek tour of the visitor’s choice with entry to the Kiwi Birdlife Park just a short walk from the zipline base. The combo with the park, which has over five acres of forest sanctuary, has proved extremely popular as it “tells the story of New Zealand”.

Ziptrek Ecotours already has a close relationship with the park since sponsoring a brand-new reptile wing to house its collection of rare and endangered wildlife, in particular tuatara and critically-endangered Otago and Grand skinks.

“This is a great example of us working with other businesses to help tell the New Zealand story,” said Ziptrek Ecotours Executive Director Trent Yeo.

“There’s continued interest in eco-tourism and we aim to be at the forefront of that, gaining the type of visitor who wants to see and experience the ‘real’ New Zealand and not just go shopping!”

That philosophy also sits well with the company’s third combo on offer – Zip & Ride. The combo is the perfect choice for those wishing to explore the region by air and land. After being taken to new heights with a gravity-driven Ziptrek Moa or Kea tour, guests can take to ‘pedal power’ with Around the Basin to discover parts of the region unreachable by car, meandering past lakes, rivers, the historic village of Arrowtown or through stunning wineries.

At last year’s TRENZ, Ziptrek used world-leading virtual reality video technology to bring its exhilarating zipline tour to buyers, a move that proved “hugely popular”.

Buyers were able to immerse themselves in the world of Ziptrek by donning the latest Samsung VR headset which literally ‘put’ the buyer on the company’s framed treehouses, zipping downhill and able to look around them at the stunning views as they did so.

“It was incredibly successful at getting people to feel what it is like to fly through the trees and see the majesty of our tree architecture in context,” said Mr Yeo.

“We’ve continued to use the headsets for overseas sales trips, as a tool for staff training and even in our Queenstown store to give people a ‘taste’ of the trip before booking. Watch this space for more!”

Leading the way in zipline innovation and sustainable business practice, Ziptrek Ecotours launched in New Zealand in November 2009 and since then has completed nearly three-quarters of a million zips through the forest canopy on ‘gravity fed ziplines’.

Click here to visit Ziptrek Ecotours’ website.

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1/ A Dart River Wilderness Jet journey is part of a popular Zip & Wilderness combo with Ziptrek Ecotours

Crowne Plaza has selected Rituals products as its premium bathroom amenities, specifically the Happy Buddha range. Guests can also enjoy a touch of luxury with a make-up mirror, dual head shower and large heated mirror featured in every bathroom.

It goes without saying that guests are guaranteed a peaceful night’s sleep – with new beds in comfortable ‘zen-like’ rooms and a range of Executive, Deluxe and Superior configurations from suites to king bed, split king, doubles and wheelchair accessible options.

Thanks to the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage programme, with its superb bedding, pillow options and quiet zones, guests are guaranteed to wake up with a smile.

And while the emphasis is on modern classic lighting, and a range of carefully thought-through textiles, textures and colourways in each room, the hotel hasn’t scrimped on technology that really works.

Staying connected to the outside world is easy with unlimited free WiFi and Samsung smart TV’s complete with Bluetooth connectivity and wireless mobile device mirroring. Several USB ports are also part of the room design, allowing for easy device charging from the bedside table and desk.

“Guests are encouraged to share their travel experiences and enjoy their own digital content from the comfort of their room, just like they would at home,” said Front Office Manager Krysten Butler.

Up-to-date hotel information is available from each guest TV, and if they need help setting it up or some assistance during their stay, they’re encouraged to call on the hotel’s ‘tech-savvy’ porters or front desk.

“We’ll even loan guests cables to connect their device if they need them,” said Ms Butler.

For guests who want to catch up on the latest news, the hotel offers free access to over 6,000 magazines and newspapers within the PressReader app. For those who prefer a more traditional approach, free newspapers can also be delivered daily to their room.

With business and conference travellers in mind, each room includes a desk and comfortable office-style chair, making catching up on emails or working on a presentation or business document a breeze.

The new hotel also features Market Place restaurant and bar, Café 1851 on the ground floor, the upmarket Social Wine Bar, hotel library, fitness centre and a range of function rooms.

The property is situated at the corner of Colombo and Armagh streets on Victoria Square, making it an easy stroll to all key attractions and alongside the gently-flowing Avon River.

“Within two minutes’ walk from the hotel guests can be exploring the many cafés and boutiques of New Regent Street, strolling through Cathedral Square, taking in the latest Arts Centre exhibition, shopping in the new city centre or visiting the Christchurch Casino,” said General Manager Reinier Eulink.

“We can’t wait to open the doors to our first guests, making it a hub for business and leisure travellers and a meeting place in the heart of the city for our wider community.”

The eagerly-awaited 4.5-star hotel, part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), will be the largest upscale hotel in the Christchurch city centre when it opens mid-year.

Click here to visit Crowne Plaza Christchurch’s website.

Picture caption:
1/ An artist’s impression of a room at Crowne Plaza Christchurch

“I got to travel in the best regions in the world,” he said. “There were some very interesting moments too – one day we delayed serving breakfast so everyone on board could watch four polar bears breakfasting on a walrus!”

After his stint on the Enderby, Chef Robin went on a self-styled “culinary adventure” through Europe, visiting Austria, Russia and Germany among other countries, before returning to Queenstown where he had worked in a variety of chef roles at hotels and restaurants over a six-year period.

At threesixty, Chef Robin is overseeing delivery of the restaurant’s existing autumn menu while planning a range of hearty winter dishes for hungry skiers and snowboarders, a fantastic European-feel après ski offering.

“I’m excited to adapt my knowledge of international cuisine to the role, looping back to my roots and taking influence from my Canadian heritage,” he said.

“New Zealand has a very ethnically diverse food offering and our menu is a showcase of everything that New Zealand has to offer culturally.

“We’ll serve hearty favourites like beef cheeks and braised ribs with fresh produce sourced from our own “backyard”, inspired by the freezing winters in Banff, where I’m from.

“A European-feel après ski environment will showcase mulled wines, and local craft beers will invite guests and locals to socialise over sharing plates and reminisce about their favourite ski moments.”

Chef Robin said designing banqueting menus for the conference and incentive market was a “speciality”.

“I plan on revamping the banqueting menus with a modern-twist encompassing trending foods and creating exciting alternatives for dietary requirements.”

He said he was delighted to join the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for the first time.

“IHG nurtures staff and offers employees room to grow and develop skills, and I see Crowne Plaza Queenstown as an opportunity to gain more experience in one of the most beautiful settings in the world.”

Crowne Plaza Queenstown General Manager Anna Edie said Robin’s knowledge of international cuisine was a perfect fit for threesixty.

“We look forward to welcoming diners to experience mouthwatering dishes from across the globe – all while sampling the very best of the regions wines,” she said.

The property has recently completed a half a million-dollar refurbishment offering a fresh new look for guests including new furniture and carpets in its public areas, restaurant and bar, and conference spaces.

Conveniently located in the heart of Queenstown’s visitor, retail and business district, Crowne Plaza Queenstown’s ground-floor threesixty restaurant is the perfect place to sit back, relax and enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner, High Tea, or a good coffee.

Click here to visit Crowne Plaza Queenstown’s website.

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1/ threesixty restaurant new head chef Robin Lilley at Crowne Plaza Queenstown