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.

Picture caption:

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.

Picture caption:

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

“My overall vision for these three venues is to capture a diverse audience at different times of the day and become known as a popular dining hub, for locals and visitors,” he said.

Chef Mirco’s culinary journey started at the age of 15 when he started his chef apprenticeship in a four-star hotel in Switzerland.

Mirco came to New Zealand at the age of 26 where he honed his skills in cafes in Blenheim and Picton, before making the move to top Auckland hotels and then Queenstown.

And while he loves the simple pleasures of fresh bread, pastries and roasted coffee beans in the morning, a small goods platter in the afternoon or sizzling steak on the barbeque, he names his favourite dish as his Aunty’s lasagne.

“We’re aiming to appeal to everyone, keeping good old-fashioned favourites that are generous in portion but reasonable in price, while offering health conscious guests some lighter options,” said Chef Mirco.

Crowne Plaza Christchurch’s features three premium offers in one inspiring new space. Market Place restaurant and bar takes inspiration from the local markets which once thrived just metres away in Victoria Square. Featuring an interactive marketplace dining concept, diners will be encouraged to pick and choose from a wide range of dishes on offer.

The menu for Market Place restaurant and bar is still under wraps, but Chef Mirco said his vision was to give locals and visitors the opportunity to discover the best fresh produce the city has to offer.

“I’ve been visiting our local farmers markets each week to get inspiration for ingredients and dishes and we’re excited to be opening up our very own interactive market inspired dining concept,” he said.

“There will be a live cooking station where guests can choose from a selection of meat, fish or seafood each evening, cooked to order just how they like it.”

Located in the lobby, Café 1851 is set to delight tastebuds and give friends, locals and families a place to connect in a contemporary environment. It will serve expertly brewed Mojo coffee, T2 tea, fresh juices and smoothies, pastries, cakes, sandwiches and salads.

The light-filled café features clean lines and Scandanavian-inspired décor. With free wifi available it will be the perfect spot for meetings, a work break or tasty ‘grab and go’ food.

Social Wine Bar will be the place for get-togethers and drinks over shared plates, an extensive wine list and a selection of NZ craft beers. Chef Mirco said the bar would be an “elegant and comfortable” space with a fireplace adding a cosy vibe.

“The selection of dishes on offer will include small, medium and large plates all designed to be shared by friends, colleagues, couples or groups,” he said.

“It’s sure to be the perfect space for socialising, meetings, a place to grab a quick bite before a show or game, or perhaps a nightcap after a busy day.”

Crowne Plaza Christchurch General Manager Reinier Eulink said he was honoured to be working alongside Mirco once more, after the pair previously worked at IHG’s Crowne Plaza Queenstown.

“Mirco’s strong knowledge of classical and contemporary techniques was perfect for Crowne Plaza Queenstown’s local and international guests and the feedback we received was outstanding,” he said.

“We can’t wait to see our restaurant, café and bar come to life thanks to his expertise at the helm of our food and beverage operation.

“We look forward to inviting Christchurch locals to visit at any time of the day, for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.”

Click here to visit Crowne Plaza Christchurch’s website.

Picture caption:

1/ Crowne Plaza Christchurch’s new Café 1851 will offer something for everyone

“This hotel offers a range of inspiring workshop or brainstorming places to meet and connect, all delivered with our signature Crowne Plaza service,” she said.

“We’re offering four spaces specifically designed to ensure the success of any client’s business function, with the flexibility to accommodate a range of events from smaller meetings through to large-scale presentations.”

Located on the first floor of the landmark hotel there are three separate boardrooms featuring views of the Victoria Square parkland, and a larger premium meeting space.

The Golden Fleece room seats up to 150 theatre or cocktail style, or 90 banquet style, and includes dual projection screens and built-in audio.

The Ellis, Gartner and Oram rooms cater for 10 to 14 guests boardroom style. Groups can combine two or all three of the rooms for a medium-sized space filled with natural light.

The names of the meeting spaces pay homage to the early history of Victoria Square. One of the city’s first hotels, The Golden Fleece, once occupied the site of the new Crowne Plaza.

