RealNZ facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Tourism, travel |
| Predecessors | Wayfare Group, Real Journeys |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Headquarters |
Queenstown
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Area served
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Stewart Island, Fiordland, Doubtful Sound, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Wānaka, Christchurch |
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Key people
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Dave Beeche (CEO) |
RealNZ is a company in New Zealand that helps people explore and have fun! They offer many exciting trips, like boat rides and adventures, in beautiful places such as Queenstown, Milford Sound, Te Anau, Fiordland, and Stewart Island. RealNZ also runs two popular ski resorts: Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone.
RealNZ has grown over more than 60 years by bringing together many different tourism businesses in New Zealand's South Island. The name RealNZ started in October 2021. It brought together many brands and businesses, including Real Journeys, which used to be part of the Wayfare Group. Some of these businesses still use their original names.
Contents
History of RealNZ
Les Hutchins and his wife Olive started this journey in 1954. They bought a company that offered tours to Manapouri and Doubtful Sound. Later, they bought Fiordland Travel, which gave tours of the Te Ana-au glowworm caves.
Growing the Business
In the late 1960s, the Hutchins family bought the historic steamship TSS Earnslaw. They then expanded their tours into Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. By 2002, Fiordland Travel Ltd was running all its tours under the name Real Journeys. The company officially changed its name to Real Journeys Ltd in 2006.
In 2002, Les Hutchins was honored for his great work in protecting nature and helping tourism.
New Adventures and Acquisitions
A separate company called Go Orange started in 2012. It offered different kinds of adventures.
One of the biggest things Real Journeys bought was the Cardrona Alpine Resort ski area in 2013. In 2015, they also bought the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch. The group of companies owned by Real Journeys grew to include Stewart Island Experience, which started in 2004. They also bought Wild Kiwi Encounter in 2016, which was a joint project with the Rakiura Maori Lands Trust.
In 2016, Real Journeys fully bought Queenstown Rafting, a company they had partly owned since 1996. They also bought Kiwi Discovery, which provided coach services.
The Wayfare Group was created in 2018 to manage all these different businesses. But on October 1, 2021, it was relaunched as RealNZ. The Hutchins family still owns most of RealNZ through their company, Real Group.
Air Tourism Services
In 1987, Fiordland Travel started offering scenic flights and shuttle services between Queenstown and Milford Sound. They used small planes like Cessnas and Nomads. In 1993, their airline operations joined with Mount Cook Airlines to form Milford Sound Flightseeing. Fiordland Travel later bought this company completely.
After becoming Real Journeys, they combined their flight services with Totally Tourism in a new partnership called Milford Sound Flights. Real Journeys later sold their share of this partnership in late 2015. However, they kept an agreement to use air services for their Milford tours.
International Antarctic Centre
In October 2015, Real Journeys bought the International Antarctic Centre from Christchurch Airport. This center teaches people about Antarctica. In July 2023, RealNZ announced they planned to sell the center. By October 2024, it was sold to the owners of the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.
Management Team
Richard Lauder was the Chief Executive of the Real Journeys group (later Wayfare Group) from 2012 to 2020. He helped the group buy many new businesses.
In October 2020, Stephen England-Hall, who used to lead Tourism New Zealand, became the new Chief Executive. He left the role in March 2023.
In 2021, Paul Norris, who was a General Manager for Real Journeys and Go Orange, received an award for his work in tourism and conservation.
Fun Travel and Activities
RealNZ offers many exciting ways to travel and have adventures, including:
- Boat trips across Lake Wakatipu on the old steamer TSS Earnslaw.
- Day visits to Walter Peak Station, a high-country farm.
- Day trips to the amazing Milford Sound.
- Trips to Lake Te Anau's glowworm caves.
- Boat rides across Lake Manapouri.
- Overnight boat trips in Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound.
- Week-long adventure cruises to Preservation Inlet and Stewart Island.
- Exciting whitewater rafting.
- Fast jet boating.
- Kayaking adventures.
- Bus connections in Queenstown, Te Anau, and Milford and Doubtful Sounds.
