House
Proud - DECEMBER 2018 ISSUE -
IN THIS ISSUE:
• REGIONAL ROUNDUP
• S TA F F U P D AT E S
• FAMIL S
• C E L E B R AT I O N S
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News
C U R E K I D S F I J I , A C C O R H OT E L S R A C E TO S U RV I V E 2 0 1 8
Mods Foreword
Ho Ho Ho and Merry Christmas or should I say Happy Holidays!
March and we are busy planning Future Fit for 2019 too.
Once again I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by, a sure fire sign I am getting old, which of course I am…
For me Xmas will be spent in Tauranga and Whiritoa on the Coromandel but I am back to work 3rd January before taking some time off late in January down in the Hawkes Bay.
As I am writing this we only have a few weeks to the big day and the fantastic time we all get to spend with family, friends and the ones most dear to us all. 2018 has been an incredibly busy but rewarding year for the group. I shared some of our numbers a month ago and we are finishing well with a 20% lift year on year on our BOB’s carried forward to 2019 looking likely. No doubt cruise, changing buying patterns and RWC 2019 are all contributing to this but it is a great position to be in. We have our New Year sale to look forward to and a very exciting start to 2019 ahead. I look forward to sharing more with you next year. Awards registrations have begun for
Wherever you are spending your holidays, I hope you travel safe, celebrate the time with your loved ones and can recharge yourselves for the year ahead. Thanks again for enriching our customers lives in 2019 and for doing the amazing jobs you all do to make House of Travel, Orbit World Travel, HOT Product (Air/Land/Cruise), Adventure, Discover, GTN, Mix and Match, the DCC and HOT Holdings successful. I really appreciate it and the difference it makes to our businesses. Have a great festive season. Cheers MOD
Ni Sa Bula! Over the past 15 years, Accor Hotels have been working closely with Cure Kids Fiji, holding a bi-annual event to support the charity. The ‘Race to Survive’ is designed to bring people from within the Accor business across New Zealand, Australia and Fiji together to compete in a series of events over three days, raising awareness and funds for the Cure Kids cause. Only three external teams were invited to attend – House of Travel, Flight Centre and Darkhorse Events. Our House of Travel competitors Dave Fordyce (Product & Channel Director) and Natalie Von Dincklage (Head of South Pacific) were tasked to raise a target of $15,000 and spent months organising fundraising events to reach this goal, contributing to the overall target of $1 million dollars across all teams participating. The money raised contributes to a number of projects Cure Kids Fiji has developed over the years. One of these projects is the ‘Oxygen Project’. The leading cause of death for under five year olds in Fiji is pneumonia, and unfortunately often when children go to the medical centres around Fiji, these centres are running low on or have run out of bottled oxygen. Doctors literally have to make a decision on which child gets to live, and which child dies.
Natalie shares the highlights of this amazing three day event. On 30 October, 80 participants gathered in Nadi, Fiji and were placed into four teams (villages) – Kai Nausori, Kai Savusavu, Kai Taveuni and lastly Kai Nabouwalu (gold team) the home for Team HOT. Over three days, we were given team challenges to earn points contributing to the overall prize of the Wilson Trophy. In actual fact this is one of the props from the movie Castaway featuring Tom Hanks filmed in Fiji in 2000! Not knowing exactly where in Fiji we were heading, we found
ourselves in the back of a truck, driving unsealed winding roads to a cooler altitude, eventually ending at the remote villages of Naga. The following day we hiked the highlands for 12kms to Nabutautau village – right in the heart of Fiji – where we spent four hours giving a remote medical centre a much needed makeover. We also visited a school that had the rheumatic heart mobile truck unit present where they discovered a child with rheumatic heart disease. The great news is that this child has been saved and he will take antibiotics until he is 20, which will in effect significantly minimise the impact of the disease.
in the right place – it’s all for the kids.
The entire event was epic, rewarding and life changing and it was our opportunity to give back to a destination that we have grown to love!
Overall, all of the teams (80 competitors from Fiji, Australia and New Zealand) raised FJD $1,079,240 which we know will be put to incredible use!
A huge VINAKA VAKALEVU from us both to all those who planned, organised, donated, ‘Shaved’, baked and supported this cause. The fundraising efforts were outstanding from the NTIA Awards Auction, morning teas, raffles, Shave Dave + Jon, Andrew and Steve. Be proud House of Travel as we raised NZD$23,982.17! It’s not too late to donate as well – you can visit this link https://r2s18. everydayhero.com/nz/houseof-travel-race-to-survivefundraising-page
Although our Kai Nabouwalu team VINAKA VAKALEVU from TEAM didn’t come first – our hearts were HOT!
IN THIS ISSUE:
03 NEWS
1 1 FA M I L S
05 REGIONAL ROUNDUP
1 6 H OT S H OT S
09 HOLDINGS
1 7 C E L E B R AT I O N S
E D I TO R - LO U I S E R E E V E S / D E S I G N E R - J A C K I E F A N
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Cover photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash / Page 2 photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash.
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TA A N Z N T I A A WA R D S Back in September the TAANZ NTIA Awards were held at Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland. House of Travel managed to walk away with awards for 7 of the 13 categories we were finalists in. This year we did miss out on Best Travel Agency Brand to HelloWorld, but are proud we held onto this award for five years running. We are still NZ’s most awarded Retail Travel brand which is fantastic.
News
Regional Roundup
H O U S E O F T R AV E L D’ L I G H TS E V E N T DA Z Z L E S I N C H R I STC H U RC H
with the Lifetime Achievement Award. I’m sure we can all agree how well deserved this award is, as the founder and Executive Chairman of the House of Travel Group.
