Unforgettable Skippers Canyon

Queenstown Heritage Tours Skippers Canyon Tour

2012-01-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

Which Skippers Canyon tour is for you? The 'unforgettable' gives you 1 hour more in Skippers, but the 'vista' is cheaper.

Let me explain the differences a little bit in more details:

Our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour takes you for 4 hours into Skippers. We offer several photo stops, short walks and we cross Skippers Bridge during this time. We visit Skippers Point where you can visit the restored Schoolhouse as well as the Homestead, while we prepare the outdoor picnic. You can enjoy some home-made cheese served on crackers, sweet biscuits with some coffee, tea or a glass of Queenstown local wine.

Our Skippers Canyon Vista tour takes you for 3 hours into the canyon. You will have plenty of time to take pictures, enjoy Skippers Road while walking short distances and get familiar with Skippers' gold rush heritage. We will turn around at Skippers Bridge and head back to Queenstown.

On both our Skippers Canyon tours, we travel on historic Skippers Road which is now protected by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This one-way mountain road offers a true kiwi experience and adds to the excitement of both tours.

Would you like to have more information? Find them here on our official website pages:

Unforgettable Skippers Canyon
Skippers Canyon Vista

If you require any further information which is not explained on any of our pages, please don't hesitate to contact us immediately.

2012 Resolution, Carbon Neutral and Skippers Canyon

2012-01-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

Are you still looking for a 2012 New Year's Resolution that fits you and is in fact achievable? Well: have you ever thought about making your next holiday a 'Carbon Neutral' one? Yes? Wonderful! Maybe I could share my thoughts with you...

First, you should know that my company's operation is carbon neutral. We offset our yearly CO2 emissions that we can not omit by donating funds to our business partner Carbonfund.org. And here is how we do it:

For every tour that we perform during our season - which starts on September 1st and goes naturally until August 31th every year. We calculate how many kilometers we did, estimate how much rubbish we through away - you know, roughly; most of our rubbish, like tea bags and leftover biscuits or cheese are either put into our compost or we recycle the empty bottles and paper or cardboard. Everything else is put into the rubbish. Furthermore, we clean those used coffee mugs and wine glasses by washing them by the 'economical' dishwasher program. The dishwashers nowadays are truly set up to use only so much water that is in fact required. As a logical consequence, we note how much water we use every season for the dishwasher and for cleaning the minibuses after every tour.

As mentioned, we work together with our business partner Carbonfund.org. We use their online calculator to find out how much CO2 we created. Or course, they offer several possibilities to offset the damage done. Have a look!

And then of course there is always the discussion about why we should offset the damage done AFTER we did it. It would be more efficient to omit doing anything that could cause damage to our planet in the first place. True! My entire team does not deny this. The only question for us remains that if we were to quit doing those things that do create CO2 emissions, then we would... stop doing what we do entirely. And to be honest with you... this is not what we want.

Having this point in mind, we choose to offset our created CO2 emissions every year and to be honest again, it does not cost a fortune. All it takes is a little bit of administrative work and our commitment to keep doing it.

And you know, there will be always someone who argues that all this discussion about CO2 emissions and the damage to the earth's ozone layer is not worth having. "It was always like this - the earth gets warmer and colder - that's a natural change'... Maybe... Who knows this for sure? All I know is that current facts show that our planet is getting warmer and that growing trees can offset this occurrence - at least a little.

I am happy though that I don't have to convince you about doing something about our environment, right? I say, if only every person would do a tiny little thing, we might change something for the better - don't you think?

Gold in Skippers Canyon: Star Dust or Santa was in Queenstown

2011-12-19T23:09:00.000-08:00

Have you already heard of the theory that gold is an alien substance? No? Just recently, we got confirmation from one of our clients that gold originally did not exist on our planet but was brought to us by... Santa :-)

Well seriously: our client was a well travelled and obviously well educated gentleman. His suggestion was that gold was formed through a supernova and therefore was brought to our planet long before we humans even walked on earth. Is this theory true?

An intriguing question, don't you think? We already heard some theories that this actually might be true, so we did a little bit of research and found in a nut shell the following:

It is still not quite clear how exactly gold was or is created. Some suggest that

MHD Jets
Quark—Nova
Neutron Star Mergers
Collapsar
Supernova itself

COULD be the origin of our gold we find on our planet. Interesting. But what does this all mean? We found some understandable descriptions here on the web site of San Jose Astronomical Association. Have a read for yourself... it is in fact quite intriguing!

At the end of the day, gold is a product of some reactions, triggered by big things, like a supernova - at least bigger that we can think. It was created many, many, many, many years ago and fascinated humans at the time it was discovered here in Queenstown, in Skippers Canyon around 1862. Gold can still be found in Skippers Canyon (and we own proof of this...) - Goldminers still find the little glistering, shiny flakes in the waters of the mighty Shotover River. Gold seems to be out of this world but still fascinates us humans to this very day.

In any event, gold exists and we value it - in one way or the other. The theories (or shall we say truths) about how exactly gold was created might be a little bit difficult to understand for us normal human beings. But we can believe in a fairytale that Santa did in fact bring us this precious metal accompanied by all the little mysteries that we humans still have to discover.

Merry Christmas to all of you! We trust that you will spend some golden moments with your family and friends.

Are you Ready for Christmas?

2011-12-13T20:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas - the time to reflect, the time to give and simply enjoy some quality time with family and friends!

Christmas... when in fact does everyone celebrate Christmas? We here in New Zealand celebrate it on the 25th of December. We open our presents in the morning of this very same day, enjoy the day and have a barbecue in the evening on the porch or somewhere in the outdoors where we can put up a tent, enjoy the company and the unique freedom of this wonderful country.

As you might know, I am originally Swiss - I immigrated to New Zealand a couple of years ago and I truly call this accessible National Park my new home. In Switzerland (and Germany for this matter - or we could say Europe in general) we celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December. We have this big 'party' in the evening; open the presents before dinner and usually enjoy some snow outside. Not here on the Southern Hemisphere.

Right now, it is a glorious summer day - about 25 degrees, which is about 77 degrees fahrenheit. I trust this gives you some indication about the very nice weather here in Queenstown. It is close to 5pm and we enjoyed a remarkable summer's day today and yesterday.

Which brings me right to the point that I wanted to bring to your attention. Are you already organized with all your Christmas presents? I know... it's always something - every year... 'what should I give to so-and-so... they already have everything'... I know, it's difficult.

Let me inspire you a bit: how about an unforgettable sightseeing tour into Skippers?

No... ok... I'm sorry... that was too blunt... sorry.... :-)
Or maybe a wine tour? .... ok, just a thought...

I wish you some inspirational thoughts and I trust that you WILL find the right presents for your loved ones.

Together we sponsored 2 students

2011-11-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

Like every year, we raised some funds for the Queenstown local Wakatipu Highschool. They take their year 10 students to the Branches in Skippers Canyon. During 2 weeks, the students are isolated, while experiencing outdoor pursuits including abseiling, rafting, tramping, bush craft, kayaking, shooting and archery as well as important personal and leadership skills. This camp has a tradition of over 35 years and is one of the longest running school camps under canvas in the country!

This year's fee for attending the camp is NZD300.-- per student. We could raise enough money to support 2 of them!

We achieved this outstanding result through the generosity of our visitors who either donated some coins just like this or bought some merchandise from us. We collected the coins and donated ourselves $2.-- for each merchandise sold.

Yesterday, we could hand over this money to the Wakatipu Highschool and as every year, the grateful smile which we get in return is simply priceless!

Have you ever ran out of superlatives?

2011-11-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

That's an interesting question, don't you think?

Though first let us summaries a few superlatives that best describe Skippers Canyon near Queenstown. Let's see:

most stunning scenery
best kept secret
most intriguing historic background
worth every penny
better than other half-day or day tours

Those are the most common superlatives we hear more or less every day. But it was just yesterday as in fact one of our guests made the remark 'I ran out of superlatives' after she joined our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour.

I have to confess: yesterday was the most breathtaking and stunning spring (even nearly summer) day in Queenstown. The New Zealand weather god treated us more than well and even we Queenstown locals enjoyed Skippers Canyon to the max. The Shotover River had the most vivid and icy blue color that you can only see when the weather is nice and it hadn't been raining for at least 2 days.

It was just a real treat to share this most extraordinary photo-goldmine with our customers.

Well: I guess, I will never run out of superlatives when it comes to Skippers Canyon :-)
But at the end of the day, it is only YOU and your impressions about Skippers that matter most to us.

See you soon here in Queenstown.

More than just 1 click

2011-11-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

Spring is definitely here in Queenstown. The days are getting warmer - at least the majority of them - and a sightseeing tour into Skippers Canyon is on several cards of Queenstown visitors.

Just the other day, we took a couple of Americans into this wonderland which is located in the backcountry of Queenstown. We spent 3 hours in the canyon and had a fabulous time.

The customers joined our Skippers Canyon Vista tour because we promise to stop 'on demand' for photos. Apparently, we kept the promise as the Lady-Visitor repeatedly asked for stops which we did (...when ever it was save to do so).

After a while, we asked her how many pictures she took. Her answer was swift and enthusiastic: "about 200..."

Now let me bring this number into perspective. Our Vista tour takes about 180 minutes. We travel from Queenstown to Skippers Canyon in about 15 minutes. This leaves around 150 minutes in the canyon. This in return means that the Lady-Visitor took nearly 2 pictures every minute - that's simply fantastic!

What a unique and special homage to Skippers Canyon and its features. Our visitors are sure to take home some lasting memories and great impressions of Queenstown's backountry.

When are you coming and visit with us Skippers Canyon?

Your Get Rich Guide

2011-11-04T00:57:00.000-07:00

So: you are here to learn how to get rich, right? Rich... really rich... and we mean truly, unbelievably and undoubtedly .... RICH!

Tell me: is anyone out there who doesn't want to be rich? I'm actually not sure. Who knows; there might be some people who believe that being rich is not everything... nah... really... EVERYONE wants to be rich, so here is your guide to it.

But first let's have a look at the definition of richness. What actually does it mean?

People who have possessions and wealth. having an abundant supply of desirable qualities or substances. People how have things of great worth or quality.
That's the theory. This definition can be found in all major online dictionaries.

The Wealth Gate for example states that some people are rich in their own eyes when they get twice as much as they already received.... interesting, don't you think?

Though Seneca (a philosopher and humorist) believed that 'Wealth is the slave of a wise man. The master of a fool.' Benjamin Franklin said that 'If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting.' - wise words!

Cicero (a philosopher, too) explained that 'Not to be avaricious is money; not to be fond of buying is a revenue; but to be content with our own is the greatest and most certain wealth of all.'

Those philosophers in the good all times said it easily. But what does this mean to you? How do you get rich now? Well, if you are looking for THE recipe to earn endless amounts of money, I'm sorry, I have to disappoint you - I can't give it to you - unfortunately. If however you are reading this to learn more about how to acquire some immaterial wealth - at least a little bit of it - then here are my guidelines:

plan your next holidays to New Zealand - why not...? Come on: we won the Rubgy World Cup and we have the best Pinot noirs of the world.
Travel to Queenstown. It is on the South Island and 'Worth a Queen'. Even the Lonely Planet declared the Southern Lakes Region as a must-visit destination for 2012 - come and see for yourself.
Visit Skippers Canyon with us - this is the place where so many people tried to find their own material wealth. This region is famous for the gold rush in Central Otago. In fact, real gold can still be found.
Bring your camera and plenty of storage cards. You will need it to collect your own wealth of... experiences, impressions and timeless memories. You will capture moments of history, take home your private collection of breathtaking snapshots of this beautiful natural landscape and of course you will own the bragging rights that you actually survived this smooth-adventure.

So there you have it - this is my get rich guide.

But let me say one last thing in the words of Bonnie Friedman. She believes that 'an unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth.'

So very true... Thank you for reading my blog. And thank you for imagining to travel into Skippers Canyon. Here - and I am sure about this - you could become richer; in experiences and ultimately in sharing something special with the one(s) you love.

The Thrill of a Bungy Jump in Skippers Canyon

2011-11-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Some of you might know that Skippers Bridge used to be a platform for a Bungy Jump. It must have been quite a thrill to do this. I mean just simply jumping off this bridge and then plunge into the canyon, surrounded by this breathtaking gorge - Ah... not for me anyway...

But just in case you wondered how it would look like: here is a commercial illustrating this very experience. Have a look.

Even though, Skippers Bridge is not any longer in 'Bungy operation' the platform is still there. In fact, you will see this remarkable structure up close and personal on all our Skippers Canyon tours.

Anyway, we regularly host a little photo camera competition in Skippers Canyon. I am absolutely convinced that this Fuji camera will capture all your special moments in the canyon.

New Zealand, the South Island, Queenstown and Rugby

2011-10-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

It is official: the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup! This is not a small thing to do, considering that it took 24 years to repeat this success. They did it though yesterday - we did it! - and the entire Nation of New Zealand celebrated a glorious win over France.