Rafting trips happen on rivers like the Shotover, Kawarau, and Landsborough Rivers.
Since October 2021, all the experiences that used to be called Real Journeys and Go Orange are now part of the RealNZ brand.
The Historic Steamship: TSS Earnslaw
The TSS Earnslaw was launched on Lake Wakatipu in 1912. It used to carry sheep, cattle, and people to farms around the lake. By the 1960s, there was talk of sinking the ship. But in 1969, Fiordland Travel leased the historic steamer. On December 12, 1969, it started carrying goods and passengers for them. In 1982, the company bought the ship completely.
In 1991, Fiordland Travel also leased the Walter Peak farm. The TSS Earnslaw then started daily trips to this farm on Lake Wakatipu. Today, visitors to Walter Peak can enjoy farm experiences, guided bike rides, and horse trekking. The Earnslaw also takes people to the historic Colonel's House restaurant at Walter Peak.
The TSS Earnslaw is known as the Lady of the Lake. It is one of New Zealand's most famous tourism symbols. When it turned 100 years old in October 2012, thousands of people celebrated. The TSS Earnslaw is said to be the oldest coal-fired passenger steamship in the Southern Hemisphere that still operates for business. In October 2021, the owners announced they were looking into ways to power the ship without creating carbon.
Skiing at Cardrona and Treble Cone
Cardrona Alpine Resort is a ski resort in New Zealand's South Island, close to Wānaka. The ski field goes from 1,260 meters to 1,860 meters high. It has slopes for all skill levels: 25% for beginners, 25% for intermediate skiers, 30% for advanced, and 20% for experts.
Real Journeys bought Cardrona in 2013.
In December 2019, the Commerce Commission approved Cardrona Alpine Resort buying Treble Cone Investments Ltd. In early 2020, Cardrona said they were working to combine the operations and marketing of the Cardrona and Treble Cone ski resorts.
Protecting Nature
The company's founder, Les Hutchins, cared deeply about protecting nature. He was especially interested in Fiordland National Park. Les was one of the first "Guardians of the Lakes" in 1973, a role he held for 26 years. He also helped start the New Zealand National Parks and Conservation Foundation.
Real Journeys has held an annual Birds of the Feather charity ball. This event helps raise money for the Department of Conservation's work. In 2015, the first ball raised $40,000 to help save the endangered kākāpō bird. In 2016, the event raised $65,000 for the Tamatea/Dusky Sound Restoration Project. Some of this money was used for a project adopted by Real Journeys to make Cooper Island in Dusky Sound free of predators.
In 2013, Real Journeys bought a 155-hectare (383-acre) piece of land at Walter Peak. They started a big project to restore the land. In 2015, the Department of Conservation gave the company an award. This was for clearing large areas of invasive wilding pines that threatened the Queenstown landscape. They replaced these with native plants and grass. The award also recognized the company's efforts to raise money and awareness for kakapo birds. They also helped move rare whio (blue ducks) from the Milford Track to near the Routeburn Track to help them breed.
The Leslie Hutchins Conservation Fund was set up by Sir Les Hutchins before he passed away. This fund supports efforts to protect New Zealand's southern lakes and conservation areas. The fund also aims to help all New Zealanders, especially those who are disadvantaged, experience Fiordland. Every year, visitors to Doubtful Sound contribute over $50,000 to this fund through a small fee. Past projects supported include dolphin research, programs to protect endangered birds, and outdoor education camps.
Awards and Recognition
In 2013, Real Journeys won the Operator of the Year Award at the Tourism Export Council's yearly conference. They won this same award again in 2015.
In 2017, Real Journeys won the People's Choice award at the New Zealand Tourism Awards.
Also in 2017, Real Journeys won the Supreme Award at the 20th Diversity Awards. They were praised for a training program that used the experience of older workers to teach young people in Otago and Southland.
The company has also received Certificate of Excellence awards from Trip Advisor for 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Real Journeys won a special Qualmark 100% Pure New Zealand Experience Award in 2019. Only seven companies received this award that year.