In August this year, Christchurch locals escaped their reality and were mesmerised by more than 40 wonderful light and animation installations at the House of Travel Botanic D’Lights event. During the course of five nights more than 136,000 people visited the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and assisted in raising $70,000 for Nurse Maude Hospice.
Well done to everyone who worked hard to pull their presentations together, and although not everyone walked away with an award, we are very proud of everyone’s achievements.
Dalwyn Sinclair, House of Travel Upper Riccarton Owner Operator says, “The House of Travel Botanic D’Lights event was an overwhelming success! We had a record number of people visit and are so pleased we could assist Nurse Maude Hospice with much needed funds to help continue the amazing work they do. It was a great team-building event for all 11 House of Travel Christchurch stores, Orbit World Travel Christchurch as well as Christchurch Holdings staff who volunteered their time to give back to the community and help fundraise for our local charity partner.”
We had a special end to the evening with Chris Paulsen being presented
PA R T N E R S H I P W E E K E N D In September over 50 House of Travel Owner Operators from around the country visited stunning Queenstown to work together on strategy and growth opportunities for the HOT business. Whilst in Queenstown they celebrated the partnerships with a beautiful dinner at Jacks Point Restaurant, as well as a lovely day hosted by The Travel Corporation on the TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak for a gourmet lunch. A successful few days with a beautiful backdrop.
As part of House of Travel Botanic D’Lights, a competition was run for one lucky attendee to win return flights for two to Chicago flying Air New Zealand. Paul Love and his partner Stephen Carr won the flights and having never travelled further than Australia and the Pacific they are very excited about planning their trip away to Chicago with their local House of Travel in Rangiora.
CLIA MASTERS COURSE Chris and Maureen Paulsen
LIFETIME INDUSTRY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD / Chris Paulsen BEST BRAND CORPORATE MULTI LOCATION / Orbit World Travel BEST BRAND CORPORATE SINGLE LOCATION / Orbit World Travel Christchurch BEST YOUNG TRAVEL AGENCY EXECUTIVE CORPORATE / Mark Leadbetter
L to R: Stephen Carr, Paul Love, Jonathan Prager (HOT Rangiora), John Stewart
BEST YOUNG TRAVEL AGENCY EXECUTIVE RETAIL / Danielle Scott ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CORPORATE / Steven Krzanich, Orbit World Travel AKL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RETAIL / Anna O’Dell, House of Travel Ferrymead
S I LV E R F E R N S
BEST TRAVEL CONSULTANT RETAIL / Tony Jackson, House of Travel Newmarket
Tim Allen from Holdings Auckland and Steve Tanner from Walshes World.
Niall White, Group Strategy & Corporate Director Holdings Auckland. -4-
Tracey & Tony Laker from House of Travel Lakers/ Gore.
Blair Catton, Brendan Drury, Niall White, Al Cran & Marc Bartram.
L to R: Marissa, Jess, Louise & Beth from the Customer Engagement team.
Al Cran from Orbit Christchurch.
Thirteen HOT Cruise champs boarded the Pacific Aria in mid-October to take part in their CLIA Masters course. During the cruise they had four days of CLIA training with cruise guru and expert Scott Kopf. The course outlined sales and marketing, team leadership and how to work with your customers to further develop business in each respective region. Essentially, finding products for your customers, not customers for your products. The conference included visits to Noumea, Vanuatu and Lifou Island, with the days at sea spent with Scott on course work. Staff present for the conference were from HOOT, plus outlets of HOT Cruises, Dunedin, Papamoa, Mount Maunganui, Botany, Hunter St, Newmarket, Ferrymead, and Hornby. Following the conference, all delegates have to complete an assignment to create a promotional strategy to promote themselves as a cruise expert on a particular niche market. The assignment is then marked and assessed to earn your CLIA Cruise Masters qualification. Masters is the highest recognised qualification of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world’s largest cruise association dedicated to the promotion and growth of the cruise industry. So far, we have two new Masters in the group, with the rest of the assignments to be handed in over the coming weeks.
House of Travel stores visited local hospice partners around the country and brought along a few special people to meet hospice staff and patients. As part of the Silver Ferns domestic match tour, they called in to visit Mercy Hospice in Auckland, Waipuna Hospice Shop in Mt Maunganui, Waikato Hospice and Mary Potter Hospice in Wellington. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring together two of House of Travel’s national partners.
Photos: Far left, team from HOT Parnell, middle top: team from HOT Ponsonby, middle photo: Rainbow Place at Hospice Waikato, middle bottom: Waipuna Hospice and the team from HOT Bay of Plenty, above: Phillip Harris from Mary Potter Hospice, Silver Fern - Samantha Sinclair (& others), Catherine & Petra from HOT on Hunter, Danny and Oliver from HOT Johnsonville and Stacey from HOT Kapiti Coast. -5-
Regional Roundup HIGH ST LANES ALPINE ADVENTURE
H OT TA U P O ’ S S U C C E S S AT ST E L L A AWA R D S
Sarah Crowe recently took her team on the Transalpine which departed from Christchurch through to Greymouth. They couldn’t believe there was snow in October on Arthurs Pass, then amazing hot weather on the Coast. The trip was topped off with some quadbiking and a visit to Punakaiki.
HOT Taupo joined 40 other businesses and entered the Taupo Stella Awards for top Retail Award. Taupo were selected in the top 3, it was changed to trains and planes, before being mystery shopped and it was a very entertaining way to win the prize. interviewed by a panel of judges. They also sponsored the Congratulations Taupo for being Professional category and gave the successful winners on the night! away a P&O cruise during half time which was a hit. Everybody had to stand up and do heads and tails but
The scenery was stunning and it was a great team bonding experience.
HIGH ST LANES B R E A S T C A N C E R AW A R E N E S S This year was the sixth Pink Day for Orbit and second Pink Day for HOT HSL’s. This year they jointly raised $3,834.20. Each year there is an in-house raffle with kindly donated prizes from their suppliers, and a dress-up day with a pink morning tea.