The last 6 weeks were more or less Rugby World Cup oriented. Now it's over and it seems that nearly everything is back to normal. Nearly...

Skippers Road, Mount Aurum in the Back

Queenstown is gearing up for Spring which has finally arrived in our beautiful mountain resort. The trees are getting green again, the temperatures truly rise and create an invigorating climate that brings a smile on every single face.

And the Daffodils are out. This lovely flour is believed to be a symbol of unrequited love - what a cold description. Daffodils are a family member of the Narcissus plants. Apparently, in Western countries they are perceived as a symbol of vanity, in the East though as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. Me personally, I like the Eastern notion as it is absolutely true that we are blessed with the natural beauty of the South Island, but especially with the area of Queenstown.

Daffodils in Skippers Cemetery

The goldminers back in the early 1900s certainly found their wealth and it is only fair that the Daffodils grace some of their last resting places in Skippers Canyon.

The year 2011 was a difficult year for New Zealand: the earthquake, the mining tragedy and now the oil spills. Those shattering incidents did weigh heavily on New Zealand's awareness. But yesterday, all Daffodils veraciously brought good fortune to our Nation: we won the Rugby World Cup!

As said before, nearly everything is back to normal. The 1 thing that has changed since yesterday is having smiling faces everywhere, true happiness and clearly visible excitement and anticipation of the things to come. We New Zealanders -whether Native or immigrated - are truly blessed with good fortune.

There is only 1 thing left to say to all you people out there: WISH YOU WERE HERE!

Fundraiser for Wakatipu High School

2011-10-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

It is this time of the year again where we proudly support our local Wakatipu High School with a fundraiser.

Every year, all year 10 students spend 2 weeks in Skippers Canyon, namely at the Branches Station. During this time, the students are isolated, while experiencing outdoor pursuits including abseiling, rafting, tramping, bush craft, kayaking, shooting and archery as well as important personal and leadership skills. This camp has a tradition of over 35 years and is one of the longest running school camps under canvas in the country!

Students have to pay a fee in order to participate. In these difficult economic times, not all parents are able to afford this fee which could mean for some students that they would not be able to attend and share this experience with their school mates.

Queenstown Heritage Tours strongly believes that all students should have the possibility to attend. Therefore, we started our yearly 'give-something-back' initiative: we will donate $2.-- for every merchandise sold between 1 October until 23 November 2011. We will hand over all donations to Wakatipu High School on 24 November 2011, as the camp starts on the next day.

Today is a very unique and humbling day for us: we collected $100.-- in donations given by our customers. Some bought merchandise and others simply gave cash! This is incredible and we are extremely proud to announce this today. THANK YOU!

Skippers Canyon Travel Journal of 1909

2011-10-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

The following is an excerpt of the Otago Witness, dated 27 January 1909.
A man, Willow Brooe, summarized his experience in and around Queenstown.

".....The course followed by the steamer [from Kingston to Queenstown] is within a stone's throw of the jutting rocksof the western shore, which, surmounted with fuchsia, rata, and olearia, make aneffective foreground to the huge peaks which tower overhead. All the way up thelake you steam with the ranges on each side of you until passing Colin's Bay. The steamer rounds Mount. Cecil and you have your first glimpse of Ben Lomondand a most picturesque view of the Remarkables. In a little while the steamerrounds the beacon and there directly ahead nestled in peaceful quietness, asthough in repose, is Queenstown.

As the steamer approaches the wharf it is seenthat there is quite a crowd to meet the boat and on landing visitors have togo through a regular ordeal, in that they have to pass through long lines ofwaiting people and be severely criticized in the process. It is a regular habitof the people to meet the boat and line up in this way......

That night, before turning in we [Willow and a new friend] resolved on driving to Skippers the next day. So next morning wewere up early and having made up a party of seven we made an early start in awaggonette with four horses for Skippers.How can I describe Skippers - thatwild, rough, and rugged road? Though I might try ever so hard I could not dojustice in my description of the ruggedness and grandeur of the manymagnificent scenes to be met with on this road. At one point of the road ourdriver called our attention to the exact model of the head of a man on thehillside.

Head Sculpture in Stone

There it was: eyebrows, nose, mouth and chin, as complete as ifsculptured by human hands, and yet on such a massive scale as to show that itwas not the outcome of human industry.

Hells Gate in the front

The load we travelled was steep, andheavy on the horses, so when going over a particularly steep piece we all gotout and walked by a short cut over the hills so as to ease the horses. Presentlythe waggonette caught up with us and we got aboard again. As we proceeded thedriver pointed out to us the many items of interest. We passed through, theCathedral, a huge cutting in the rock that greatly resembles a Cathedral, andthen through the Abbey, where you can easily imagine yourself entering thecourtyard of an old abbey. Another place through which we drove with the greatrocks frowning over us called Hell's Gate. The Lighthouse, also the Mushroom Rockand the Toothpicks, all most appropriately named according to their shape, werepointed out to us.

Lighthouse Rock

And then we came to a place where, on the other side of aravine round which we were passing, could be seen a castle with battlements andturrets strong and powerful-looking and while we were wondering what a castlewas doing in that lonely spot our driver broke the charm by informing us that itwas the Castle Rock we were looking at that it was not the handiwork of man, but of nature.

Castle Rock

At last we arrived at the little Welcome Home Hotel where we ordered dinner to be ready for our return. Awayagain, and now we strike the most rugged part of the road. On one side of usthe mountains rise steep as a wall, and now and again the swingletrees touchthe rocks as we turn the corners. On the other aide, far down below us, betweentwo and three hundred feet, the Shotover River muddily discoloured with sluicing,flows on its way.

Driver over Skippers Bridge in 2011

In some parts of the road there is very little to sparebetween the wheels of the waggonette and a precipice as steep as a house-side.It is a drive which anybody troubled with "nerves" should neverattempt. One member of our party dare not look over, so frightened was she. Allalong the river we passed sluicing claims, and at one place we saw four wildgoats. .... At last wearrived at Skippers Bridge anddrove across it. And then pulled up. The bridge is 300 ft above the river. Itis a suspension bridge and is 300 ft from span to span.
We were amusing ourselves by dropping stones into the river when someone suggestedwe should time a stone from the bridge to the water. I accordingly pulled out mywatch and was astonished to find that it took about five seconds for a stone toreach the water in a straight drop.

Enjoy the view, but please don't drop a stone...

The horses having been turned homewards weboarded the waggonette, and away we went for Queenstown.

Welcome Home Hotel back then

Arrived at the Welcome Home Hotel we had dinner abouthalf-past 1 and having rested the horses for some little tune, we againstarted for Queenstown, which place we reached about 6 30 p.m. after a veryfine day's outing.

But there was one thing I forgot to mention about this trip and that wasdust. It was from 18in to 2ft deep all the road and you can just imagine whata dusty-looking crowd we were. We could not have been worse had we been employedin a flour mill...."

Photo Camera Competition in Skippers Canyon

2011-10-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

It was just yesterday that we had our very own photo camera competition in Skippers Canyon near Queenstown, New Zealand.

We hosted a small group. They came to our little paradise from Ireland and from Australia. Of course, the group had to discuss the current developments at the Rugby World Cup and which chance their teams have to play in the finals. We are naturally convinced that our New Zealand team - the All Blacks - will win, so we let the group have their little teasing and friendly rivalries. It was all good fun, though!

In between those discussions, we invited the group to step out of the minibus and experience Skippers Canyon up close and personal. They all had their photo cameras with them and after a while the discussion started, who would have the best of them all.

The one thing that the cameras had in common was that they were digital; but that was about it: one had a huge lens in the front which could be taken off, the other had a wide angle perspective as an option, the next could record movies...

We are not quite sure if all those fancy features were used. But we observed that the cameras were frequently in action. We could observe as well that all camera owners had plenty of storage devices with them - and that was a very good thing!

At the end of the tour, all cameras did exactly what they were supposed to do: secure their owners numerous great and unique shots of Skippers Canyon. We are sure that those captured memories will amaze their families and friends at home.

Skippers Canyon - one of those Queenstown tours for boys only

2011-09-27T23:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, you got that right: it just happened the other day and I endeavor to tell you exactly how it came about that we discovered that our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour is for boys only. Here we go:

We hosted a small group of 6 passengers. They booked their tour through their travel agent a couple of days earlier. So far so got. We went to pick them up at their Queenstown hotel, we seated them in our comfortable 4WD minibus and off we went into Skippers Canyon.

We had the usual tour on the way in: several photo stops, some short walks in particular over Skippers Bridge and we prepared morning tea while our guests marveled at the historical attraction called Skippers Point.

After a while, the entire group returned to our picnic spot and we had a little chat - like you have it. And then it happened! We asked two friends who knew each other for many, many years, where they would come from and why they joined our tour. They explained that they were retired farmers from Australia and that they joined the tour because they were intrigued by the promise of a beautiful scenery and the comfort of the 4WD minibus. We continued asking why their wifes did not come and they replied "our wifes thought this was a tour for boys only and that they would rather join the Shotover Jetboat..."

So there you have it! And what did we learn from this feedback? Firstly: we learned that their wifes thought that our Skippers Canyon tour would take them on a true 4WD course with endless amounts of bumps to overcome. In fact, Skippers Road is an unsealed mountain road, that's true. There are some bumps on this road, that's true, too. But...

...and that would be our second lesson: bumpy is not the same as bumpy...

I believe I can conclude this story like this: if you think that a sightseeing tour where retired farmers feel like home is not for you, please take a minute and think about it - it is in fact a little bit more bumpier on a Jetboat...

We had the chance to talk to the couples briefly later on this day. Both parties enjoyed their Queenstown experiences very much and that is the most important conclusion at all!

How to build a Snow Man in Skippers Canyon, Queenstown

2011-09-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Haven't you always wondered how to build a snow man in Skippers Canyon? No? ... Yes? :-)

For some of you travelers out there, this question might be a little bit odd. For other travelers however, this little hint could trigger a decision to embark on a very special journey.

So here is your 'how to guide':

Plan your next (or your first) visit to Queenstown in Spring or Autumn. Only during those seasons you will have the chance to enjoy some warmer climate in our mountain resort and still have the opportunity to meet Mr. Snow on the mountains.
Plan a visit to Queenstown for a couple of days. Book a nice hotel online and
make your confirmed booking with us for the 'unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour'. Book a morning tour and bring your family and/or friends along - it's more fun...
On the day of your special encounter with Skippers Canyon, get up early, eat breakfast and wait for us in the lobby. We will pick you up.
then, enjoy the ride up to Coronet Peak and up to Skippers Saddle. There (if you book your tour on the right day) you will meet Mr. Snow for the first time.
indulge in the beauty of the canyon. This outstanding natural landscape will surely impress you all the way to Skippers Point where you will enjoy morning tea.
Here at the very latest, you will have time to build your own snow man. Your driver/guide will assist you regarding forming the snow properly. This can be a bit tricky if the snow is powdery or slushy but you will get there.
Don't forget to bring your camera and take THE proof picture.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to take your snow man with you as a souvenir. Your proof picture will have to carry this burden for you.

If you would like to know how long it will take you to create your snow man then please let me inform you that it will take only a couple of minute and it certainly is a lot of fun - at least this is what our customers told us just a couple of days ago.

Not convinced yet that our Skippers Canyon tour is one for you? Have a look at some feedback others posted on TripAdvisor.

Queenstown Heritage Tours Confirmed as a High Quality Carbon Neutral Operation

2011-09-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

We can proudly announce today that we are again confirmed as a high quality company that operates carbon neutral.

During our last Qualmark assessment, we reached a score of 82% which represents our best result ever. Next to this, we received from Qualmark again their 'Enviro Silver' award for our contributions to the environment.

We partnered again with Carbonfund.org and offset all our carbon emission that we could not omit during the past 12 months.

Read here our press release for more information.

TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

2011-06-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

Unforgettable Skippers Canyon Tour

We are very proud to have received this Certificate of Excellence from our customers who left their feedback on TripAdvisor.

We will endeavor to keep up this excellent service and are looking forward to welcoming you here in Skippers Canyon, Queenstown.

Thank you!

There is a place called Paradise, but Skippers Canyon...

2011-05-30T01:05:00.000-07:00

... is Heaven.

Isn't this a lovely comment? We could hardly believe what one of our customers told us after the 4 hours unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour the other day. They joined us quite spontaneously - just thought that they would like to have a decent tour into the back country of Queenstown. They heard about us from a friend who told them not to miss Skippers Canyon.

This verdict that Skippers is worth a trip was confirmed by the local I-Site here in Queenstown and so they called us and arranged their tour.

Those customers would stay for a couple of days in Queenstown, doing all sorts of activities from water to air and land adventures, like Skippers Canyon. They enjoyed and marveled at the majestic Doubtful Sound and loved Milford Sound, of course. But Skippers Canyon was - as they said - better than Paradise: it was Heaven!

