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Jealously loved to be hated

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:02:03 +1300

Who could not love Queenstown with all our naturally gifted glory? Well it might come as a shock but quite a few people actually, many of whom live in the small towns that surround the Wakatipu Basin. In Wanaka for example it is common to hear people referring to Queenstown as the flashy big brother who sold its soul to the devil in exchange for dollars, Yen and Chinese Yuan. We are somewhat like the Auckland of the South in many people’s eyes. Jealously loved to be hated.

So just imagine what the people of Te Anau will be thinking as Queenstown business interests make plans to cut them out of the Milford gravy train, or should I say gravy bus. Who cares some may say as all is fair in love, war and business. However it is my opinion we should care very much what our neighbours think.

For despite how we view ourselves, the truth is we are just a very small blip, in a very sparsely populated island at the bottom of the world. To be successful, New Zealand and in particular the Far South must sing from the same song sheet and the last thing we need is to develop into a country that harbours divisions across regional boundaries.

Currently most tourists endure a long bus ride to visit Milford, but Milford is a big enough attraction that they still sign up to do it. I am not against plans to challenge the status quo – progress often means change must occur. However thought must be put into how we continue to keep the unique nature of the townships that surround us. They all have a role to play in the tourism juggernaut that drives Queenstown’s economy, so we should be considering how to include the whole region in our well laid plans for the future. Te Anau is the gateway to Milford and Glenorchy is the gateway to Paradise. The question is, are these towns going to survive as the unique places they are under any new route into Milford -whatever shape and form it may take.

It is one thing to consider the experience of our tourists but surely it is of far greater concern the wellbeing of our own people. Will diverting tourists through Glenorchy improve the Milford tourist experience to the detriment of the resident population? Or will improving the Milford experience safeguard the financial success of the region leading to more job opportunities paying higher wages? I don’t know the answers to these questions but I do know that whatever happens not everyone will be happy. The decision must therefore hinge on creating the greatest level of satisfaction across the region and not overtly influenced by the interests of a few.

Welcoming in the Year of the Dragon

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:02:03 +1300

Just as I was starting to wonder if it was time to stop wishing people a happy new year and start getting on with the year that is, along comes another convenient reason to turn a new leaf. A large portion of the world’s population including many resident or visiting Chinese in Queenstown are celebrating Chinese New Year over the next two weeks and welcoming in the Year of the Dragon. Having been lucky enough to join the celebrations with a Kiwi Chinese family and friends here in Queenstown on ‘New Year’s Eve’, it surprised me how the Chinese New Year tradition mirrors western celebrations over the Christmas and New Year period. It also surprised me how large and active the Chinese community in Queenstown is, albeit with little fanfare.

Since the first Chinese gold seekers arrived to work the Arrow River about 145 years ago we have always had a small but significant Chinese population living here in the Wakatipu. However you would hardly notice the community at large recognising this significant time of year for the Chinese people despite the increasing resident population and of course the growing importance of the Chinese tourism market to Queenstown’s economy. China could well surpass Australia as New Zealand’s main tourism market within 5 years. Is it out of the realms of possibility for Queenstown to celebrate this occasion with a fireworks display and associated festivities in Queenstown Bay? Wellington has a well established two day festival complete with Lion Dancers and pyrotechnics and Auckland has a two week celebration based at SkyCity. It would certainly pay for itself. Imagine the tourism benefits if we became known as a place that celebrates rather than ignores this 15 day celebration.

Human culture, it seems, follows similar traditions no matter who you are or where you come from. Chinese New Year might seem like a foreign tradition but the idea is very familiar and there is no reason why the rest of Queenstown’s population should not join the party. We all want to share good times with friends and family and dream of a better brighter year ahead. Gong Xi Fa Cai – Congratulations and be Prosperous. Being prosperous is what everyone hopes for in a new year. Queenstown could certainly help itself towards this goal by rolling out the welcome mat to free spending tourists celebrating their own traditional holidays and special occasions in our town. And it’s not like non-Chinese wouldn’t enjoy a second New Year’s Eve party just as memories of December 31^st are fading.