Pink Day Organiser Roxy Burney put in a massive effort to raise these funds for Breast Cancer Awareness, well done on the great result!
S T E P H E N PA R S O N S C E L E B R AT E S C H O O L S P O RT AWA R D S Stephen Parsons celebrated talented student athletes in their region at Awapuni Function Centre on 31 October.
awarded to Kaitlyn Watts for Squash at Freyberg High School. Supreme Boy of the year was awarded to Callum Crawley for Motor Sport at Palmerston North Congratulations to all the finalists Boys’ High School. and winners of the 2018 House of Travel Stephen Parsons Sport It’s incredible to have so many Manawatu Secondary Schools amazing student athletes in the Sport Awards. region and at HOT we are proud to support this Sport Manawatu event. Supreme Girl of the year was
Regional Roundup
B O TA N Y & HOWICK’S TRIVIA NIGHT FOR HOSPICE
AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY OF T E C H N O LO GY JOB FAIR
B O TA N Y GET WOWED
Orbit Auckland recently attended the AUT job fair. They held a stand to promote Orbit to students that have travel and tourism in their sights. Ryan Manson and Chelsea Wilson did a great job to organise and attend on behalf of Orbit.
The HOT Botany crew had the chance to attend the WOW Awards Show in October at the Wellington TSB Arena. The awards show is the single largest theatrical production where incredible works of wearable art are created by designers from all around the world and New Zealand.
On the 12th October the HOT Botany and Howick crew had their bi-annual Trivia night for Hospice. 206 people attended and $12,500 was given to Hospice – great effort by everyone involved.
QUIZ NIGHT HOSPICE FUNDRAISER
The Remote Jafas quiz team at the HOT quiz night for Nurse Maude hospice fundraiser. They didn’t win but there were lots of laughs and it was for a great cause. You know that fear of arriving to fancy dress party The Orbit Auckland and HOT Parnell team had a fun night at Great Escape and no one else dressed up - yep in August. It was a great team building experience for the group. that was them!
H OT A N D O R B I T AU C K L A N D’S G R E AT E S C A P E
H O B S O N V I L L E S H I N E S AT T H E KU M E U M A R K E TS
1 0 Y E A RS O F CA R B O N Z E RO F O R H OT AU C K L A N D C I T Y LT D
Thinking outside the box to promote the Hobsonville store, Buzz and his team put their creative powers together to come up with this unique display at the local Kumeu markets, just 10 minutes up the road from their store. They also had a prize draw to help collect potential new customers.
Brendan and his team celebrated 10 years of being CarboNZero certified and had CarboNZero in with a celebration cake and certificate.
While there, they met a lot of locals, farmers and business owners which should hopefully turn into clients over the coming months. A lot of good food was also eaten! Great idea team.
In 2013 HOT Auckland City LTD were also recognised as finalists in the Green Ribbon Awards from the ‘small business leadership’ category - a proud moment for the team. They were invited to co-host a networking evening for Enviro-Mark Solutions’ programme which shows their dedication to the programme. Well done on 10 years for being a carboNZero-certified organisation!
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KAPITI’S CRUISE EVENING
HOT Kapiti recently hosted a customer evening for those keen on learning about Crystal Cruises. Jo and the team sent personal invitations to keep it small and intimate – they reckon the attendees did all the selling themselves!
S T E P H E N PA R S O N S L E Q U E S N OY T O U R S T O RY Le Quesnoy is a small town located in northern France. The significance of this small town in New Zealand’s military history on the Western Front was the way it was captured from under German occupation on the 4th November 1918. This was the last major conflict for New Zealand troops during the first World War. The official commemoration to mark the centenary of the liberation of Le Quesnoy by the New Zealand
Division was held at Le Quesnoy township on 4th November 2018. Steve Parsons (pictured) with his grandchildren Lucia & Addison along with TV personality Jude Dobson, reading the story of The Liberation of Le Quesnoy. Jude Dobson represented House of Travel on Steve’s exclusive Le Quesnoy tour – part of Steve’s series of battlefield tours. -7-
Regional Roundup C O N G R AT S TO M E L O N 2 5 Y E A R S W I T H H O U S E O F T R AV E L !
JOAN CELEBRATES 10 YEARS WITH HOT!
25 years ago this year, Melanie Veal “We just wanted to congratulate started at House of Travel Merivale. and thank you Mel for a huge contribution to the group and to For those that aren’t aware, Mel this business. spent 4 years in retail, prior to coming to Orbit (before it was Your knowledge, skills, experience called Orbit) and has been with and most of all the understated them ever since. way in which you get on and get the job done, whilst adding huge We are lucky to have people within value to the team, are a credit to the HOT group that show such you. Congratulations and thanks!” commitment and loyalty – 25 years Alistair Cran is a big milestone by any standard!
Joan Lawrence from the Cambridge store has been with HOT for 10 years on the 17th November. This is combined with working in Te Awamutu and Cambridge. Congratulations Joan!
B R O A D WAY C E L E B R AT E 20 YEARS
Holdings T H E N E W R E TA I L T E A M With the recent changes to the Holdings Retail team, we’d like to reintroduce the team and let you know a bit more about their roles and what they will be focusing on. T R AC E E BU C K E N H A M N AT I O N A L R E TA I L M A N A G E R In my role as National Retail Manager I am the contact point and Holdings buddy to Business Partners. My aim is to help facilitate the best outcome for our retail businesses and ensure their concerns and those of their teams are understood on the Holdings side of the fence. I see myself as a jack-of-all-trades and master of none so will dabble in everything from budgets, helping to find and supporting new business partners with what’s happening and working with local area marketing. I really enjoy my role and get a lot of satisfaction seeing the ongoing success of our HOT retail stores. In my spare time you’ll find me out on my bike trying to keep fit – I love Italy and have biked there a lot - so I’m happy to share this info for customers. PS: does my nose look big in this photo?