Behind the Scenes: we prepare to showcase at TRENZ 2011

2011-05-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

TRENZ or Tourism Industry Rendezvous New Zealand is organized yearly by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand or TIANZ.

TRENZ is an international meeting where Buyers from all over the world travel to our little paradise to reconnect with their New Zealand Suppliers or start new business relationships. This rendezvous always takes place during the Autumn shoulder season and this year it will take place in Queenstown.

Next to the regular meetings, this year's TRENZ organizes some familiarization tours for suppliers. Those tours can help suppliers to experience first-hand what the suppliers do talk about.

Queenstown Heritage Tours participates for the second time at TRENZ. Last time, we joined this rendezvous 2 years ago and concluded the meeting with success. New business relationships could be initiated and existing ones were fostered.

It might appear that attending such a meeting is 'just talking' to people and easy to do. In theory, this is true. In practice, such a 3 day activity is work: preparing the pre-scheduled meetings which means to contact all preferred buyers to come and see us, preparing the documentation that is to be handed out at TRENZ, organizing who should attend and how the booth is staffed. The next preparation would be the marketing material, like banner stands, business cards, brochures and company documentation - all has to be created or at least checked if it is still up-to-date.

For our printing preparation, we use an online provider: Vista Print. This online provider creates a fantastic service for small businesses like ours.

And last but not least, after TRENZ, if needed some more information has to be sent out and information or negotiations have to be reconfirmed.

At the end of the day, TRENZ is something to look forward to. I like to meet new people and I truly like to get some rest as soon as TRENZ will be over.

Skippers stages a Comeback or True Love is hard to find

2011-05-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

Terri Macnicol summarized amongst other stories in her book 'Echoes from Skippers Canyon' the following:

By the turn of the 20th century, the goldrush was over and the goldminers disappeared. Early in the 1930s though when New Zealand was in the grip of the Depression, Skippers enjoyed a moderate comeback after being a ghost town for years. Many men, unable to find employment, drifted to backwaters such as Skippers. Here they hoped to supplement their allowance with gold, always with the thought that they would strike it rich.

One of them was Jamie. He was a confirmed bachelor and lived alone not for from his mate Mike. Jamie was reputed to be the ugliest man in the district and tongues wagged furiously when it was rumoured that he was getting married. The big question was, who was the bride?

None were brave enough to ask the prospective groom and he kept his own counsel. He did confide to Mike, who told his friends in secret that Mary was a pen-friend whom Jamie had contacted through a Lonely Hearts Club.

Jamie was been writing her for months. His friends thought it would be a bit of a risk to marry someone before they know each other. They might not get on at all...

In due course the bride came to Jamie's cottage. She was not very good-looking herself. She was about Jamie's age, friendly without being over-interested in her neighbours. Jamie's little cottage sparkled soon with cleanliness and even Jamie himself changed. He shaved regularly and always appeared tidy and smart. Everyone agreed that Jamie and Mary were ideally suited for each other.

Just when it happened no one could say, but neighbours awoke to the fact that Mary was no longer with Jamie. Instead she was living with Mike - Jamie's friend. She appeared to be just as happy there as she had been with Jamie.

Apparently, Mary was not Jamie's type and so he told Mike that he could have her if he liked.

One day Mary and Mike departed for Queenstown. Friends prepared to celebrate their return, expecting they would come home man and wife. Mike came back that night - alone.
'Where is Mary?' he was asked. 'Oh, she is gone. I just went out to see her away. She sent her regards to all you womenfolk.'

That was all he had to say and the visitor was quickly forgotten. Mike and Jamie became firmer pals and reverted to their easygoing careless ways.

Behind the Scenes: Skippers Canyon tour preparation

2011-05-01T21:29:00.001-07:00

While our customers give us feedback about how they experienced the unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour, our work is not over with the drop off. In fact, it starts with the preparation of the tour.

We assemble about 30 minutes before departure or pick up of the customers. We load the minibuses with the mugs and glasses, we prepare the sweet biscuits and put them on the respective tray and put a good size cheese ball into a jar. Next, we put the Trash Can and the serving trays into a minibus and add some wine and milk bottles.

We make sure that all windows are clean, that all our drivers know where to pick up how many passengers and then... off we go.

The tours are conducted according to the personal touch of each particular driver but in general, we follow the same rules: we like to give our customers the best time we possibly can - the feedback received so far confirms that we seem to do a good job!

After drop off, which can be anywhere in Queenstown or at the customer's accommodation, we return to our unit and clean the minibus. We consider our environment and clean the bus only with a water blaster. We then dry the windows and the carrosserie of the minibus, empty the back and put the dirty mugs and glasses into the dishwasher.

If one driver is finished with his cleaning he usually helps another one so that we all can pack up and enjoy the rest of the day a little bit earlier. While helping each other, the team exchanges their experiences and shares some feedback received with each other.

I always love it when the team comes back from a tour and I can see their happiness in their eyes. It fills me with pride to learn that our team enjoys the tour as much as the customers do - I know that they are passionate about Skippers Canyon and they love to share this passion with you - our visitors!

Distance from Queenstown to Skippers Point

2011-04-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

We increasingly get asked about the travel distance from Queenstown to Skippers Point. On average, one way into Skippers covers only about 33km.

Skippers Point can only be reached by travelling on Skippers Road through Skippers Canyon. It is true that Skippers Road is a public road and the speed limit on this road is the same as on all other New Zealand public roads.

Skippers Road is a mountain road. It is unsealed and just as wide as it needs to be for 1 single vehicle. Passing maneuvers can only be performed at specific bays along the way.

It is certainly true that travelling on Skippers Road is a real adventure and it is fun. If I where to caution you to travel on your own, I would say the following:

only travel on Skippers Road with a 4WD vehicle. This road is unsealed and you want to make sure that you don't slide.
Make sure you don't take your Rental Car into the canyon. You will not be insured if you were to have an accident or create any other damage to the vehicle.
Don't take your Camper Van into Skippers Canyon - for the 2 very reasons I listed above.
Make sure you travel with at least 1 other vehicle - a 4WD vehicle. Just in case you get stuck (let's say you travel in Autumn and you go off-road), you will be glad that someone else is there to tear you out of the ruts.
Know the rules on this road: give way to uphill traffic. BUT: use a little common sense when encountering another vehicle. If a passing bay is let's say about 3 meters behind you but you are travelling uphill, be smart and don't insist on having right-away - just reverse those 3 meters to let the other vehicle pass.
Most of all, adjust your speed. It is true, Skippers Road is a public road and in theory you would be allowed to travel at 80 kph - but this is not advisable - believe me...

We travel on Skippers Road more or less every day - 365 days a year. We know the road; we love the road and the adventure it creates for our customers. It is true that we charge our customers to join our Queenstown tours but they love this different kind of adventure and they feel safe; they can enjoy the views, take pictures, indulge in the picnic we prepare and simply treasure those couple of hours during which they were taken care of - a true holiday experience.

Travel time and travel speed on Skippers Road
Traffic on this mountain road

See you soon in Skippers Canyon!

Real Gold found in Skippers Canyon Queenstown

2011-04-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

Skippers Canyon in the back country of Queenstown, New Zealand is undoubtedly famous for the gold rush that took place in the late 1800s. Thousands of gold miners flocked to this area to find their luck - some succeeded but many were left trying, getting richer only in experience.

Some people might think that the gold rush belongs to the past of Skippers Canyon - those days are over. It is definitely true that there are very few people left who still maintain a claim in Skippers. Which basically means that gold can still be found in Skippers Canyon.

Just recently, we met one of those gold miners in the canyon. While on tour with some customers, we stopped to talk to him. Our customers genuinely appreciated this opportunity and quizzed him about his success in finding gold. He was happy to let us know that he found several little flakes of gold.

I personally don't know much about the hard work of gold panning, but I know that it is a very lengthy process that requires a lot of passion and patience. If you are lucky to find a resourceful claim, you are fortunate in every sense of the word but those claims are not indicated by a sign or something like it and luck still plays an important role. This suspicion was confirmed by the gold miner.

After a while, we had to continue our encounter with the historical places in Skippers Canyon. But before we left, we bought some of those gold flakes. For us, those flakes are a timeless remainder that Skippers Canyon is a true gold mine. It is very precious to the gold miners who still try and in fact do find their luck, for us as a sightseeing tour operator who loves to share this remarkable area with our visitors and for you people out there who wish to experience something different.

And who knows, maybe you will meet a gold miner in Skippers Canyon while travelling with us and you might be able to buy a very special souvenir.

Your 4 L Queenstown Attraction: experience LIFE in Skippers Canyon

2011-04-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

Skippers Canyon in Queenstown's backcountry is without a doubt famous for its gold rush history. Gold was found in sheer abundance and thousands of fortune seekers flocked to this beautiful area. They learned how to live with this rough teacher called nature and flourished. They erected schools and small towns in the middle of nowhere which we call today Skippers Point.

Today, we still can observe this legacy that was brought to us by the gold miners. Queenstown - which they said is 'worth a Queen', hence the name Queenstown - flourished on the back of the gold rush and Skippers Canyon became one of the most popular Queenstown tourist Queenstown tourist attractions. Visitors to our stunning area can literally tap into this life that the gold miners had. Today, on our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour, you can visit the restored Homestead, imagine how the women cooked the meal, how cold it must have been in winter and read how children experienced their life in Skippers Point.

Life changed this area. One very good example are the trees that cover this rugged area. Some of our visitors joined our tour a couple of years ago and are amazed by the change. Some of our guests tell us that they visited Skippers Point as a child and they can hardly believe how this area has changed.

Skippers Canyon is very much alive. It is a goldmine of life experiences which wait for you to be explored.

Your 4-L Queenstown Attraction: you will LEARN in Skippers Canyon

2011-03-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

You might wonder "what is there so special to learn about Skippers Canyon?" Good point... Let me see:

You will learn a bit about the historic background of Skippers Canyon. Gold was and is still found in this breathtaking gorge. We will share with you what we know about this unique historic past.
You will learn more about how the area has changed over time. For example, we know about stories reported by school children from Skippers that there were hardly any trees in Skippers Canyon. If you travel today, this fact is difficult to image. Come and see for yourself.
You will learn a bit more about how this canyon was formed. The geology is in fact very interesting.

But enough about us and what we can share with you so that you learn more about our beautiful Skippers Canyon. Just the other day, we had a small group joining us in the afternoon. We were very lucky to have a Geologist on board who saw things that even we did not notice so far - the eye of the expert, no doubt - and we could learn more about Skippers by listening to his comments. Those comments were appreciated by the entire group and believe me, by us as well.

This is the beauty of our work. We learn more every day, like why our guests joined us, why they are here and what they appreciate the most. We learn that our tour convinces even those travelers who usually don't like to travel in organized groups, but simply loved the schedule of our trip and how we explain facts.

One of our goals is to enable you to learn something about this unique place called Skippers Canyon - we believe this makes this half day tour truly unforgettable.We invite you to see for yourself whether we succeed in it.

There are some things...

2011-02-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

... you just simply can't control.

After last week's earthquake in Christchurch, I believe everyone understands that some things are completely out of our control. Here in New Zealand, we live in 'Little Paradise' - we observe the worlds latest creation of natural beauty and we truly love it!

New Zealand is a beautiful country. Some say, you can literally walk through 1 single National Park, even North and South Island are different and unique in itself - every Island of our unforgettable Aotearoa is worth your time and your holidays.

Just think about this: if those earthquakes would not happen and they never would have happened in the past, we most likely did not have New Zealand as this treasure as it is now. It is true, too, that nature is cruel - very cruel so - at times. I strongly believe that the best way to help Christchurch and New Zealand is to come and visit our country. It is safe for you to travel through New Zealand and your time spend here will stay with you forever - that's a promise!

Today, exactly 1 week after the earthquake at 12.51pm, we stopped our tours into Skippers Canyon for 2 minutes. We joined the national movement to remember those who lost their lives so tragically 7 days ago. All out guests welcomed this gesture very much and we truly believe that this experience will stay with them - not as a negative memory but as a strong sign that this nation stands together in moments where darkness surrounds us.

The observant reader of our blog and our website www.queenstown-heritage.co.nz might know that I am not a born Kiwi, neither is my husband. We are European and chose this country as our new adopted home. We love New Zealand for it's natural beauty, for the people that live here and we love to share this remarkable and truly unforgettable place with all our visitors. We invite you to come and visit us, come and see for yourself how New Zealand is, experience this living creation of our planet and please don't be scared - you are not alone here!

Our hearts and prayers still go out to all those families who lost a loved one...

Our Hearts and Thoughts are in Christchurch

2011-02-22T17:05:00.000-08:00

We are shocked and devastated about the damage that was caused by the Earthquake yesterday in Christchurch. But most of all, we are shocked and very sad about the loss of some many lives...