The brand new rooms and meeting spaces offering the latest technology are online now for bookings from August 1 2017, and Ms Zwarts said they would be “a great step forward” for the regenerating city.

“From the moment you book your event, you can be confident you’re in the best hands with our friendly and knowledgeable team to ensure it runs seamlessly and efficiently,” she said.

Other spaces within the hotel available for event bookings include Café 1851 on the ground-floor, the stunning 80-seat Market Place Restaurant or even the cosy first-floor hotel library.

Groups staying at the hotel are guaranteed a great night’s sleep – with new beds in comfortable ‘zen-like’ rooms and a range of flexible Executive, Deluxe and Superior configurations.

Conference guests can stay connected throughout the hotel with free WiFi. Guest room technology includes Samsung smart TV’s with Bluetooth connectivity, mobile device mirroring and USB docks.

The new hotel’s central location means guests can step out of the front door with city attractions, shops and entertainment, and Hagley Park’s green open spaces on the doorstep.

General Manager Reinier Eulink has returned to Christchurch to open the new property. He most recently spent five successful years leading Crowne Plaza Queenstown, during which time it won multiple travel and tourism awards.

Conference or meetings bookers are recognised and rewarded for choosing Crowne Plaza Christchurch with the IHG Business Rewards programme. Points can be redeemed for free room nights, gift vouchers and an extensive range of other offers.

With the opening of the new Crowne Plaza Christchurch, IHG will operate six properties in New Zealand including Crowne Plaza hotels in Auckland, Queenstown and Christchurch, two Holiday Inn properties in Rotorua and at Auckland Airport, and the InterContinental Wellington.

Click here to visit Crowne Plaza Christchurch’s website.

Photo credit:

1/ The new Crowne Plaza Christchurch will add four flexible event and conferencing spaces to the city

The concept is still under wraps but the inventive duo say plans are to complement downtown Queenstown’s vibrant hub by offering barista coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner and diverse live entertainment.

Director Gary Livesey said he was hugely excited to be working on a new project.

“This project’s been in the pipeline for a while,” he said.

“We’re passionate about the hospitality industry and love creating fun, interesting venues that our customers enjoy hanging out in.

“The venue will be an interesting addition to the distinctive businesses in the Church Street area, just a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of the lakefront.

“We’re in the process of sketching and designing the venue ourselves, and can’t wait to unveil some surprises over the coming months.
“It’s a brand new concept, totally separate to The World Bar. We’ve put a lot of thought into the design of the space so that the vibe can evolve throughout the day to deliver bespoke experiences for our breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night guests.”

The new-look McNeill’s is set to embrace art, food, music, drinks, performance and drama and become a popular locals’ hangout and a home-away-from-home for the experience-driven traveller.

Picture caption:

1/ New World Bar venture – taking over the historic McNeill’s Cottage in Queenstown

Crowne Plaza Auckland has traded a three nights’ stay in one of its incredible Executive Suites – a multi-level room with incredible views of the city, plus breakfast daily for two valued at $2,150 — for a previously donated Peregrine Wine voucher.

The latest trade (trade 7) happened yesterday Monday March 27 2017.

The hotel has helped mentor her throughout the school project and IHG’s Marketing Manager Rachel Peacock said the property was “delighted” to help Sakira on her journey.

“We were inspired by Sakira’s idea of the Lightbulb Trade Relay and have loved being a part of her project,” she said. “We can’t wait to see how far she goes.”

Ms Peacock said one of Crowne Plaza Auckland’s mottos was to strive for success.

“Sakira is the perfect example that at any age you can reach for the stars and achieve incredible things, and we’re thoroughly impressed with her determination and passion to support the research centres.”

Happy with the trade, Sakira Knights said she was “incredibly excited” that Crowne Plaza Auckland agreed to being part of the trade relay.

They are a fantastic hotel sought after by many companies and they have been very generous,” she said. I can’t thank the team enough for mentoring me through my project.”

“I will continue to trade throughout New Zealand and hopefully Australia until late October, so would love to invite companies to check out the Facebook page and jump on board!

“Hopefully by all working together we can make a difference in the world and help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.”