What a Hottie
ANNA SARJEANT CONTENT SPECIALIST
I’m the content writer for HOT and I write the Inspire magazine and blog, along with other ad-hoc wordy things. What is the funniest or strangest thing that has happened to you at work? When I completed Everest Base Camp, the tour group gave me a framed picture of myself at base camp. That was in 2016 and for one reason or another, it now sits on the shelves by MOD’s desk. I think I’m the only employee he has on it (including his own daughter I might add), so some might say I’m the office golden child… Others might say he has no idea it’s there. What is your all-time favourite destination?
H OT H O W I C K C E L E B R AT E WITH LEANNE Leeanne Burge celebrated 10 years with HOT Howick on the 21st of June.
JO H N SO NV I LLE , KAPITI & H U NT ER ST C H R I ST M AS S H EN A N I G A N S With the idea that a HOT party is always fun, the teams from HOT Johnsonville, Kapiti and Hunter Street decided to combine their Christmas parties this year. The dress ups and secret Santa’s at a local Korean BBQ restaurant went down a treat… however they’re not so sure about the karaoke that followed! Everyone agreed it was definitely worth another trial outing.
NEW TEAM MEMBER FOR H OT B R O W N S B AY HOT Browns Bay would like to welcome Megan Camons to the team, she’s new to HOT but not new to the industry. -8-
TA N N I S H A N N A H N AT I O N A L PA R T N E R S H I P S MANAGER
HOT Broadway had a lovely little morning tea to celebrate turning 20 years old. They have now operated for over 40 years, previously as AA Travel. The morning came complete with their own HOT purple cake, that Kate and Al had much pleasure cutting into.
In my role as National Partnership Manager I am also a contact point to Business Partners. I will also be responsible for supporting all our Business Partners in a commercial and financial sense, which includes business and commercial strategy. I will be working on a plan around financial and business management coaching for Business Partners which will include business planning and budgeting. Supporting the Retail Director in shareholder changes, acquisitions and mergers is also a large part of my role. The key focus in all of these functions is to support growth and positive return on investment for both the Business Partner and HOT Holdings. Which means thriving off the energy and passion that the BP’s have for our businesses, and contributing with as much passion for business success to support great outcomes – whilst having a lot of fun along the way!
W E LC O M E B A C K B R E N T H A I N E S G AY N O R M O R R A H R E TA I L O P E R AT I O N S & HR MANAGER
L to R: Alan Yesberg, Karen Ngata. Christina Haynes, Kate Harris, Brent Haines, Andrea Matheou, Raina Olliver, Angela Groenendijk and Dermot Ryan.
The team at Hot Broadway would like to welcome Brent Haines to the team – great to have an experienced HOT member join us.
I’ve had an obsession with Brazil since falling in love with their football during World Cup 1994. I didn’t make it over there until 2014, but it exceeded all expectations. Rio especially. I was determined to make it to a match and scored tickets to a derby at Maracanã Stadium. It was fantastic, the fans are so passionate and bring their own drums to bang! If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would you bring? I’m too sensible so my answer would be boring, but the funniest answer I’ve heard was when I asked a 16-year old Taiwanese student I was teaching English. He simply said – pizza, a girl and a fast car. What is your favourite car karaoke song? Hands down Africa by Toto. I like it because I can’t sing, but you can just yell a song like that. If you were 80 years old, what one piece of advice would you tell your grandchildren? If they’re in their mid-twenties and going off to explore Brazil, I’d tell them to stay away from mischievous Brazilian men. And then I’d give them a cheeky grandma wink.
In my role as Retail Operations and HR Manager I am responsible for the Retail operations and HR for the wider group. Having come from HR & operational roles in a previous lifetime, I really enjoy getting into the detail and supporting our Business Partners through operational challenges through change management. The HR side of the role gives me an opportunity to work with Lauren and Erica across the whole business which is an exciting new challenge for me. You’ll see me out and about in stores, as championing the role of a consultant is also high on my priority list and it’s been dubbed my avocado role (aka consultant advocate!)
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Xmas Parties
Holdings H OLDIN G S AU CK L AND SPCA BAKE O F F Holdings had a bake off to help raise some money for the SPCA.
H A L LOW E E N AT H O L D IN GS AUC K L A N D
#1 WINNER Danni Jones
As a judge, John Crouch did a great job summarising the winners below. Having tasted all of the creations (and picking up Type 2 diabetes in the process) the judges’ decisions were as follows: Creativity - Putting the Kate in Crea-Kate-tivity was Kate Lawton with her owl cupcakes – it seems that Kate is a ‘Jack-of-owl-trades’.
Holdings Auckland also held their annual Halloween competition to see who could come up with the ghastliest treats, as well as compete in a few games. The donut eating competition was taken out by none other than the donut queen Grace O’Donnell, who often plies her team with Krispy Kreme treats.
OF COLOUR
WILL AS RUDOLPH? DOUG THE FIREMAN
PEAS-IN-A-POD
JULIA & JEFF
SHON’S
d n a l k c Au h c r u h c t C hris JAYNE IN CHAR GE OF THE MIKE
#1 WINNER
Honorable mention - One of the judges, who will remain anonymous (cough – Georgia), wanted to complement Steve Avery on his “moist” cupcakes. #awkward
Danni Jones
SPEECH TIME
HOT STE PTE MBER Both Holdings Auckland and Christchurch office staff compete once a year to help remove the sedentary shackles of winter and kick off the start of Spring, while enjoying some friendly competition and healthy exercise.