Words can hardly express what the entire team of Queenstown Heritage Tours feels. Even though we experienced this earthquake from a save distance, some of us could in fact feel the shaking yesterday during lunch time. The fright that we got here in Queenstown is definitely nothing compared to what every single person in Christchurch must have felt - simply terrifying.

Many of us have family and friends up North, but luckily, they are all well.
We can hardly comprehend that life needs to go on - it certainly did for us today. It saddens us to see the damage that was created in Christchurch and I personally wonder how on earth can something good come out of this terrible event?

We watch from a distance and feel helpless. All we can do is financially support those in need in Christchurch. And this is exactly what we did today: we donated our profit earned today to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal and we encourage everyone who reads this entry to do the same.
WestPac Account No: 03 0207 0617331 000 - Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

Our thoughts and hearts are with all those who suffered the loss of a loved one - it's so not fair...

Your 4-L Queenstown Attraction: you will LAUGH in Skippers Caynon

2011-02-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

Isn't it important that the atmosphere is good in a small minibus that takes you into the back country of Queenstown? Imagine you would go on a sightseeing tour, expecting a great experience and all you receive is a drive on Skippers Road, stop at Skippers Point and hear in the meantime some facts-based comments about the historic background of Skippers Canyon. This does not sound like fun...

Our customers regularly comment about the good and funny atmosphere in our minibuses. We can engage you in our tours. How do we do this? We let you ask questions and we answer them as best as we can.

We do as well explain how decisions were made by the Goldminers, like a decision of one Skippers local who's Lady wanted to live closer to Queenstown but they did not want to leave Skippers Canyon. They moved about 1 km closer to Queenstown, but still about an hour's drive away. On our tours, you will drive by both houses and I am sure, when you see the locations, you will definitely have a smile on your face.

Other laughs come out if we happen to observe sheep mastering in the canyon. Our customers mainly love to see how the dogs are working. Usually, everyone is quite impressed and enjoys this real-time Kiwi experience very much.

You will most likely laugh about the expertise of our Driver/Guides. Skippers Road is an unsealed road and offers plenty of thrills along the way. Some of our guests laugh about their own jokes like 'please keep on driving on the road...' We truly love it if our guests engage in the entertainment during the tour and it happens nearly every day. Our travelling speed is always adjusted to the area and safety is one of our major concerns - but still, jokes about our driving are allowed.

One of the best laughs you might have is about one of our comment when we could ask you to pay for the tour or hand over your voucher. We might say to you 'if you don't want to walk back from Skippers Point all the way to Queenstown, you'd better make sure we have your voucher or come and pay your fare'. Of course, we will never leave anyone behind, it is after all only a joke, but usually our guests have a smile on their face - we are sure you will have one, too.

Let's face it, you are on holidays and we are here to entertain you to our best abilities. So come on and share a little fun and some laughs with us on one of Queenstown's attractions.

Your 4-L Queenstown Attraction: you will LOVE this Unforgettable Skippers Canyon Tour

2011-02-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

You might wonder why I know that you will LOVE our Unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour. That is a fair thought and certainly one that can only be answered without a doubt if you were to come to Queenstown, New Zealand and join our 4 hour unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour.

But let me explain why I already know that you will love our service: because customers who joined the tour told us that they did. And here is what they loved the most:

the scenery of the canyon. It is true that we did not create the canyon for you, but we are passionate to guide you through it.
the comfort of our minibuses. All our vehicles are especially designed and equipped for sightseeing tours. Some of the features are an air-con that will keep you cool in Summer and generates warmth in Spring and Autumn. It will even keep the windows clear and secures uninterrupted views. The on-board fridge and cupboard which enables us to offer you a lovely picnic at Skippers Point regularly impresses.
a short walk through this living history. We invite our visitors to talk a short stroll and experience Skippers Canyon at their own pace.
the passion and the knowledge our team shares with each visitor. Even we simply love to go into Skippers Canyon, enjoy this unique area and spend a half day with people who share our passion for it.

As said, those are comments which we received from our customers who already did it. You will need to experience this unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour for yourself to judge if all that is written here, is indeed true.

Our Customers rate the unforgettable Skippers Canyon Tour as excellent Attraction

2011-01-16T15:26:00.000-08:00

On our Skippers Canyon tours, we provide our commentary verbally. Our Driver/Guides use a microphone to give their commentary so everyone in the minibus can hear every word loud and clear.

Next to the verbal entertainment, we carry some written explanations with us. One page in this folder features a request for feedback with a feedback form attached. Below are only a hand full of examples of those feedback forms that found their way back to us.

Please click on the slide show to enlarge the pictures.

We are very proud to read that our customers generally enjoy our tour. They seem to like our entertainment and the refreshments that are served during our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour.

Queenstown Heritage Tours again recognised as one of the best

2010-12-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

Today, we can proudly announce that Qualmark, New Zealand tourism’s official quality assurance system, has again recognized our company Queenstown Heritage Tours Ltd. as one of the country’s leading tourism businesses.

We have been earning this mark of quality for the 4th time now and even gained the environment Silver Award from Qualmark.

The results of our assessments in the past 4 years show that we steadily increased our fulfillment of Qualmark's requirements. Only in the third year, we had a lower success rate because new requirements in regards to our minibuses were introduced by Qualmark. The entire fleet assessment though has been resulting in a very high success rate for the past 2 years.

The latest assessment shows the highest fulfillment of Qualmark's requirements which shows that we operate on a high level of the recognized tourism industry standard.

For more details, please read our press release.

Skippers Canyon Visitors generously supported the Fundraiser for Wakatipu High School Branches Camp

2010-11-26T13:55:00.000-08:00

Today, we can announce that we completed our fundraiser for the Wakatipu High School for the second time. During November, we made our customers aware of the yearly organized camp to the Branches Station and asked for a small donation that would financially support this program.

As last year, the generosity of our visitors is unspoken of. We don’t take it for granted that some loose coins and even more than that were placed in our donation bucket. This motivates my entire team to keep nurturing this initiative in the coming years.

We would like to thank all our customers for their contribution.

In this joint effort, we could collect more than NZD500.-- and to see the big smile on the faces as we handed over the money was just priceless...

We informed our partners and the press today. Please read our press release.

5 reasons to visit Skippers Canyon in Queenstown

2010-11-17T22:05:00.000-08:00

Now you might want to know why you should travel to Skippers Canyon - and why exactly you should go with us, right? Let me explain:

You visit New Zealand for a reason. You come here to see the country, experience the nature of it, feel the young spirit simmering in every leave, every tree and in the Kiwis (that would be the humans, not the birds...). You might want to know why the Kiwis are the way they are and how it came about that they ended up being so friendly, laid back and relaxed.

Agreed, I might not give you a 100% objective impression about what I am going to write to you, but please bear in mind that we are all 'victims' of our environment and of what we know. And 1 thing is sure: I know Skippers Canyon and I certainly know what kind of reaction we trigger with our tours.

Here are the reasons you should come and visit Skippers Canyon:

it's unique. It's as simple as this. You will find Jetboats and Bungy Jumps at other places in New Zealand. I don't advocate that either experience is better that the other, but Skippers Canyon is truly unique - which means that you can only visit this area here in Queenstown.
it's steep in history. 'Oh no...' you might say now - but wait: did you know that Queenstown got to this point where we are today mainly due to the gold rush? Skippers Canyon (or shall I say Mount Aurum and the Shotover River) still carries Gold up until this very day. Who knows what would have happened, if... but let's not go there. We had the gold rush and we can tell you a little bit about it. If you feel like it, read this brief summary about Skippers Canyon on Wikipedia.
Skippers Road is protected by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This basically means that the road is protected and is maintained in such a way that it stays like this. Why? Because it has a major historic relevance to the history of New Zealand. Next to this, Skippers Road is unique again. It is a public road (please read my other blog entries) but Rental Cars can not be used as vehicle: your insurance will not cover any potential damage. So leave it up to the experts to take you in (that would be us...)
Skippers Canyon showcases a truly remarkable natural beauty. The scenery is awesome and could be described as a wonderland in the backyard of Queenstown. "A picture says more than thousand words" so they say. We just heard the other day from one of our customers that not even the pictures taken of Skippers Canyon 'really' capture the nature, the beauty, the uniqueness of the area. Which leaves me to say: you have to come and experience it yourself!
You like to travel without crowds? Do you like to experience attractions which are not main stream and away from the hustle and bustle? Then you have just given me the 5th reason why you should visit unforgettable Skippers Canyon.

Convinced? Arrange your flights to Queenstown, book a nice hotel and secure your tour into Skippers Canyon.

Forever Young in Skippers Canyon Queenstown

2010-11-15T16:48:00.000-08:00

There was that lovely Lady joining our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour a couple of days ago. She is over 90 years old and enjoyed this scenic attraction very much. She did in fact entertain the entire minibus; all other passengers were full of praise for this young-at-heart-Lady. She shared some of her experiences of life and even made jokes about herself.

The one thing that impressed us very much was (and it still is) how well she copes with all the changes that happened in her long life. Let me just share with you 1 example: some of our customers pay the tour fare while we are in Skippers Canyon. The customers either pay by cash or credit card. If payment is done by credit card, we use our EFTPOS terminal. Customers can either sign their receipts or enter their PIN. Some of our customers like to sign as remembering the PIN is not their thing to do, but not this lovely Lady!

She would follow our Queenstown local Driver/Guide step by step as he prepared the credit card payment. She then entered her PIN and wanted to know where to press to confirm her entry. Very impressive!

Some of her memories that she shared was that she very vividly remembers when people used to travel in coaches - not our flashing comfortable 4WD minibuses, but carriages that were moved by real horse-power. And now imagine that those carriages were on Skippers Road...

What a pleasure it was to have this Lady on board - we enjoyed her company as much as she enjoyed Skippers Canyon.

Skippers Canyon Tour Now a Carbon Neutral Operation

2010-11-14T00:51:00.000-08:00

Today, we can announce that our operation to Skippers Canyon is now carbon neutral. We launched our environmental impact management initiative in October 2009. Monitoring our CO2 emissions forms the major part of this initiative. We are furthermore fully committed to recycling and reusing material where ever possible. All our monitoring endeavors paid off; the results are quite interesting and according to our expectations.

The results show that about 83% of its produced CO2 emissions are created by its sightseeing and wine tours, 15% by the commuting activities by its staff members and the rest by domestic air travel.

We offset our carbon footprint by partnering with Carbonfund.org. Carbonfund.org is the leading nonprofit carbon reduction and climate solutions organization, making it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce their climate impact by supporting third-party validated renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects. Carbonfund.org has over 600,000 individual supporters and over 1,800 business and nonprofit partners including Discovery, Motorola, Amtrak, Dell, JetBlue, Virgin America and Staples.

We informed our partners and the press today. Read our press release.

a Kiss for the Driver

2010-11-08T16:37:00.000-08:00

Agreed: this is not the usual feedback we receive - a kiss - but it is nice to get it anyway.

It all started very innocently; a usual tour. We picked up from a hotel here in Queenstown. It was a group of Ladies, enjoying their holidays together and decided to come on our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour. At the beginning, they were very quiet, listening to the comments our Driver/Guide gave them. But after a while, they started having fun: they giggled, made jokes with our Driver/Guide and really enjoyed the tour.

As soon as it was time to drop off the group, every Lady thanked our Driver/Guide very genuinely that they liked what they experienced and this 1 Lady even gave him a kiss.

...so much for written feedback...

Travel times and travel speed on Skippers Road, Queenstown

2010-10-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

Skippers Canyon is about 30 km away from Queenstown. It is the back country and only accessible with 4WD vehicles - this is a recommendation anyway. Rental cars are not allowed to travel on Skippers Road as the insurance will not cover any possible damages done to the car while travelling through Skippers Canyon.

Skippers Road is a Public road, maintained by the Queenstown Lakes District Council. The speed limit is 100 km per hour - this is the theory. In practice, you would normally travel with a speed of about 30 to 40 km per hour - and that's a recommendation. If you travel with your own car on this windy and unsealed Skippers Road, you will need to make your own decision of course about how fast you choose to travel. Be however always prepared to stop as all traffic is travelling on this very same, narrow road.

Passing maneuvers on Skippers Road are only possible at passing bays. If you are not an experienced mountain road driver, your best bet to visit Skippers Canyon would be to choose an operator like us to take you in there.

On our tours, you will literally sit back and relax, enjoy the stunning scenery, step out of the comfortable 4WD minibus to take pictures and even go for short walks - if you feel like it.

If you decide to travel by yourself into the canyon, it might take you approx 1,5 hours to reach Skippers Point. You will start in Queenstown, drive past Arthurs Point and up the road to Coronet Peak. Turn left just short of the Coronet Peak Ski fields.

Enjoy the ride!

Have you seen this video?

2010-10-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is what awaits you in Skippers Canyon: stunning scenery, several photo stops, a commentary, as transport you will use a comfortable 4WD minibus and you will enjoy an outdoor picnic.

