Northland's winning ways with tourists

Grand Pacific Tours is an Australian coach firm specialising in coach tours for Australians in New Zealand. The company runs extensive surveys to gauge customer satisfaction levels and preferences to determine the awards winners.

The 2012 Northland winners: Ipiriri, the Fullers Great Sights Bay of Islands overnight cruise vessel, won best hotel for the 19-day rail, cruise and coach tour for the third year in a row (every year it has been in operation). The Kauri Museum won the favourite attraction ultimate tour series category; the Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands was named best hotel for the 19-day Grand New Zealand Tour. The Kingsgate Hotel Autolodge in Paihia, won two awards: best hotel for the 16-day highlights tour, and drivers' hotel of choice. The Grand Pacific Tours drivers are not done with Ipiriri yet; the mini cruise ship will host the drivers' annual dinner on August 29 berthed alongside Opua wharf.

Brian Roberts, general manager for Destination Northland, said Northland businesses had often featured in the awards but had never won over 50 per cent.

"It's an extraordinary achievement for the Northland tourism operations to rate so highly with customers, operators and drivers," he said. Charles Parker of Fullers Great Sights Bay of Islands said: "It is fantastic to see our tourism products on the national stage."

When Kauri ruled

The award-winning Kauri Museum tells the story of the kauri tree and the European settlers who worked in the early industries of kauri milling and processing kauri gum, which was exported for making varnish, linoleum, marine glue and denture mouldings. The industries began and ended in less than 100 years. Betty Nelley, in her 17th year at the museum, has progressed from the role of registrar to collections manager and developing the archives, photographic collection and research library. She became curator in 2008 and then CEO. In 2008 she was finalist in the Museums Aotearoa Awards for an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the museum sector.

This and that

New Zealand had 2.63 million international arrivals in the year ending July, an increase of 5.6 per cent on 2011.

July arrivals were down 1.6 per cent on July 2011, but arrivals from key markets China and Australia were up 24.9 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively.

More than 50.6 million stay days were generated by international arrivals, an increase of 1.2 per cent against the year ending July 2011. Australian visitors accounted for 24 per cent of total visitor stay days (more than 12 million).

Japanese arrivals declined significantly after the earthquakes in Japan and Christchurch in early 2011, but are now picking up. Arrivals for July 2012 were 6048, just below the arrivals for July 2010, pre-earthquake.