Pauline - 2nd Place Individual
#1 PLACE TEAM
‘WALKAHOLICS’
Shelly & Erina - Most Consistent CHC
Ajay Ahuja - 3rd Place Individual
Megan Enderby - Most Consistent AKL
I SEE YOU
PRIZE TO SHILLIBEER
HIGH SCHOOL FLASHBACK
WHO’S FOR PING PONG?
DANCE FLOOR ACTION
‘STAG-GERING’ COSTUME
HOT Christchurch Product party was held at Double Tree by Hilton. The theme being black white and bling. Great venue, delicious food and fun had by all.
It’s all about setting your own goals and creating sustainable healthy habits!
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I’M A BARBIE GIR L…OR KATE, KATIE & JO 3!
LOUISE & IRNA
‘MISS LU CYS’ AKA JO & KATE
Overall - It’s hard keeping up with the Joneses when they make such amazing cupcakes. The overall winner was Danni Jones with her bunny rabbit carrot cakes!
L to R: Angela Clark, Jody Krivan, Pauline Bennett and Sharon Rapsey.
TO TOPPLE DANNI ABOUT GIANT JENGA!
Holdings Auckland Recently held their Christmas party at the White Swan Hotel on the 8th December. The theme was a ‘Splash of Colour’ against a stunning white backdrop. Great food, games and dance floor fun was enjoyed by all who attended!
Taking out the prize for the ‘Best Scary Treat’ was Danni Jones and her Halloween Pop heads, ‘Yummiest’ went to Grace O’Donnell for her RIP mousse and ‘Most Revolting’ awarded to Louise Reeves for her Toe-tally Gruesome Toes, which ironically were quite tasty!
Taste Grace O’Donnell’s Chewbacca cupcakes were deemed to be the tastiest of the lot – definitely not chewy at all (Star Wars dad joke #1) . There weren’t even any leftovers either, as BB-8 them (Star Wars dad joke #2).
DANCE OFF BA TTLE BETWEEN THE PEA & AVERY
Danni Jones - Most Consistent AKL
WINNING LOCATION Christchurch with a total of 352,069 steps Auckland with a total of 330,308 steps Remote had a total of 323,010 steps WINNING TEAM / Walkaholics - 2,346,578 steps WINNING INDIVIDUALS / 1st Place - Dean Johnson - 836,492 steps 2nd Place - Pauline Bennett - 831,826 steps 3rd Place - Ajay Ahuja - 701,487 steps CONSISTENCY AWARDS / CLOSEST TO GROUP AVERAGE / Megan Enderby - AKL Erina Stockman - CHC HIGHEST AVERAGE / Danni Jones - AKL Shelley O’Donnell - CHC Overall, the total number of steps for the competition was 39,962,132 steps or 30,451km - very impressive for everyone involved!!
DAYAN & JODY MUNTZ
TRACEE BUCKENHAM & GAYNOR MORRAH
JANE, ASTRID & CLAIRE
MARTIN & PAULI NE BENNETT
MOD WITH ING RID A LUCKY PRIZE WINNER
MOD WITH ANGELA A LUCKY PRIZE WINNER
MOD & NIC
HOTTIE OF THE YEAR - NIC
MOD WITH KEVIN WHO RETIRES AFTER 12 YEARS WITH HOT - 11 -
Buenos Aires & Iguazu
Famils
July 2018
Shelley Adkins from Holdings along with 10 Hotties travelled to Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls in July. It was an amazing experience from learning to play polo, tango lessons, cooking empanada’s and making the most of the delicious Argentine steaks and Malbec wine. It was also a great opportunity to stay at our preferred hotels in both Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls while enjoying the incredible hospitality of our ground supplier. We all enjoyed the laughs and experiences!
Azamara Club Cruises Jacqueline Kennedy shares her recent cruise experience with Azamara Club Cruises. Azamara Pursuit was a former Renaissance R Class ship and sister to the cruise line’s current ships Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest. My first impression of the ship as I pulled up at the port was that she is so small and being a big ship sailor, I was a little nervous especially as she was the smallest in port. However, she didn’t disappoint when onboard,
the service was much more personalised due to high crew to passenger ratio and the décor throughout was a much more calming feeling as opposed to a large ship’s bright colours.
August 2018
never be missed! Azamara Pursuit launched in August 2018 and is the first in its fleet that doesn’t have a casino. They have changed this area to The Den which I found a much more convenient area for people to meet and mingle throughout the day. Onboard Dining & Entertainment The dining onboard was impeccable with much more attention to detail. Like all fleets it has the main dining room, Discoveries, where you can enjoy breakfast, sea day lunch and dinner. Tables are set for two to eight people so you can enjoy your own company or that of others. Windows Café is the ship’s casual buffet open daily for all three meals. Also they have The Patio Poolside Grill which serves hamburgers, meat skewers, chicken wings and fries for lunch and the in the evening is an alfresco outdoor dining room that serves steaks, ribs, salmon and more. Alternatively, you can dine at the speciality restaurants Aqualina (four-course Italian dinner) or
Intrepid cycling in Japan Having recently returned from living in the UK for over 14 years I was looking for an adventure closer to home so Japan was on my bucket list and what better way to see it than cycling? I flew into Osaka International Airport and headed straight to the taxi stand. I am all for finding the quickest, easiest way to get to the hotel after a long flight. I just had the one day in Osaka before joining up with my fellow cyclists on an Intrepid trip. It’s very easy getting around Osaka on the public transport system so I quickly ticked off the main sights and then met the group for a predeparture meeting and then off out to dinner we went. We headed into Dotonbori where we went for a yummy dinner of local cuisine, Okonomiyaki, savoury pancakes.