Skippers Tour is Worth a One-Day Visit to Queenstown

2010-10-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

It is Spring here in Queenstown. The mountains are still covered by snow and the temperatures start to finally climb into double digits. It is simply stunning and gorgeous.

Some nights are still very cold and snow fall still happens. This is particularly nice for our morning tours. The other day, we picked up a small group of Australians. They came from Sydney and joint our 4 hours Skippers Canyon tour.

On top of Skippers Saddle, we had a short stop. Our customers loved the snow so much that we engaged in a snowball fight. After this, we built a small snowman... We simply had fun - a lot of it.

Just before we concluded this extraordinary experience, one of our guests told us, that he will definitely be back. He said, that this tour is even worth a quick dash from Sydney. He mentioned, that he would love to come back just for this experience and do only the Skippers Canyon tour.

This is certainly possible now that Queenstown is an international airport. Several airlines offer direct flights from Sydney to Queenstown. In about 3,5 hours you will be here. Whether you visit our lovely mountain resort just for 1 day or quickly over the weekend, a visit to Skippers is certainly worth your time.

What the Goldminers left us

2010-10-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

Skippers Canyon is without a doubt one of the areas which you have to visit if you are interested in seeing New Zealand and its breathtaking nature. It is also the area you should not miss out on if you are interested in learning a bit about Queenstown's history.

At the turn of the last century, goldminers swarmed the Queenstown area and tried to find their luck here. History tells us that some goldminers found their fortune only by chance. As an example, a goldminer had his dog with him, as he was travelling through Skippers Canyon, looking for the perfect spot to define his claim. The dog fell into the river, the Shotover River and nearly drowned. The goldminer jumped after this dog and eventually saved it. As soon as the 2 of them very safely ashore again, the goldminer saw some shining little flakes on the fur of this beloved dog and so he discovered his claim.

There are many stories about the goldmining history of Skippers. They are all fascinating and very, very interesting. Other stories were brought to us by children who used to live at Skippers Point. You can read about their experiences here in this blog. Please browse my other entries.

The goldminers certainly left us their spirit of Explorers and Fortune-Seekers. This very spirit defines to a certain part people living in New Zealand, in particular in Queenstown. We have an idea, think a little about it and then get it done.

But there are other things the goldminers left us: some very visual 'left-overs'. They certainly did not think about the environment and basically about the damage they create while trying everything to find gold. They diverted the Shotover River several times, washed down whole parts of ridges and mountains and they brought plants and trees to the area which create a real challenge for New Zealand native plants.

Anyway: New Zealand is such a young country and the history of Skippers Canyon is even younger. The goldminers did certainly leave us plenty of things to enjoy and to think about. I invite you to join one of our tours so that you can experience this living history for yourself.

Skippers as Activity of a Combination Package

2010-10-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Let's assume that you spend 2 or 3 days in Queenstown. This lovely mountain resort has so many activities on offer, it is had to choose the things to do. So you will need some criteria to select the right activities for you. You could decide according to your budget, or according to your willingness to experience to dare doing something out of the ordinary, or you choose to do something away from the crowds. In this case, you could consider our Skippers Canyon Combination tour 'Canyon & Wine'.

This full day tour starts at 9am from your accommodation. The first 3 hours you will spend in Skippers Canyon. This wonderland of beautiful landscape and historic remainders will let you experience some time away from the hustle and bustle. Don't forget your photo camera and plenty of storage cards as you most likely will take many, many pictures.

Your next stop will be a Boutique winery where you will taste some delicious wines while enjoying an a la carte lunch. This short break is the perfect moment to reflect on what you just experienced or you could start a discussion with he wine maker about the wine you taste. As this is your special day in Queenstown and more over, you are on holiday, you dictate the pace of this tour. This basically means that we leave a winery when you feel like and note when we think it is time to move on.

After lunch, you will taste wines of 2 further smaller vineyards. We visit only smaller, not so famous vineyards as we believe that you will enjoy the wines a bit more if you can talk about them with the wine maker or someone who is very knowledgeable about them. The wineries we visit are all very charming and welcoming.

This special day out in Queenstown will conclude about 7 to 7.5 hours after we started. We will drop you off again at your accommodation or any other place in Queenstown.

Well: there is nothing left to explain about our Canyon & Wine Tour. The only thing that is missing now, is your visit - I know you will enjoy this special day very much.

A different kind of adventure or an unforgettable activity

2010-10-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

What kind of adventure is it then, a visit to Skippers Canyon? That's very easy to answer: a different one. Let me explain this a little further:

Skippers Canyon is simply a beautiful area - a scenic goldmine. But before that, it was and still is a real goldmine and many goldminers tried their luck finding a fortune. Some did, but many were left with the attempt of trying. But never mind.

On our tour 'Unforgettable Skippers Canyon' you can enjoy this historic and scenic are at a leisurely pace. We take you all the way in to Skippers township which will be reached after round about 2 hours after the departure from Queenstown. Now this might sound very long, but in fact it isn't. The distance from Queenstown to Skippers Point is approximately 30 km. We take about 2 hours to travel this distance because we stop very often for photos - that is, we invite you as our guest to step out of the comfortable minibus and give your photo camera a little workout.

All the way into Skippers, our Driver/Guides will comment of the things you can see. You will see of course the landscape... but there a other things to appreciate, like special rock formations, old huts that are still visible, remains of the goldmining era, but we point out as well how Skippers Canyon came about to exist.

As soon as we reach Skippers Point, you will have the opportunity to visit the old schoolhouse. This restored historic relic is managed by the Department of Conservation and showcases the life in Skippers back then, about 100 years ago. I have to say, it is very impressive...

Skippers Point is also our picnic stop. While you go back in time (at least for 1 moment) we prepare some refreshments. Enjoy the home-made cheese and the sweet biscuits along with a coffee or tea. This picnic stop lasts for about 30 to 40 minutes before we head back the same way we came in - on Skippers Road.

We reach Queenstown after round about 4 to 4,5 hours. You can choose to join our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour in the morning or in the afternoon. If you think that 4 hours is a bit long, because you want to do other activities in Queenstown, then why don't you join our 3 hours tour 'Skippers Canyon Vista'? It is basically the same tour as the 4 hours one, but excludes the picnic.

A visit to Skippers Canyon is certainly something worth while doing if you enjoy taking pictures, love the outdoors and try to stay away from the crowds.

Kiwis learn more about their own heritage

2010-03-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure to host a small group of Kiwis - New Zealanders from Auckland - who visited their own country and enjoyed our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour. They commented that this experience was 'just spectacular and the changing colors of the trees in the canyon created a fairytale memory'.

A comment which we receive quite often from New Zealanders is that they believe that especially Kiwis should do this tour. 'There is so much to learn about our own history'. From our point of view, I see that diving a little bit into this historic area opens up a new understanding about how it must have been for the early settlers. This challenging area in Skippers Canyon truly forced every single man and woman to come up with their best attitude towards survival. This was certainly no place for easy-going people who shy away from work and absolutely no good place for people who thought everything will be presented on a plate to them.

I believe knowing more about the history of Skippers Canyon can explain a bit more about the can-do attitude Kiwis seem to have:

They look how the neighbor is doing things and then it is copied - not a bad idea as such, if you ask me.
Collaborate with each other but only to a certain point - projects like goldmining can only be handled in a team. Gains like Gold are most certainly not shared though.
Have fun with your family and friends when ever you can - I believe fun was scarce in historic Skippers but they managed to organize games and community get-aways to relax a bit.
Be independent as much as possible

I can see those characteristics in my team members who conduct the tours for me. They are through and through Kiwis. The passion they have for their own 'backyard' comes naturally and enables every single customer to reach a certain stage of awe for Skippers Canyon.

Some Things Never Change

2010-03-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

It is always special and very dear to us when customers provide us with a truly remarkable feedback. A while ago, a Gentleman from Australia contacted us. He enjoyed our tour into Skippers Canyon very much. After his return home, he went into his attic to look for an old postcard which he knew he still had. This postcard was handed over to us and is since treasured! The postcard was sent to convey Seasons Greetings and was posted in December 1907.

Horse-drawn carriage was the preferred way to visit Skippers Canyon at the turn of the last century. An entry in the 1925 'Official Southland Guide' described the journey to Skippers Point as follows:
SKIPPERS. Lake County. Is a wild and romantic mining district, about twenty miles from Queenstown, from which place the trip to Skippers is considered the premier excursion for tourists, daily trips being made, leaving at 8 am and returning at 6 pm, the mode of conveyance being by coach, each comfortably accommodating ten passengers, all box seats, thus ensuring an uninterrupted view. The return fare, including morning tea and luncheon, is 19 shillings. Post Office and Telephone. Population, 21.

How little things have changed: you can still travel each day into Skippers, though the mode of transportation has slightly changed. The thing that hasn't changed is Skippers Canyon itself. Have a look at the following picture which shows the exact place as shown on the postcard above:

Skippers Canyon - a truly remarkable place! Make sure you visit it.

Taffic Jams in Skippers Canyon

2010-03-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

Just a few days ago, we heart someone say, that they would not like to go into Skippers Canyon due to the traffic jams in there. We would like to clarify this.

There are basically no traffic jams in the canyon. It is true though, that there are several operators who offer either sightseeing or other tours into Skippers but this traffic most certainly does not culminate in traffic jams.

All commercial operators know this area very well - it is their office at the end of the day! They all know where the best passing bays are and they all know the rule 'give way to uphill traffic'. So there is basically nothing to be worried about.

The last traffic jam we experienced was during the time as Skippers Bridge was repaired. No major work was needed and the bridge was and still is absolutely stable and save to be crossed. The 'traffic jam' (if we can even call it that way) would create a waiting time for us for up to 20 minutes. During this time, the workers who were doing the repairs could move their gear and let us pass. Those repairs are completed now and as a matter of fact where quite interesting to observe.

It is true, too that a lot of traffic took place in Skippers at the time where Queenstown was not so commercially advanced as it is now. Quite some years ago, visitors to Queenstown could only enjoy the Earnslaw Steamer over Lake Wakatipu, take the gondola up the hill or travel into Skippers. But nowadays, visitors have plenty of activities to choose from and a tour into Skippers Canyon is only 1 option.

Particularly if you choose to travel with us on an afternoon tour, your chances are high that we are the only ones in the canyon - this is how the traffic decreased over the years. We actually quite like it this way as it enables us to let you, our customers, fully enjoy this unique area at your own pace.

Spur of the Moment Attraction: Picnic at Welcome Home Pub

2010-03-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Usually, we offer our customers a small break from enjoying Skippers Canyon. We do this by serving a little picnic - in the middle of nowhere: we put up our picnic table, cover it with a table cloth, serve coffee or tea in a porcelain mug or spoil our customers with a glass of Queenstown local wine - all refreshments are complimentary and don't have to be consumed, but why wouldn't you?

Our usual spot for offering those refreshments are at Skippers Point. Our customers can visit the restored Schoolhouse (which is now converted into a museum) while we prepare the picnic. On the odd occasion, we do our picnic at other places.

Once, we had our afternoon picnic at the Welcome Home Pub. A lovely spot: sheltered from wind and right next to the remains of the pub that used to be one of the places where people went to enjoy a drink. Today, only the chimney is visible. The Welcome Home Pub or Welcome Home Inn, as it was called earlier, was twice destroyed by fire during its lifetime. The hotel was the first in the area and was built by John McArthur in 1863. In 1889, a fire destroyed the site completely. It was re-built on its current location, again destroyed by fire in the 1930's, rebuilt, and finally demolished in 1951.

A 'Must-Do' in Queenstown even if you are scared of heigths

2010-03-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Skippers Canyon is a canyon with steep drops to one side. You travel on Skippers Road along side this remarkable gorge. You look down into the canyon and can observe this breathtaking area from up top. Skippers Road is a mountain road, unsealed and under the protection of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

Sometimes we entertain a customer in our minibus who is a bit nervous due to the drops along side the road.
One Lady though commented that the tour into Skippers Canyon is a 'Must-Do' in Queenstown even if you are scared of heights.

Our Driver/Guides pay extra attention to customers who are a bit scared of height. We offer seat rotation and adjust our driving speed to the level where it is comfortable for this particular customer. Generally, after the picnic break in Skippers Point, all worries are gone and even the little bit scared customers can then fully enjoy this marvelous canyon in the backcountry of Queenstown.

comfortable ride into Skippers Canyon

Skippers Bridge will be closed

2010-02-23T12:59:00.000-08:00

Skippers Bridge is a historic building which needs to be maintained regularly in order to enable visitors to drive safely over it. Queenstown Council will be closing the bridge on 24./25./26. February 2010 in order to do some repair and maintenance work.

What does this mean to the visitors? We believe you will not miss out on very much. You will only be stopped to visit Skippers Point as this little township can only be reached by crossing the bridge and drive a little bit further up the hill. As the bridge will be closed, the first leg of your journey into Skippers Canyon will end at the bridge.

