The sun is shining in Queenstown

Press, 10 January 1984, Page 1

The sun is shining in Queenstown

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor

Boom times have returned to Queenstown. After nine years of mediocre visitor numbers, Central Otago’s lakeside resort has been bursting at the seams this Christmas-New Year period with thousands of sun-tanned visitors.

“Things are absolutely magnificent; at last we have returned to the boom years of 1974-75,” said Mr Bill Tapley, managing director of the Cattledrome. His sentiments were echoed unanimously by other businessmen. The tills of the town’s tourist traps have been jingling a merry tune for more than a month: a year ago they were tolling grimly as torrential rain and flooding wiped the peak of the summer tourist-trade. '

This season hotels, motels, and camping grounds have been filled to capacity, but the pressure on accommodation is expected to ease a little this week.

Mr Clive Geddes, immediate past president of the local branch of the National Travel Association, confirmed that the town was approaching the stage where it needed about 300 additional rooms. “Accommodation has become a real problem; something will have to be done,” he said.

The situation had been aggravated, he said, by the loss of about 80 rooms for tourist use. Con-Tiki Tours, for instance, has taken over the Esplanade Hotel for its younger-aged, adventureseeking clients. About 30 motel units have also been lost with the conversion of View Motels to apartments.

Mr Nigel Harper, manager of the Queenstown Travelodge, said his occupancy rate this month was running about 30 per cent above the figure for the same time last year.

“January promises to be an exceptionally good month,” he said.

Mr Harper said he believed that there would a definite shortage of lowerpriced accommodation in the town next summer.

The owners of the town’s biggest jet boat attractions, Mr Ross Marett (Heli-jets) and Mr Trevor Gamble (Shotover Jets) both report record crowds. Mr Marett’s attraction has drawn about 3000 passengers over the last month and Mr Gamble’s boats have been carrying up to 500 a day. At least seven other jet-boating trips are available. Critics who argue that New Zealand has little to' offer adventure-seeking visitors might reflect on the fact that in addition to Queenstown’s well-known jet-boating attractions, the area also can provide whitewater rafting, helicopter sight-seeing flights, James Bond-type water jet-bikes, hovercraft trips, windsurfing, and Coronet Peak’s new “Cresta Run” toboggan ride.

For those who seek a more sedate pace of life, the 70-year-old Earnslaw has been making four sailings a day to cater for the demand. Most of the additional visitors to Queenstown this summer are New Zealanders, mainly North Islanders. As one businessman put it: “At last we seem to be gaining some benefit from our adverse exchange rate."