Yakitori Alley in Shinjuku - Photo by Alexandre Chambon on Unsplash
Boarding With Azamara Pursuit being a small ship, I wasn’t expecting the hustle and bustle you get when boarding much larger ships and I wasn’t wrong. From the minute I arrived at the port, my luggage was swept quickly and swiftly away and I was at the check-in area on the ship with a glass of champagne in hand in under 15 minutes. No need to worry about any certain checkin times on small ships you can arrive when you are ready to board and we were onboard at midday in time for a pleasant lunch on deck with the sun shining.
Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina - Photo by Jolan Wathelet on Unsplash
What can you expect
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One thing you can expect on all Azamara sailings of seven nights or more is the AzAmazing event, which can be held in certain ports of call and on this particular sailing, the event was held in Cherbourg France where they made the streets come alive with the French market culture of fresh breads, cheeses, crépes, cakes, wines and much more. You were then swept away by the sultry energy and risqué fun of an authentic French cabaret. This event is tailor-made to the port of call it is held in, is included in the fare and should
Prime C (the ship’s steakhouse). There is entertainment onboard which varies from small Broadwaystyle shows or join in on the top deck for the White Night Party where you can dance the night away with a live band. Verdict Overall the experience was excellent with a much more relaxed atmosphere as opposed to the energy you constantly feel on larger vessels. You will find her in the Eastern Mediterranean throughout October then Panama Canal and South America throughout December.
Osaka Castle - Photo by Yu Kato on Unsplash
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June 2018 / by Sharre Fox
greatest gardens. Kanazawa is the gateway for the Noto Peninsula which I have to admit to having not heard of before but a lovely area. The scenery is beautiful around here with a mixture of rugged coastlines on one side and rice paddies on the other. To me it felt quite deserted – just not many people around at all and we were told that the young people all make their way to the city to get jobs so this is why it is quiet! It was in this area that I experienced more traditional ryokans and my first onsen. We stayed at this beautiful place that looked and felt like a hotel but in the rooms it was more traditional ryokan feel to it. So after a day of sweaty riding I stripped off my cycle gear, opened my bathroom door to get in the shower, only to find there is no shower! And it was upstairs to the onsen to mix with the local ladies and chat about the day. An experience!! After exploring this area we caught the shinkansen to Tokyo and it’s bright lights. Totally loved it! It had everything happening and it was hard not to get caught up in. The first night saw us all in Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho - memory alley – (known by locals as Piss Alley) – great place for yakatori. After dinner then it’s on to the smallest bars I have ever seen, Golden Gai area – normally have a small cover fee but if you hunt around you will find some absolute gems – room for about 6 people! Japan is just the most amazing place and cycling is a great way to see it. The group I had was of an older age group, mainly 60s and retired so they have plenty of time to get fit for such a trip. And to be honest the cycling really was not hard and nothing better than a beer to finish the day. Japan is a must for everyone – go now!
The next day we headed to Osaka Castle where we met up with our main mode of transport for the next week or so – our trusty bikes! We cycled from Osaka to Kyoto and once in Kyoto we stayed in quite a modern ryokan. Kyoto is a fantastic city with a great blend of culture and modern. I would totally recommend staying here for a good few days as lots to see and do. Some of the best restaurants in Japan are here and of course the Geishas and Maikos are fascinating. We then caught the train to Kanazawa where we visited the Kenrokuen Gardens, one of Japan’s - 13 -
Dumplings - Photo by Agathe Marty on Unsplash
Japan
- Photo by Jolan Wathelet on Unsplash - 13 -
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Egypt with Insight Vacations October 2018 / by Debbie McRobbie
USA 2018
I can only describe Cairo as organised chaos… cars, car horns, traffic congestion, people and more people. Then you have the Nile, Giza Pyramids, history, camels, hawkers, heat, security checks and scanned bags at each of the tourist locations to ensure your site visits are safe. And tour guides directing tourists, parting their knowledge to educate you with the wonders of Egypt.
ALASKA / BY BIANCA RATIMA
My overall impression of Egypt is an absolute rewarding and enriching one. Yes, there is chaos in the streets of Cairo with cars and the hustle and bustle of the people but that is what Cairo is all about. Yes, there is the
Travel tips: 1) Make sure to book your tour to Egypt early (12 months if possible), with Insight Vacations to ensure you get the tour dates you want. 2) At least six months in advance refer with your doctor as some inoculations maybe necessary. 3) Take Egyptian pounds with US dollars as back up. And keep small five Egyptian pounds for any public toilet stops. 4) Take a small pack of tissues, just in case, hand sanitiser, a small sun umbrella, sunscreen and insect repellant. 5) Travel in mid-October and you should experience temperatures in the late 20s in Cairo up to mid-30s in Abu Simbel.
the pavements I get to relax and enjoy unhindered views of many beautiful buildings and explains either the clever engineering design behind them or their symbolism. A favourite is the art deco Carbide and Carbon Building. It’s a dark green tower with a 24 karat gold leaf cap symbolising a champagne bottle – poking the stick at prohibition.
I was lucky enough to get to experience the Air New Zealand, Brand USA, Alaska famil in August this year!
We started our journey flying from Auckland to Fairbanks, Alaska where we spent three nights exploring Fairbanks and surrounds, including a visit to the North Pole and the Santa Claus We frequently pass under one House, meeting the sledding dogs of Chicago’s many bridges and and finding out about the Alaskan falling into the water and cruising dog mushing life, along with a flight to the Yukon and Artic Circle! amidst the icebergs. We also managed to see bears, sea otter, spawning salmon, moose and Beluga whales throughout our journey in Alaska before meeting up with all the other groups for two nights in Las Vegas.