On our unforgettable Skippers Canyon Tour, you will have even more opportunities to take pictures and do short walks on the mountain road during those 3 days because the tour will be a little bit shorter than usual.

Take a picture of everything that moves

2010-02-22T12:43:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest: people come to visit New Zealand because they know it is a beautiful country. Queenstown is not exception to this rule and Skippers Canyon - in the back-country of Queenstown - is truly a unique and breathtaking site.

Nowadays, the majority of customers have digital cameras with memory sticks. What a blessing this digital age is! Endless pictures can be taken and if needed by erased again if storage space on those sticks is getting low.

We had customers on board who took about 200 pictures of the canyon. We are always quite impressed by the passion of our guest who must have truly loved Skippers Canyon.

So here is our advise: if you visit Skippers with us, please make sure you either take your laptop with you to copy your pictures, or you have a CD burnt regularly with your pictures at one of the Photo Shops in town or your simply take plenty of those memory sticks with you - you never know how many pictures you are going to take.

Please enjoy!

I never wanted this tour to end

2010-02-21T12:37:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, we took some Queenstown visitors into Skippers Canyon. It was a lovely afternoon and we had so to say Skippers Canyon all to ourselves. It was just great! We took our time while travelling in our comfortable 4WD minibuses through this remarkable gorge. The air-condition made sure all passengers felt comfortable as the sun was smiling in full force, adding a unique color to all photos taken by our guest.

We passed Skippers Bridge and as usual let the customers walk over it. They enjoyed this sight very much as the Bridge is an astonishing historic monument of the goldmining era.

After reaching Skippers Point, the small group enjoyed the restored museum, the spectacular views while we prepared afternoon tea. The picnic table was decorated with a table cloth, the wine glasses as well as the coffee or tea mugs where put into place and the home-made cheese crackers were served.

The group enjoyed this setting very much. After a moment, a Lady spoke to our driver and said: "I wish this tour would never end".

What a lovely comment this was! We take such comments as a sign that our guest truly enjoy themselves and appreciate the area in Skippers Canyon. This is all we can ask for.

Skippers Canyon jetzt auch auf Deutsch

2010-02-17T01:41:00.000-08:00

Wir duerfen zusehens mehr und mehr Besucher aus Deutschland, der Schweiz und Oesterreich in den Skippers Canyon 'entfuehren'. Von unseren deutsch-sprachigen Kunden erhalten wir im Grunde nur ein ganz kurzes, aber praegnantes Feedback: 'einfach phantastisch - so habe ich mir Neuseeland vorgestellt'.

Vor ein paar Wochen nahmen wir eine kleine Gruppe von 12 Personen in den Skippers Canyon. Die Gruppe verbrachte 2 Tage in Queenstown. Neben einer kleinen Wanderung auf einen Gipfel bei Queenstown besuchten sie mit uns den Skippers Canyon. 'A' und 'O' waren die meistgehoerten Aeusserungen der Bewunderung des wunderschoenen Canyons.

Einige der Besucher hatten nach der Haelfte unserer 4 Stundentour die Herausforderung zu loesen, keinen Speicherplatz mehr auf ihrer Karte im Photoapparat zu haben. Nehmen Sie also bitte genuegend Reserve mit, wenn Sie uns begleiten.

Folgenden Ausdruck der Zufriedenheit eines unserer Kunden moechte ich gerne teilen. Wir waren am Picknicksort angekommen und die Gruppe konnte einige Erfrischungen und die selbstgemachten Kaesehappen geniessen. Dieser Herr kam zu uns und meinte: "Hier fahren wir ja von einem visuellen Hoehepunkt zum anderen - ich habe mir den Canyon nicht so wunderschoen vorgestellt'.

Dazu koennen wir auch nur eines sagen: Besten Dank!
Queenstown Heritage Tours auf deutsch

A memory I hold for the future

2010-02-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

After the long Holiday Break, I come back to you all to inform you about some further feedback we received during the last weeks.
The following statement reached us in January 2010. The Lady who joined us has some family connections to some of the people who used to live in Skippers Point. She asked us if we could take her into the canyon and help her reconnect.

This is what she had to say after the tour:
"Our guide was absolutely wonderful - he asked about our reasons for doing the tour and when he found out that we had a family connection - he really brought his local history skills to the fore - he certainly knows his stuff - all credit to the staff selection methodology of your company. As well as our driver's excellent service - who could not be impressed with the grandeur of the scenery and think about how intrepid those early settlers were! The wine and afternoon tea were lovely and I think your tour was very worthwhile. It will definitely be a memory I hold for the future - all credit to our driver. Best regards."

The Lady joined our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour.

Skippers Canyon and what else - some sample Itineraries

2009-12-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

To be honest: you don't have to visit Skippers Canyon. I just believe that you would miss something very unique and beautiful if you don't.

If you should decide to visit the area, I suggest you don't take your rental car as it is not insured. Please read your contract carefully and if in doubt, ask you rental car company what will happened if you have an accident with the rental car or 'just' create a damage. As said, you are not allowed to take your rental there.

Most of our customers find it very relaxing having us as their guides through Skippers. They can sit back and enjoy the scenery while we explain them special points of interest.

When we pick up customers, we ask them if they are on a schedule and at which time (if at all...) they would need to be back in town. Usually, our guest bring plenty of time to enjoy the canyon.

Here are some samples of other activities that you can combine with a visit to Skippers:

go on a Shotover Jet boat ride after our tour. We pass Edith Cavell Bridge which is the starting point of Shotover Jet. We would drop you off right there, you check yourself in for the jetboat ride and take the free shuttle back to Queenstown.
go an a rafting trip after our tour. Queenstown Rafting starts, too from Edith Cavell Bridge and again we could drop you off there.
take the Skyline Gondolla up the hill in the morning, enjoy the overview over Queenstown and join our tour in the afternoon.
join our combination tour and visit Skippers in the morning and taste some wines in the afternoon. An a la carte vineyard lunch is included in our Canyon & Wine Tour.
have a sleep-in in the morning, join our afternoon tour into Skippers and board the TSS Earnslaw to cross Lake Wakatipu and enjoy an evening dinner at Walter Peak Station.
join our morning tour into Skippers and enjoy the a nice sail on the Yacht of Queenstown Sail in the afternoon.

Please remember that all suggestions are samples of activities others did while in Queenstown.
Enjoy the area and if you can, bring plenty of time - you won't have troubles to spend it...

Experience Skippers Canyon in Rain

2009-12-12T15:31:00.000-08:00

Who wants to have a rainy day while on holidays? I guess the answer is no one. But we can't change the weather and sometimes, rain drops do fall on our heads...

Skippers is quite spectacular, too while it rains. We recently took a small group of 5 passengers into the canyon. It has been raining for about 2 days. We were lucky on this afternoon as we only had a few rain drops at the beginning of the tour. Every time it rains heavily, the Shotover River, which flows through Skippers Canyon and in fact created it long time ago, rises very quickly. During this afternoon tour, the group could observe literally from 1 minute to the other how the Shotover River would rise. It was truly a unique experience.

Just imagine this: normally, the water in Shotover River flows with 12 to 15 cubic meters per seconds. If it carries this less water, the river is stunningly turquoise and looks very nice and smooth and not at all dangerous. At the time we had this afternoon tour, the river flew with about 170 cubic meters per second and it later culminated during the night at approx 200 cubic meters. The Shotover River looked totally muddy and not friendly at all. Due to the masses of water, the river rose very minute. This change was quite obvious and stunned our guests during the entire afternoon.

We usually let our guest walk a bit on this mountain road in Skippers Canyon. This afternoon, they wanted to walk quite a bit and enjoyed the fascinating atomsphere in the canyon. Not only was the change of the Shotover River a unique experience to observe, but the clouds hanging around Mount Aurum and the changes in light enabled our guest to take plenty of photos of this beautiful spot we call home.

Towards the end of the afternoon tour, we even got a little lucky and saw the sun chasing away the clouds to lighten up the area with its shafts of sunlight. This topped everything. He heard comments like "who wants to visit Skippers in sunshine - this is much better" and "the atmosphere with the clouds and the mist creates a light that I have never experienced before. It is just stunning".

After hearing those comments, I remembered my own experience in Milford Sound while it was raining. Then, the Sound - at least for me - nearly comes to life and produces endless waterfalls. Milford Sound is a place which should be visited in rain and so is Skippers Canyon.

On all our tours, we carry some umbrellas with us and just in case it is necessary, we offer our picnic in a sheltered area.

As said before, you can't change the weather but you still can visit Skippers Canyon while it rains.

Queenstown Attractions: Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and Skippers Canyon

2009-12-06T16:26:00.000-08:00

Queenstown Heritage Tours received this written feedback which we are more than happy to share with you:

"We have nothing but praise and admiration for the way our driver/guide explained to us in detail the historic events of the area and gave us plenty of opportunity to use the camera .We were also impressed by his skill of drivng the 4WD van. Skippers Canyon was not unknown to us as we also visited the canyon in 1963 and have stayed in Queenstown and the southern part of the country several times. Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Glenorchy, Paradise, Lake Manapouri and so many other beautiful sceneries are very impressive,but the excursion with Wolfgang beats all the others, not only through its ruggedness, but specially the combination of goldwinning, the Shotover river, the sheepfarming, the way the road was constructed etcetera made this to an unforgettable page in our extensive tavel history, which took us to the best scenic sites in the world." Mr. V. from the Netherlands, December 2009

What a remarkable feedback! Thank you!

This is Skippers Canyon; or: "on which planet are we?"

2009-12-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

May we present Skippers Canyon. It has been here in the backcountry of Queenstown for a very long time and it was once THE place to visit, back then, as Queenstown only had a few hundred visitors a year. Skippers Canyon hosted a part of New Zealand's Goldrush. You will find some more details about this in my other entries of this blog.

Today, Skippers Canyon amazes many visitors who travel with their own car or join one of our tours. They are usually very impressed by the unique views, the clearly visible tracks of the goldminers and by the fact, that Skippers Canyon is still a remote place without crowds.

A couple of days ago, one customer asked us after about 1 hour into the tour, on which planet he was. Naturally, this question was a translation of the feelings our guest experienced at the time.

We simply call Skippers Canyon 'our most stunning working place' which we are more than happy to share with you!

I'm glad, I made the tour into Skippers Canyon, Queenstown

2009-11-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

This expression is by far the one we hear the most: I'm so glad, I came to Skippers. We hear it from people of all walks of life: the mature travelers, the younger travelers, women and men and of all nationalities.

Some of our visitors are though a bit scared of the narrow road and the adventure it brings with it. Traffic is a true adventure. Don't get me wrong, it is not as you would drive on a Highway, but crossing another vehicle can add adrenaline to your system if you are an inexperienced driver.

Funny enough, even those visitors who are a bit scared, answer after the tour to our question, whether they liked the tour 'No, I loved it... I loved it to be scared a bit. Thanks for getting me in and out of the canyon in a safe way'.

It's our pleasure!

One very interesting comment that I would like to share with you is the following: we had a father of 2 joining us with his wife. After the tour, the father said to his Driver/Guide that his mother joint us some months ago. As she returned home and showed off with the pictures of the canyon, she told him, that if he would not go into Skippers, she would never ever talk to him again!

What a harsh comment you might say. It was of course meant as encouragement. He did take up her advise and mentioned that the tour and everything he and his family experienced was truly remarkable and well worth the time and money.

Request for one of our Drivers: a personal touch

2009-11-24T13:35:00.000-08:00

The other day, I received a call from a couple visiting us from the US. They said that they would like to come with us into Skippers and that our tour was highly recommended by some of their friends.

Those friends visited us about 3 years ago. They were very impressed by the scenery and by our Driver/Guide. So the couple asked for the same Driver/Guide as they wanted to experience exactly the same as their friends had.

I have to say, my team is very loyal to the company and I am very fortunate to have a stable team supporting me and providing our customers with wonderful experiences every day.

As is was, I could confirm the tour for the couple and I could organize the same Driver/Guide for them. He is one of our more experienced team members. He sometimes shares his teenager memories and starts his story with something like this: 'I still remember when the MacNicol family used to farm in Skippers...' - we are indeed a very young country.

It is just extra-ordinary for us to share our knowledge and our passion with our visitors.

By the way: the couple enjoyed the tour very much; as much as their friends had and they promised to recommend us further.

THANK YOU!

Tourism in Skippers Then and Today or how Tourism Evolved

2009-11-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

The following is a copy of the description of Skippers Road History, published by the New Zealand Places Trust.

The discovery of gold in Central Otago, at Gabriel's Gully on 23 May 1861, was the catalyst for New Zealand's first gold rush. Alert to the potential of the region, prospectors arrived by the thousands from within New Zealand and further afield, while many existing settlers turned their hand to prospecting.