The Neurological Foundation Douglas Human Brain Bank, based in Auckland, and Shake It Up Australia Foundation, based in Silverwater New South Wales, are fully on board with Sakira’s fundraising efforts and look forward to receiving the cheques later this year.

For further information on the Lightbulb Trade Relay project go to https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=lightbulb%20trade%20relay

Click here to visit Crowne Plaza Auckland’s website.

Picture caption:

1/ Thirteen-year-old Sakira Knights with “Lex” the lightbulb

 

His meeting with Peregrine Wines’ owners the McLachlan family will see Peregrine Wines continue as its sole New Zealand wine producer after the two businesses signed a long-term agreement.

Mr Doody also introduced Vineyard Brands’ recently-appointed New Zealand Brand Manager Tommy Oldre to the Peregrine team.

“This is a huge milestone for us because it gives us the reach into the world’s biggest wine market with nationwide placement, something we never envisaged we would have access to,” said Peregrine Wines managing director Lindsay McLachlan.

“We’re absolutely thrilled they have selected us; delighted they enjoy the wines and recognise the quality. What we have here is a long-term channel to be able to take wines we’re really proud of to a huge wine market, and we couldn’t do it without them.

“As a result of this trip they’ll take the range of wines we make because they’re committed to building the Peregrine brand in the US and already have a growing market for our stunning Pinot Noirs.

“Those Pinots are already distributed across 30 states and this agreement will broaden that portfolio.”

Figures show that the US was the largest export market for New Zealand wine in the world in 2015, overtaking Australia, and is on a rapid growth path for New Zealand wine exports.

Greg Doody said his company was “quite picky” about who they worked with but that they “loved the wines and the people” at Peregrine.

“We’re a family business and so are they; we have a good track record of working with families looking to the future, planting for their children or grandchildren,” he said.

“There’s a really good story to tell about Peregrine and Central Otago back in the US and that’s important to us when we’re so much more than a delivery system. We can ‘sell’ that story to our distributors and in turn their sales reps can sell it to retail outlets and restaurants.

“We work across all 50 states which is very different to a lot of US importers and we’re now in a good position to cement this business relationship because Peregrine has become established. We’re investing in the brand from our perspective.”

Both Mr Doody and Mr McLachlan said they shared the same philosophy when it came to being ‘hands on’ in their business.

“If your goal is to capture the hearts and minds of your sales people then the way to do it is to come here to meet the winemakers, see how people are treated, and understand how being clean, green and organic makes better wine, which in turn tells a better story,” said Mr Doody.

“Our clients in the US want to feel that the wine was grown somewhere, not made somewhere. They want to ‘feel’ the people in the wine.

“The US overtook France as the world’s largest consumer of wine back in 2013. Our consumers are now much smarter, millennials who want authenticity and transparency, to find out what the wine is all about.”

Although the Vineyard Brands company was founded in 1970, Mr Doody said the founding family of Vineyard Brands originally started in 1928 with one Burgundy vineyard.

“We still work with that vineyard so that’s proof that we tend to stick with people and they stick with us, which is good news for Peregrine!”

Mr McLachlan acknowledged that while Peregrine Wines was thrilled to have been chosen by Vineyard Brands, the brand had built on the loyalty of its New Zealand-based customers

“Everything we’ve done has been done to ensure we never rock that core, because they’re our foundation stone,” he said. “We’re careful not to ever be fully reliant on one market.”

Peregrine Wines produced its first vintage in 1998, and although known as a specialist multi-award-winning Pinot Noir house it also produces excellent Rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wine.

Click here to visit Peregrine Wines’ website.

Picture caption:

1/ Toasting the future of Peregrine Wines and Vineyard Brands are (L to R) Tommy Oldre, Greg Doody, Lindsay McLachlan and Fraser McLachlan

“It’s been very close of late. I’ve been playing pretty nicely without putting any scores on the board. The goal this week is to be in contention come Sunday afternoon and anything can happen from there. I’d love to see my name on the trophy at the end of the week.”

In a drought those ducks would not appreciate, it has been 14 years since a New Zealander has held the Brodie Breeze Trophy.

Fox and Williams both believe this could be the year a local can conquer the fairways and greens at Millbrook and The Hills.