The tour company to take care of you and all your needs is Insight Vacations. Hazeem was our tour guide. He took our group for the 6 nights / 7 days from Cairo to Abdul Simbel and the major historical sites in between at Luxor, Edfu and Aswan. Being an Egyptologist he has a wealth of knowledge and with a warm, caring personality to match, it makes the week of sight seeing, activities and travel an art form. His storytelling with all the sites (around Pharaohs, Gods and Kings plus the occasional Queen), makes it easy to get immersed into the Egyptian history. You end up wanting to hear more and more of how the stories all finish and how they intertwine with other aspects of Egyptian and world history. You visit the sites of The Pyramids, Temples (each of them unique in their own way) plus The Valley of the Kings. You also experience an Egyptian family making bread, sail on a Feluca on the Nile and have high tea at the famous hotel of Cataract in Aswan – all of which are truly memorable and the photos taken are memories that you will keep forever.
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Such and amazing famil and I feel very lucky to have got to experience this amazing trip.
continual security checks but that is to make it safe for tourists. During my time travelling around Egypt, I felt safe. You are being expertly look after by an amazing tour company in Insight Vacations with their tour director and support network to make your trip and truely memorable experience!
Egypt
Millenium Park - Photo by Brian Rodriguez on Unsplash
Based in Chicago’s Blues Alley, is Kingston Mines, Chicago’s largest and longest running blues nightclub. As soon as you enter this down-to-earth club, you are inspired by the authentic blues experience of an era gone by. The stage is graced by great talents and you feel like you are invited to their private jam session. Seven nights a week this club oozes soul so get amongst it and soak up the atmosphere.
underground city as we meander along the three branches of the river. Shoreline Sightseeing’s Architecture River Cruise utilises the river that snakes through the city’s heart as an excellent vantage point and is deserved of it’s status as TripAdvisor’s ‘#1 Most Booked Tour in America’.
On from Fairbanks we jumped aboard the Denali Star Rail Service to take us through Denali National park onto our stop to Talkeetna. Upon arriving in Talkeetna we went through to K2 Aviation for a private chartered flight around the Denali National Park – definitely a highlight! AMAZING - words cannot describe flying through the snow-capped mountains. CHICAGO / BY CAT PARKER
After exiting the buzzy light tunnel at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport I am greeted in the arrivals hall by a young guy with a giant sign saying “Lindsay Welcome Home from Prison.” Good to see Chicagoans have a good sense of humour!
New York has it’s Charging Bull and Chicago has Cloud Gate… better known as ‘the Bean’. Located at yet another carefully considered feature of Chicago city, the Bean is amongst good company at the carpark turned 24 acre park - Millenium Park. We utilised one of the free walking tours on offer which was the most effective way to experience Millenium Park’s landscaped gardens, memorial monuments, and grand architecture. The day was hot and while we searched for respite in the Art Institute viewing pieces from many famous artists such as American Gothic, works of Monet and Paul Gaugin.
Afterwards we enjoyed a night in Talkeetna mixed with the locals at the pub, a very small “hippy” styled village.
Deep dish pizza - Photo by Getty Images
As a destination, Chicago offers a culture that is hard to find in America. It has something for everyone from their adored Chicago Cubs to amazing architecture or delicious deep dish pizza, to prohibition era supper clubs or even a gospel brunch. In my opinion though, the largest contributor to Chicago’s heart is its still present musical heritage and the sound of a buskers harmonica or sax.
The following morning, we made our way down to Anchorage where we were lucky enough to have a night at the Ski Resort Alyeska and take part in the Annual Blueberry Festival.
Sahara Desert - Photo by Federico Gutierrez on Unsplash - 14 -
While in Anchorage we did a trip out to Whittier and boarded a boat to cruise amongst the fiords, and witnessed the crackling icebergs
Donning a deck chair is hands down the best way to see Chicagos famous landmarks and beautiful architecture. Instead of beating - 15 -
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Hot Shots
MONTANA & NORTH DAKOTA / BY DEBBIE MCROBBIE
- Photo by Colter Olmstead on Unsplash
We drove the scenic Beartooth Pass, an all-American road which sits in a million plus acres of wilderness, where we had the rare opportunity to experience pristine, untouched alpine & Montana landscapes, lush forests and alpine tundras in the space of a few miles. We fed chipmunks from our hands and saw a Marmont. Our musical journey started in Red Lodge, Montana. We heard Daniel Kosel at Carbon Fork Restaurant. Red Lodge is quite an interesting little town, cute shops, little cafés and emporiums selling all sorts. Our first night in Billings, Montana, we attended the Yellowstone River Rodeo, which has been part of Montana’s culture since the first
Glacier National Park, Montana - Photo by Ruben van Wijngaarden on Unsplash
cowboys arrived over 150 years ago. We saw cowboys and barrel “Hi, we are Team Montana & North racing, and enjoyed the music Dakota and we have had quite a playing over the loudspeakers. We had a double amputee American different experience to y’all!” veteran skydive into the arena We have been to the great holding the American flag. American West – think wagon trains, chuck wagons, cowboys & Our second evening was at Crow indians. Driven the prairies with Fair on the Indian Reservation wide open spaces, small towns, celebrating its 100th year. This cornfields, rolled haybales and is a multi-day celebration and the odd oil field and I kid you family reunion which includes not – a 30-foot cow in New Salem, parades, Pow Wows, horse racing between Medora & Bismarck, and dance competitions. The drums and singing were loud and North Dakota. passionate and the Indian Tacos were a favourite. We visited national & state parks and saw the Badlands. The Lakota people were the first to call them – Mako Sika or Land Bad – caused by extreme temperatures, lack of water and exposed rugged terrain. The national parks are home to roaming bison, cute prairie dogs and elk.
