Wayfare Group facts for kids
| Private | |
| Industry | Tourism, Travel |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Headquarters |
Queenstown
|
|
Area served
|
Te Anau, Queenstown, Stewart Island, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Wanaka, Christchurch |
|
Key people
|
Stephen England-Hall (CEO) |
Wayfare Group (Wayfare) is a New Zealand tourism company based in Queenstown. Wayfare owns four major tourism brands: Real Journeys, Cardrona Alpine Resort, Go Orange, and the International Antarctic Centre.
Contents
History
Wayfare was incorporated in 2018, but is the successor of a series of acquisitions in the tourist sector over more than 60 years.
Les and Olive Hutchins originally bought the Manapouri-Doubtful Sound tour company in 1954. Their next acquisition was the company Fiordland Travel that had been set up to provide tours of the Te Anau-au glowworm caves. In the late 1960s, the Hutchins bought the TSS Earnslaw. Then they moved into Milford Sound / Piopiotahi and competed with government tourism. From 2002, Fiordland Travel Ltd operated all tourist excursions under the Real Journeys brand, and the company name was changed to Real Journeys Ltd in 2006.
The majority of the company is still owned by the Hutchins family.
The purchase of the Cardrona Alpine Resort ski area in 2013 is one of its most significant acquisitions. Real Journeys purchased Christchurch's International Antarctic Centre in 2015. The group of companies owned by Real Journeys include the Stewart Island Experience launched in 2004 and Wild Kiwi Encounter, operated as a joint tourism venture with the Rakiura Maori Lands Trust, which was purchased in 2016.
Queenstown Rafting, in which Real Journeys had been a 50% partner since 1996, was bought outright in 2016 along with the company's associate coach services company Kiwi Discovery.
Management
The Chief Executive of the Real Journeys group (now Wayfare) from 2012 to 2020 was Richard Lauder who led the group through a period of major acquisitions. In October 2020, Stephen England-Hall who was previously the Chief Executive of Tourism New Zealand, announced that he would be taking up the Chief Executive role at Wayfare.
In the 2021 New Year Honours, the General Manager of Real Journeys and Go Orange, Paul Norris, was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the tourism industry and conservation.
Real Journeys
The company Real Journeys was first incorporated as Fiordland Travel in 1950. The name was changed to Real Journeys in May 2006.
Real Journeys operates a wide range of tourist activities including:
- Cruises across Lake Wakatipu on the historic steamer TSS Earnslaw
- Day visits to Walter Peak Station
- Day trips to Milford Sound
- Excursions to Lake Te Anau's glow worm caves
- Launch trips across Lake Manapouri
- Overnight boat trips in Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound
- Week long boat trips to Preservation Inlet and Stewart Island
Cardrona Alpine Resort
Cardrona is an alpine resort in New Zealand's South Island, near Wanaka. The ski field ranges from 1,260m to 1,860m. The distribution of slopes is 25% beginner, 25% intermediate, 30% advanced and 20% expert.
Cardrona was purchased by Real Journeys in 2013.
In December 2019, the Commerce Commission gave approval for the purchase of Treble Cone Investments Ltd by Cardrona Alpine Resort. In early 2020, Cardrona reported that they were working towards merging the operations and marketing of the Cardrona and Treble Cone ski resorts.
Go Orange
The company was first incorporated as Fiordland Explorer Cruises in July 2012 but the name was changed to Go Orange in August 2013.
Go Orange offers cruising, whitewater rafting, jet boating, kayaking and coach connections in Queenstown, Te Anau, and Milford and Doubtful sounds. Rafting trips include the Shotover, Kawarau and Landsborough Rivers.
International Antarctic Centre
The International Antarctic Centre is located in Christchurch, immediately adjacent to Christchurch Airport. The Antarctic Centre provides a range of visitor experiences including:
- Antarctic gallery – a dedicated exhibition
- a storm room – simulating antarctic weather conditions
- a live penguin exhibit
- rides on a Hägglund all-terrain vehicle
- a "4D" cinema
In October 2015, Real Journeys purchased the International Antarctic Centre from Christchurch Airport.