Investment in water supply infrastructure

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:02:03 +1300

Most of us are not farmers, so the hot dry start to the summer has been more than welcome. Life is certainly better when the sun is shining. However there is a bit of an issue with water supply, particularly those on bore water like Lake Hayes and Arthurs Point. The downpours we experienced last week have not changed the fact water conservation is needed in some parts of the Basin. It seems almost ridiculous to me considering the size of that great big puddle otherwise known as Lake Wakatipu. I guess the problem is not so much the availability of water but the cost associated with getting it to our taps. Up until this summer I had not thought too much about the water coming into my house and watering the garden is not something I have ever considered a luxury.

And it was while watering the garden standing out the front of my house hose in hand that a passing tourist from Auckland commented on how lovely my place was looking. Thank you I said, and boasted that I was lushing up the flowers for my entry in the Lakes Hayes Show. Blokes flower arrangements was the category I had my eye on. So green and alive she said when the region was being affected by a drought. It was at this point I picked up on the sarcasm of her earlier ‘compliment’. She was really trying to say how downright wasteful I was being. But hang on a second lady, my neighbourhood is one of the lucky ones not on water restrictions, we are not on water meters and unless it was a mirage I was seeing there still looks to be plenty of water between Cecil Peak and Queenstown Bay.

Despite being within my rights to continue watering my garden as much as I like, perhaps it is about time to consider where that water comes from, how it gets to our taps and how to ensure it keeps flowing in the future. There are the obvious things like don’t piddle in a creek or pour paint into the storm water, but what about the investment in water supply infrastructure? Regardless of how plentiful the supply is it still needs to get to our taps and water will always be a precious commodity requiring careful management. And for the record, my flower arrangement did not win best in show, not even highly recommended. So next year, more water and bigger flowers.

We should be rightfully proud

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:02:03 +1300

The Queenstown-Lakes District is often referred to as the jewel in New Zealand’s crown and over the Christmas New Year holiday period, it has certainly lived up to that reputation. It is a pleasure to see so many happy holidaymakers enjoying a stellar summer and seeing the area with its best foot firmly planted forward.

It would be fair to say, Queenstown has never been busier. We have the weather to thank for boosting the numbers, but it is all the people who make this town tick that really deserve the credit. When most of the country is enjoying their holidays, the industry that is Queenstown kicks into overdrive. So pat yourself on the back all those people who have been working hard over the last few weeks. You have done us all proud. Not just the hospitality, retail, hotel and adventure tourism industry but the vital support services behind the scenes. The rubbish guy, the street sweeper, the policeman, the taxi driver and the first aid professional.

We are only as strong as our weakest link, and a bad experience can taint an otherwise perfect holiday. But as far as I have seen and from the conversations I have had, an extremely high majority of the people who came to the Southern Lakes over the last few weeks have nothing but praise for the region and its people.

And the only way is up from here as thousands of revellers found out at the National Rugby Sevens last weekend. Following on from a near perfect New Years Eve, the Sevens was well organised and good honest entertainment that portrayed Queenstown nationally on the TV in the perfect light. Let’s hope the unique environment we live in that ensures the success of these high profile events prevents other regions from thinking they could replicate this success. New Zealand Golf got it horribly wrong when they moved the NZ Golf Open away from The Hills in Arrowtown. From high profile TV audience appeal to what? Oblivion.

We should be rightfully proud of what is achieved within the confines of the Wakatipu Basin. We can turn the average into something special with real wow factor. But so can other regions of New Zealand with their own unique environments. However our trump card is the seemingly never ending flow of new visitors through the airport arrivals lounge and through the Kawarau Gorge. They come here attracted by our natural assets but leave with memories of a social experience not easily found elsewhere in the world.