the Little Big Horn. Portions of the flight – including our airline the past have been reconstructed Our bus rides were filled with including the Custer House. continuous snacking, napping, Popular with visitors is On-the- snoring, sneezing and scenery. Ali Slant Indian Village. Reconstructed & Kendall bought Growlers (beer earth lodges depict the lifestyle of & cider). Local brewery, Beaver Makoshika State Park in Montana the Mandan Indians who occupied Creek Brewery’s motto was ‘Our is the largest of the State Parks this site from 1575-1781. Matt, our Beaver tastes better.’ with more than 11,000 acres. It guide is a descendant of this tribe We had a fabulous group and a is located southeast of Glendive. and played his flute in the Large huge thanks to Amanda & Matt The park encompasses the Lodge which was mesmerising. from Brand USA and Kendall from Badlands, containing dinosaur Bismarck has an amazing street Air New Zealand for being our fossils and rock from the Hell art alley between the cafés and hosts. Creek Formation. hotels. Also thanks to Denis & Sandy, We walked at night on the streets We loved the real American laid- our coach drivers from Karster of Medora and encountered deer back lifestyle and friendly people Stage who drove us in a very wandering amongst the houses. treating you like family. comfortable coach. Kim & Marlee from Montana, Ali from Billings Theodore Roosevelt National and Fred from North Dakota for Park is an American national park sharing their wonderful states – comprising of three geographically for an experience we will never separated areas of Badlands in forget. Western Dakota. Our third evening was spent in Medora, where we attended the Medora Musical set in the outdoor splendour of the rugged North Dakota Badlands. This professionally produced, high energy western-style musical show is proudly dedicated to the legacy of America’s 26th President – Theodore Roosevelt – and the time he spent in the Badlands of the Dakota Territory. This was preceded by a Pitchfork steak fondue. Think pronged garden fork with three steaks on each prong dipped in a vat of oil. Delicious.
We also loved the playing of the Our next musical experience was American national anthem and in Bismarck in the Fort Abraham the recognition of the military Lincoln State Park. Rich in both before each event started. military & Native American history, it was from this fort And Montana, nicknamed ‘Big that Lieutenant Colonel George Sky’ for the feel of the outdoors Armstrong Custer and the 7th and wide open spaces. Cavalry rode out on their ill-fated to smuggle (inadvertently) our expedition against the Sioux at North Dakota pocket knives onto
TOKYO RAINBOW BRIDGE
LANTERNS COLOURFUL PAPER CRANES
FUSHIMI INARI SHRINE, JAPAN
Helen Jackson - HOT REMUERA On a recent trip to Japan, Helen snapped these amazing photos.
MT TARANAKI COLOURFUL WALKWAY
ARASHIYAMA BAMBOO GROVE
Emma Deed - HOT MATAMATA View of Mt Taranaki aboard her recent Air New Zealand flight.
Abbey Johnson - HOT LOWER HUTT Abbey’s photos from her trip to Japan.
We had the best time yet in the Great American West! Yee haaaaa!! CUZCO, PERU
Beth Yates - HOT MERIVALE Beth in Cuzco, Peru.
SOSSUSVLEI, NAMIBIA
Hannah Yates - BETH’S DAUGHTER Jumping for joy in Namibia.
ELEPHANT NATURE PARK Amanda Tunley - HOT CAMBRIDGE Amanda & her father took a trip to Thailand staying at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Rai. This ethical park focuses on rescuing and rehabilitating elephants and many other animals.
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Weddings
D AYA N M U N T Z - H OT U P P E R R I C C A RTO N & J O DY K I RVA N - H OT P R O D U C T R OY D VA L E Dayan Muntz and Jody Krivan said ‘I do’ to each other in an intimate ceremony in St Paul’s church, Leithfield on 15th October. It was followed by reception at The Old Leithfield Hotel - their local pub, with closest friends and family.
ROGER DUNN - H OT D U N E D I N -
JANE SU -HOLDINGS CHC -
LISA TURNER -HOLDINGS DCC -
Roger and Sue Blackledge tied the knot in a beautiful garden setting overlooking the picturesque Otago Harbour, on a typical Dunner stunner on October 20th.
Jane from the HOT Product CHC Database team and Michael got married at St Teresa’s Church in Christchurch on 29th September.
Lisa and Julian were married by Elvis in Las Vegas at the Elvis Wedding Chapel on June 12th… Viva Las Vegas!
Followed by a bit of a ‘knees-up’ at the Dunedin Technical Football club where guests thought they were attending a 60th birthday, only to find a double celebration!
H AY L E E KO S T E R - S M I T H - HOLDINGS AUCKLAND -
REBECCA LUCAS - H OT P R O D U C T LO N G H AU L -
On Haylee’s recent trip to Thailand in September, boyfriend Dylan popped the question to her by a waterfall in Koh Samui. Congrats guys.
Rebecca Lucas from the HOT Product Longhaul team recently got engaged to her partner Jason, and their dog Dougal was in on the moment. Congratulations Becs & Jason!
We are sad to be saying goodbye to Haylee, she will be leaving HOT to embark on a new adventure in 2019 - all the best Haylee!
Babies J O S E P H I N E P RYO R - H OT O N H U N T E R S T-
S H A R M I L A G U N AT U N G A -ORBIT CHC-
D A N I E L L E H E N N E S SY - H OT N E L S O N -
AY L A D U N C A N - H OT N E L S O N -
Josephine, Ronshi and little brother Jasper welcomed Tobias Eli Perera on 11 Aug, weighing 3.76kg.
Sharmila and partner Josh welcomed baby Bodhi to the world on 13 September. Congratulations!
Elora was born on the 11th July weighing 8lb 1oz.
Elise was born on the 4th July weighing 8lb 11oz.
M E L R AY N E R -PRODUCT CHCMel and Josh welcomed Cole Levi into their family on 4 December. Cole is a very chilled wee man and Brax is loving being an older brother. - 18 -