“We’ve got a lot of Kiwi guys playing well and it’s certainly the year to do it. Hopefully it’s me, but if it’s not me, there’s a few other guys with a chance this week,” Fox said.

“For me, I think the golf courses are playing a little tougher than they have in previous years. The greens are pretty firm and definitely around The Hills there’s a lot of the long stuff if you miss fairways. It might be a little more penalising, but there’s definitely some good scores to be had.”

Williams, who has worked with some of the best in the game, including 13 major championship victories with Tiger Woods, has had to learn some new tricks as part of his fledgling association with Fox.

While the pair enjoyed ribbing Fox senior during their Tuesday round, working with 30-year-old Fox will mean plenty of mental arithmetic for Williams this week.

“I’ve caddied for 40 years and never caddied for a player who plays in metres. I’ve got to get my head around that pretty quickly,” Williams, who has always worked in yards, said.

“I haven’t caddied for a New Zealander since 1979 (Sir Bob Charles). I’m ticking off something on my bucket list to caddy for a New Zealander at a New Zealand Open, so I’m really looking forward to the week.”

Also flying the New Zealand flag in Queenstown this week will be the likes of Michael Hendry, Josh Geary and Gareth Paddison.

The international charge will be led by Korea’s Y.E. Yang, the first Asian to win a major with that famous victory over Tiger Woods, and four-time US PGA Tour winner, American Heath Slocum.

The past five New Zealand Open champions, all Australians, are also amongst the field, including defending champion Matt Griffin, top of the Australasian Tour OOM; 2014 winner Dimitrios Papadatos who won the Victorian Open two weeks ago and 2011 champion Brad Kennedy, who was 11th on the Japan Tour OOM last year.

The 93rd ISPS Handa New Zealand Open is a NZ$1 million Tier One event on the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour, and is being played at Millbrook Resort and The Hills from 9-12 March.

Click here to visit ISPS Handa New Zealand Open’s website.

Photo caption:

1/ Ryan Fox and Steve Williams talk to the media at the Millbrook Resort today

Despite the assumption that his drive would be a key element of his game, he said his short game was actually better.

“I could try a wind-up spin for my drive, but I’m not sure if there was anyone standing in front of me that would be a good look,” he joked.

“I reckon I could drive somewhere between 270 to 290m off the tee, on a downhill run I might get to 300!

“If I score anything in the mid to high 80’s I’d be really happy with that.”

A mental skill he said he brings to his golf is the ability to forget about the previous shot or throw and just move on.

“That’s probably the difference between top professional golfers and the others so it’s a good skill to have.”

Walsh is playing in the tournament for the first time and said it capped off a “crazy” two years.

“I’ve had some pretty amazing experiences, especially in the last six months,” he said.

“This is an amazing place, they’ve done an amazing job and I can’t wait to play some golf, but I’ve still had a training session in the gym this morning and there’s a throwing session tomorrow.”

Walsh finishes up in Queenstown then the Olympic bronze medallist focuses on the shot put nationals in Hamilton and into the future.

“I’m in great nick for the world championships in London this year, that’s the big goal,” he said.

Walsh joins Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup sailor Sir Russell Coutts, New Zealand’s most-capped hockey player Ryan Archibald and Pittsburgh Major League baseball player Masumi Kuwata for the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort and The Hills (March 9 – 12). 

Also stepping outside their sporting comfort zone will be NZ cricket legends Brendon McCullum and Stephen Fleming, Aussie cricketers Shane Warne, Allan Border and Ricky Ponting, crowd-pleaser Sir Ian Botham, dual rugby and cricket international Jeff Wilson and former All Black Grant Fox.

They’re joined by celebrity chef Josh Emett and Australian TV personality and singer Kerri-Anne Kennerley, all playing as part of the tournament’s popular and successful Pro-Am format.

The ISPS Handa New Zealand Open is a NZ$1 million Tier One event on the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.

Click here to visit ISPS Handa New Zealand Open’s website.

Photo caption (Photosport):

1/ Kiwi Olympian Tom Walsh was on fine form at Millbrook Resort today before the start of tomorrow’s ISPS Handa New Zealand Open