By mid-1863, the population in the Shotover was officially estimated at 4116 , and the pressure for formed access was overwhelming. A public meeting was called in May 1863 to push for the construction of a road. The Lake Wakatip Mail's Shotover correspondent reported the following week that the provincial government had erected guide posts to mark the various trails to the gorge for the coming winter. Life for the packers who worked the trails was dangerous, and the maximum working life for a packer's horse on the trail was 3 months. The building of Skippers Road began.

Despite the fact the population declined over the following decade, pressure for a better road increased. One factor influencing this was gold extraction. Methods had changed from modest, low-level operations to large-scale enterprises dominated by big machinery. The pressure for a road was prompted in part by this response to advances in technology, but it was also prompted by the size of the machinery required to undertake this kind of work, e.g. pipes for sluicing or parts for stamper batteries, which were difficult, or in some cases impossible, to move on the pack track. In addition to this, the permanent population was increasingly envisaging a life without a road and did not like the prospect. Dissatisfaction grew, until action was taken in 1882 to move things along.

The road was not finished but it was already a boon. The Lake Wakatip Mail wrote that the 'wonderfully good road which now saves the necessity for a trip over the Zigzag, renders the journey to Skippers one of comparative ease to anyone who can ride - in fact we hear of two or three conveyances being built so that persons will be able to drive up to the reefs shortly.'

In its partially completed state, the road had already been used. The miners, farmers, residents and suppliers had to make do with the pack track where the road was not formed. The completion of the road simply allowed vehicles to travel, all things being equal, without stopping or having to break down goods. The journey still took a long time (perhaps an average of five or six hours), even in a horse and cart, but it quickly became the lifeblood of the Skippers community.

The nature of the road and its traditional users had a big influence on its management by the council. It was not until 1896 that bicycles were allowed on the road. Just 10 years later, motor vehicles were banned, but it should be noted that this by-law also included other local roads, including the Frankton, Dan O'Connell, Arrowtown to Macetown, and Arrowtown to the Crown Terrace roads. The ban was prompted by concerns that vehicles would frighten horses. It was partially lifted in 1918, when vehicles were allowed between 7pm and 8am. In the interim, the first, illegal car journey on the road took place in 1912. All restrictions were removed in 1926, although it remained a courtesy to phone ahead if you were traveling by motor vehicle. This long period of restriction indicated as much as anything the primacy of the pedestrian and the horse (and cart) over other forms of transport for the first few decades of the road's history.

The completion of the road also allowed the curious and adventurous to enjoy the scenery and experience the thrills of the road. Tourism became an opportunity to for some to make money out of the road and is today the most significant user of the road.

Of significance to the road was the type of classification it attracted. In 1928, five years after the Main Highways Board (MHB) was established, it was classed as a 'main highway' in the New Zealand Gazette. In 1930 it was classified a 3rd class highway, which meant that fewer than 100 vehicles per day traveled on the road and that motor lorries had to be under six tons to use it. In 1934 Skippers (along with the road to Branches Station) was reclassified as 'Class 5', which meant that only vehicles under three tons or multi-axeled vehicles of four and a half tons or less could use the road.

Tourism has been a long-standing feature of the road's history, from even before the completion of the Skippers Canyon Bridge in 1901. It is a remarkable measure of the fame the road had acquired even before its completion. Early tourist operators offered day return trips from Queenstown, leaving at 8am and returning at 6pm. This commonly took the form of a ride in a coach drawn by four or five horses. It would take on average five hours to get to Mt Aurum Station, where the horses would be changed for the return journey. There were sometimes up to eight coaches a day on the road. The horse-drawn excursions lasted for some years. Knudson quotes the Official Southland Guide describing Skippers as a tourist attraction in 1925:

SKIPPERS. Lake County. Is a wild and romantic mining district, about twenty miles from Queenstown, from which place the trip to Skippers is considered the premier excursion for tourists, daily trips being made, leaving at 8am and returning at 6pm, the mode of conveyance being by coach, each comfortably accommodating ten passengers, all box seats, thus ensuring an interrupted view. (Motors are prohibited on this road between 8am and 6pn under bylaw of the Lake County Council.) The return fare, including morning tea and luncheon, is 19 shillings. Post Office and Telephone. Population, 21.

Just who these tourist operators were is not known. It is known that Julian Bourdeau also took tourists, along with goods, up to Skippers in a wagon pulled by two horses.

This state of affairs continued until 1926, when restrictions on daytime use of motor vehicles ended. Gradually, horses were replaced by vehicles. The source of the early tourists is not known, although this was at a time when the number of tourists visiting New Zealand was only about 5000 annually, so they were more likely to be holidaying New Zealanders.

As it is today, the road was one of the attractions in an area famed for its beauty and dramatic scenery. However, the exact extent of tourist use of the road is difficult to quantify. Information gathered in September 1937 estimated that 6.4 cars per day used the road, with numbers rising to 15 per day in the holidays, which suggests that visitors were making the road a destination. The Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Co. was running services between Queenstown and Skippers, although this was also a passenger service.

The tourists continued to come. In 1970 the first foray into adventure tourism signalled the beginning of a new phase in the river's history. The Shotover Jet began operation that year, although initially there was no direct impact on the road as a result. However, the range of activities on offer to tourists to the Queenstown region grew quickly and in the 1980s whitewater rafting and bungy jumping brought far more people on to the road.

Skippers Canyon is the site of two bungy jumping operations. One, A.J. Hackett Bungy, off the Skippers Bridge, opened in 1989, is now confined to special events and corporate conferences. The even higher rebuilt Skippers pipeline (over 100 metres above the river) operates during summer.

More impetus to Skippers tourism came with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, shot in New Zealand and released from 2001-2003. Some of the scenes were shot in the Skippers Canyon area and the consequent interest saw purpose-designed tours established by companies quick to take advantage of the opportunity.

Historic Place - Skippers Road

2009-11-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust has Skippers Road registered since 15 December 2006. The Trust protects the heritage of the road. They describe this remarkable piece of engineering as follows:

Skippers Road is one of the most outstanding of New Zealand's surviving nineteenth century roads.

Built in four stages from 1883 to 1890, and only a single lane wide, its construction had to overcome major physical obstacles before it could be completed. The most spectacular of these (Pinchers Bluff) required the removal of large amounts of rock to create a road platform. The road and the country it travels through are both spectacular and scenic. The road is most significant too as, in all likelihood, the only nineteenth century road that has remained in continuous use without major upgrading.

The road was built to improve access to the upper Shotover River for miners, particularly for those seeking to install large machinery. It also provided a better means of access for those living in the canyon than the existing packtrack (1863). Mining's heyday was over by the time the road was completed but it continued to be used by farmers and tourists and those mining operations that lingered on in the twentieth century.

Although much of the road remains as it did in the nineteenth century, the topography, harsh climate, widening, and regular maintenance have led to the loss of some significant features, including some of its stone walls, famous features intended to prevent vehicles from toppling off the road. Today tourism is the road's biggest user, with many people coming to see the road or use it as a means of access to bungy jumping operations or white water rafting. Skippers Road is an iconic New Zealand road of outstanding heritage significance.

The Trust has the majority of Skippers Road protected under its register:
The registration of Skippers Road starts at Skippers Saddle, a short distance from the intersection of Skippers Road and Coronet Peak Road. The road winds down Long Gully as far as the flat, former site of the Long Gully hotels and from there down to the Bells Bridge - the lowest point in the section to the Shotover River. From there the road sidles up Bell Hill and then continues along for several kilometers as far as the landmarks of Pinchers Bluff and the Devils Elbow. From there the road descends to river level and crosses Deep Creek. It then rises and continues along several kilometers to the flat area at Maori Point and from there through the Maori Point Saddle to Blue Slip. Just beyond there is the intersection with the Branches Road, a side road to the Branches Station. The road to Skippers continues on a short distance, past the Bridal Veil Falls, and on to the Skippers Suspension Bridge. Beyond the bridge the road climbs the ridge to the terrace above. A short distance to the west is Mt Aurum Station homestead and to the immediate east is Skippers, including the cemetery, the nominal end of the registration.

After crossing Skippers Suspension Bridge, you will reach the area of the Department of Conservation. Please read my other post about Conservation in Skippers.

The Truth about Sandflies

2009-11-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

I will tell you something 'not so nice' about New Zealand but something you definitely have to know.
Imagine this scene: you travel with your family around New Zealand. You find a beautiful spot to make a break. You stop next to a river, the sun is shining and there is no wind at all. PERFECT - you think. 'Here we are going to have a little picnic'.

But then: you place yourself comfortably and start to get relaxed and all the sudden, you are under attack! There are tiny little creatures, flying around, black in color and they are here to suck your blood. Sandflies...

Their name is not a good choice, if you ask me; they should be called 'Tyrant-Flies' or something like it. I don't like them at all...
They usually go for your feet or your arms and fingers. They love the spots just at the end of your pants or right there where your ring stops to protect your skin from exposure. They adore to leave their little red spots behind which start to itch after a while. What ever you do: DON'T - under NO circumstances - start to SCRATCH. You will not be able to stop!
The worst part is that the actual sting of the nasty biests really hurts while the feed off you. It feels like someone would use a little needle to pierce your skin - just awful!

But: there is help. You can use a New Zealand insect repellent to hold them off. I observed that local repellents are more efficient for the Sandflies compared to the ones you bring from home. You can buy insect repellents in every Pharmacy. And hey, they work :-)

On occations, those little Sandflies are in Skippers, too. They usually come out and 'torture' us when the air is still moist from rain and as said, if there is no wind. They are carried away with the wind and therefore are not able to land on you. But as soon as the wind is gone, you will not be able to protect yourself without the repellent. On our Skippers Canyon Tours, we usually cary those repellents with us.

History though tells us that the little Sandflies have been living in New Zealand since ... forever. We can find remarks about them in Captain Cook's adventure books, as he re-discovered New Zealand in 1769. Abel Tasman discovered our beautiful country in 1642 for the first time.

At the end of the day, I believe you will still very much enjoy your stay in Skippers and New Zealand, despite of the Sandflies. They are at least not poisonous. The itching of the stings will disappear after a few days, but your memory of the experience will last.

Enjoy!

Our Commitment for Branches School Camp

2009-11-14T14:14:00.000-08:00

Every year, Wakatipu Highschool takes all students of year 11 to the Branches in Skippers Canyon. They stay there for 2 weeks, camping and learning about the area. Amongst other things, the students do kayak, go for hikes, learn how to cross a river and most of all, they learn how to work together in a team.

This camp costs about NZD250.-- per student. Some of the parents can not afford to pay this fee.

We are committed to collect money for the Branches Camp. Our goal is to collect enough money for at least 1 student. We run this fundraiser in November 2009 as the camp takes place in December, just before the big summer holidays and the end of the school year.

The fundraiser works like this, that we donate $2.-- for every merchandise sold on our tours. We sell caps and glasses. Interestingly enough, many of our customers donate a gold-coin just like this - and some buy the merchandise and add an extra coin to the pot.

We thank everyone who supported us raising funds for the Branches School Camp in Skippers.

Morning Tea in Skippers

2009-11-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

During our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour, we treat our customers not only to a unique and wonderful scenery, but also to a morning tea.

Fancy this: you sit all alone (together with your partner, of course) in Skippers Canyon. No one else is there. You have Skippers Point all for yourself. You sit on those little chairs and enjoy the scenery. You are served with some home-made cheese on crackers and sweet biscuits. If you feel like it, have a glass of Queenstown local wine or sip your tea or coffee.

The tranquility of the canyon is most enjoyable during an afternoon tour. Seats on our morning tours are usually more taken. This does however not spoil the natural beauty of the canyon and the groups who are traveling together enjoy this spot in Queenstown's backcountry very much.

As you can see, we serve our coffee and tea out of a porcelain mug. Some of our customers ask us if they could buy the mug as it makes the perfect souvenir. We are currently working on a solution for this.

Our sweet biscuits are severed on a tray which is covered by a doiley. It is quite interesting how many of our customers observe this fact and comment on it. They like it.

In general, everyone enjoys the morning or afternoon tea very much. The picnic is served next to Skippers Schoolhouse which is now restored as a little museum. The schoolhouse is managed by the Department of Conservation. Our guest are usually intrigued by the pictures and explanations featured in the old house.

Our picnic break has another big advantage - at least for us. We ask our customers to come and see their Driver/Guide and pay for the tour. We always do it this way and in fact everyone likes to pay then, as the alternative would be to walk back to Queenstown - this is of course only a joke... But payment is done after the picnic. Some of our customers comment that they find this solution quite nice as half of the tour has already been performed with payment.

The big question is always: 'how do you make the cheese?' This is a secret... I reveal this much though: take some Edam or Tasty Cheese, put some Cream Cheese into the grated hard cheese and mix it. That's it.

If you want to taste my version of the cheese - please feel free to join our tours. We are looking forward to sharing it with you.

The Best Time to Travel

2009-11-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

It is quite astonishing how many visitors come to Queenstown during our Summer months - December through to February. Please don't misunderstand, Queenstown is beautiful in Summer: nice and warm, not too hot, but still very spectacular. But what about the other seasons, Spring and Autumn? If you ask me, those 2 seasons are even more awesome.

