Our visit to Australia’s Barossa Valley and Mclarenvale was difficult to top, but visiting New Zealand was no let-down! Thank you very much, Phil Warbrick of Synergine and Rob Morrison for hosting us and introducing us to your wonderful country.
We kicked-off on a high note – dinner with Peter Goodfellow, President of New Zealand’s National Party. We are in total agreement about the key role tourism should play in the development of our countries and Peter explained that New Zealand already has a developed conference industry, infrastructure and waterfront developments and that they are focusing on extreme sport, the film industry and increasingly on wine tourism.
An increased focus on New Zealand’s tourism industry, particularly high-end tourism, aims to see an increase in quality itineraries especially to the Wellington area with its lifestyle focus on interests such as golf as well as gourmet food and wine.
And while I enjoy discussing tourism opportunities, one cannot visit the Winelands without tasting the wines! New Zealand is of course known for its exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, but also for beautiful Pinot Noir and I really enjoyed the Martinborough region’s Palliser Estate Pinot Noir as well as Clive Paton’s Ata Rangi Pinot Noir. Some of the best Pinot Noir wines I have ever tasted!