Winter is incredible, too. The mountains covered in all this beautiful snow and swarms of people come here to celebrate the Queenstown Winter Festival. I still believe Spring and Autumn are special - most of our customers who can compare the seasons as they traveled at least twice to Queenstown (and in particular visited Skippers Canyon several times) confirm my believe.

In Spring, everything seems to wake up again, which is so nice to experience. See my other Blog entry.
In Autumn, the colors in the canyon are beyond description - just out of this world.

Visitors, who joined our tour into Skippers Canyon often say that Autumn is simply breathtaking. The colors as shown in the pictures above are real. The orange comes from the Larch Trees (which should not be there, as it is not a native tree). Then add the blue color of the Shotover River and a little bit of sunshine - and there you have it: the most unique outdoor cafe.

In Spring and Autumn, we usually have smaller groups of visitors travelling with us. Which means that we have a bit more time to enjoy this very scenic and historical attraction in the back country of Queenstown.

Just Spectacular

2009-10-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

We are often asked 'how do you describe the tour that you offer?' We usually inform the enquirer about our features of the tour, like a very comfortable 4WD minibus, the forward-facing seats and that our visitors can walk short distance on the mountain road. Of course, we talk about our morning tea with the home-made cheese on crackers and the refreshments. But what it really comes down to is the grandeur of the canyon itself - and this is very hard to describe... It is sometimes easier to simply use a picture.

I wish I could use my feelings to describe the images we see in Skippers: I just love the mountains surrounding Queenstown and the Canyon in Spring. They are still lightly covered in snow and form seemingly a connection to the snow-white clouds that hang over them. The sun shines onto the mountains and highlights all the little gorges that mark them.

After a few days of dryness, the Shotover River amazes us by his turquoise color which literally lightens up the river bed in which it has been flowing for so many years now. One can only imagine how it must have been for the goldminers to stand in this icy water, searching for their luck...

Spring in Skippers feels as if the canyon just waited for us to awake again and to marvel at it. All bushes and trees slowly come back to life and add their green touch to the stone-grey underlying color of the canyon. Skippers Canyon in Spring is just spectacular and paying a visit to it is most certainly one of the things to do in Queenstown.

Traffic on this Mountain Road

2009-10-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

During this year's Labour Weekend, we had a club of jet boat lovers and kayakers in the Canyon. It was very well organized as they had information placed right at the beginning of the canyon, informing us that they were in there. We meet each other several times, but it was no problem at all. We let each other pass and go their own way - Skippers is there for everyone to enjoy.

Skippers Road is a one-way road. Passing maneuvers have to be executed exactly. The road code tells us that we have 'to give way to uphill traffic'. This basically means that everyone who is travelling uphill has the right to go first. Worst case scenario, this means that a vehicle driver has to reverse for several meters in order to reach a passing bay.

My team is in the canyon nearly every day - some of us have been travelling into the canyon for several years now. We know this road in and out and passing maneuvers add only to the moderate thrill during our tours.

A couple of days ago, we happened to pass a vehicle at a spot, where they had to give way for us. Our customers loved this as they felt everyone would go out of their way to please them. They loved it. It was at this spot and our visitors enjoyed the scenery while waiting for the van to free the road.

Shotover River in its natural color

I found an article of a young one, living in Queenstown in February 1902. He sent an article to the editor, Dot. The description is one of a child and very cute. Read what he had to say about the traffic on this unique mountain road:

Dear Dot, — I promised in my last letter to tell you about the road from Queenstown to Skippers. Well, suppose we are driving, from the time you leave Queenstown there is not much to see but hills till you get on the Skippers road, only there is a place on a hill where you can see Gladstone Head and two others the names of which I don't know. You can see them quite plain. When you get out to the junction of the roads you start and go up a hill which is over three miles long, and steep at that. You get a lovely view going up. When you reach the top, which is called the saddle, you have a hill to go down about the same distance as that you came up, only you can spin down. There are rocks high above and rocks straight down below you, and in some places there is just room for the trap, so if you see another trap coming ahead you have to get to a good place to pass, and wait there till it comes. Sometimes if they meet a waggon or dray they have to take the horses out and pull their waggon back to a place wide enough to pass. When you get near the bottom of the hill there is a hotel, the first house met with since you got on to the road. It looks a very wild place about here. There are mountains all round, and you can see the Shotover River from just below the hotel. There are a lot of sluicing claims around this part of the river, but you can't see any of them from the road. The road is pretty well all up and down hill the whole time. At Deep Creek a dredge is being built, and there are a lot of tents around there. There are a few women in the tents, too. At Maori Point there was a hotel, but it was burnt down some time ago. After you pass that there is a fair-sized hill to go up and another long one to go down, then you are at the largest bridge and the highest above the river of any in Otago. You are then at Skippers Point, but there are very few houses — only one hotel and one store, so it is not a very large city. There are a lot of claims around, and up further there are gold mines. Now, I think I have told you about all I know of the place. The road from Queenstown up is about 20 miles, so it is a good day's journey there and back.— Yours truly, Non

[It is indeed a wild country, Non, and I fancy your heart must have been in your mouth many a time while you were winding your way up that circuitous pass or spinning down the other side.— DOT.]

Here is the original

Skippers and Conservation

2009-10-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Skippers Canyon basically begins at Skippers Saddle, the highest point in the canyon. The narrow and winding road leads all visitors to Skippers or Skippers Point as it was used to be called at the turn of the last century.

Skippers is managed by the Department of Conservation. The team restores the historic buildings and manages access to the site. In order to have access to Skippers, every commercial operator has to hold a valid concession. Those access rights are granted to a limited number of operators.

The Department of Conservation requires reports of every customer which we take into Skippers. We - Queenstown Heritage Tours - regularly report every guest we hosted. On the basis of those reports, we pay a levy to the Department of Conservation. Those funds support the Department by funding their work at the site.

Skippers is part of the Department's Mr. Aurum Recreation Reserve. Read here what the Department writes about this area. The road to Skippers is a Public Road and accessible preferably only by 4WD vehicle driven by experienced drivers. Rental cars are generally not allowed in the canyon.

"Stunning" and "Breathtaking" get a New Meaning

2009-10-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a very lovely conversation with 2 of our guests who joined the Unforgettable Skippers Canyon Tour. Yvonne and Noel gave me their permission to write about what they said to me.

The two are currently travelling through New Zealand on a Coach Tour organized by Grand Pacific Tours. The enjoyed their day in Skippers very much. Noel said, that he was very impressed by the stunning scenery and the grandeur of the Canyon.

They spent the day before in Milford Sound. Even though Milford is very spectacular and impressive, it is very well known and visitors to Milford usually know exactly what to expect. This is not a bad thing at all, but Noel confessed that he was missing the "A and O" effect in Milford.

"In Skippers Canyon though, we had this A and O nearly at every corner we turned" explained Noel with amazement. Yvonne mentioned that the words 'stunning' and 'breathtaking' got a new meaning now.

One other point Noel mentioned, was the comfort of the minibus. Especially the implemented loudspeakers enable all passengers to hear our commentary loud and clear. We seat up to 9 passengers in every minibus. "There is something intimate to your minibuses, as we only have a couple of other people around us. We can talk to each other and ask the Driver questions. Through the loudspeakers, everyone can hear the answer. I guess, even as a safety feature, those loudspeakers are very important as no direction given by the Driver can be missed" explained Noel.

As the owner of Queenstown Heritage Tours, I am very pleased about those comments. Yvonne mentioned that there was one part where we could improve. She did not have enough time at Skippers Point to fully indulge in morning tea (all biscuits were gone by the time she left the Museum). As a special thank for joining our tour and allowing me to publish their feedback, we presented Yvonne with some more biscuits before she and Noel left Queenstown together with their group.

Live Sheep Mustering in Skippers

2009-10-16T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today, we were lucky again: once in a while, we can observe how sheep are mustered, right there in Skippers Canyon. Our small customer group was amazed by how the 15 Working Dogs organized this huge flock of sheep - we assume there were about 1'000 sheep all together. 3 shepherds directed the dogs to where some of the sheep tried to escape while they controlled the rest of the flock.

We came across them at Charlestown, the former little village in Skippers Canyon. Usually, we see the sheep only from a distance from where they seem to observe us visitors and wonder what we do in 'their' canyon.

Look who's here...

A little bit of History: Life at Skippers

2009-10-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

Skippers is said to be named after Malcolm “Skipper” Duncan, an Irishman. He had spent many years at sea and is credited with discovering gold at the junction of the Skippers Creek and the Shotover River late in 1862. in the early months of the gold rush there were probably several thousand miners in the upper Shotover area, but with the discovery of gold in other areas, particularly the West Coast, the population declined to a few hundred by the late 1860s. Skippers became a service center for this dispersed mining population.

Skippers was never a mining town in the popular sense. There never was a main street lined with hotels and stores and populated by drunken miners on a spree.The Skippers settlement was dispersed across limited flat ground available on Burke’s and Aspinall’s Terraces. The school, cemetery, Bourdeau’s store and the Mt Aurum Homestead were located on Burke’s Terrace and the Otago Hotel (which was the only hotel), the Skippers Hall and the Library were located on Aspinall’s Terrace.There were a few miners cottages in the immediate Skippers area but most of the population was located close to the various mining claims dispersed along the banks of the Shotover and Skippers Creek.

The earliest miners lived in simple canvas tents along the banks of the Shotover.Many lost their lives in the first winter of the gold rush (1863), when the river rose several meters overnight after heavy rain and the flood waters swept away the miner’s camps. Once the height of the gold rushes had passed ad mining became a more settled activity the miners built more permanent dwellings, sometimes of stone but more often of wood and corrugated iron. These were often simple two room cottages which would be added to as family numbers grew. The grandest house at Skippers was the two story house of John Aspinall, which was located on Aspinall’s Terrace.

Skippers was always an isolated location. Until the 1880s all the supplies were carried in on horse back along pack tracks. One pack track reached Skippers from Queenstown via Ben Lomond, Moonlight Creek and Stony Terrace.The other, more popular, pack track followed the line of the Coronet Peak road and then went down Long Gully on the eastern side.The track is still visible from the Skippers road on the other side of the gully.From Long Gully the track passed along the valley well above the existing road until it came down to Maori Point.Winter weather made travel along the pack tracks very difficult.During the first winter of the gold rush, 1863, many miners suffered severely from scurvy because of a lack of fresh food. The road was constructed during the 1880s and remains in use today.

Because of the isolation the Skippers residents had to provide much of their own food.Many kept goats as a source of milk. Cows could only be kept in flatter areas. Large vegetable gardens were a feature of most cottages. During the winter root vegetables had to be stored in covered pits in the ground, lined with tussock to prevent the vegetables freezing and rotting.By the late 19 century there was also plenty of fruit available from the fruit trees planted by early miners. Strawberries and raspberries can still be found around the Otago Hotel site.

Mutton was a major part of the diet. It was often salted to preserve it during the heat of summer, and in the winter it would be hung under a tree where it would freeze naturally. Rabbits were eaten and also supplied the children who trapped them with pocket money from the sale of their skins.

Clothes, if they weren’t home made, were bought from catalogs from stores in Dunedin.Footwear might be bought in Queenstown. But a trip to Queenstown took two days so often shoes were ordered by the size only and the lucky recipient often ended up with shoes that weren’t a good fit. Traveling hawkers would visit Skippers to sell various small clothing items such as handkerchiefs and underwear as well as cheap jewellery, perfume and trinkets.These men were known as Syrians but they probably came originally from Lebanon.One other itinerant visitor was the organ grinder and his monkey.

Despite being the center for a surrounding population of several hundred there was never a church at Skippers. The hall was used for services by visiting Anglican and Presbyterian clergy as well as the salvation Army. The services for the Roman Catholic community were held in private homes. Visiting ministers would arrive by horse and buggy and stay in a local’s house overnight.

In this isolated community social events were very important. The big annual event was the New Years Day picnic held in the grounds of the school. People from the whole area would attend.There were sports events during the day and then in the evening a dance was held in the hall.Important local events, such as the opening of a new gold mine, became occasions for celebration. The opening of the current bridge across the Shotover River in 1901 was a major social event. In common with the rest of New Zealand the Skippers residents were patriotic members of the British Empire, and British victories in the Boer War were celebrated with a concert in the hall.

There was a friendly rivalry with the neighboring mining community at Bullendale.The Skippers / Bullendale cricket match was a popular event. The game was played on Londonderry Terrace and was followed by dinner at the Otago Hotel.The hotel was the focal point of community life.When the coronation of King George V in 1910 was celebrated, the street in front of the hotel was the scene of foot races and wrestling matches.These were followed by a dinner in the hotel and fireworks.

As time passed the hotel also became the scene for farewell dinners for miners leaving the district.In 1919 the hotel closed as the remaining population was not large enough to support it. The few remaining miners slowly left during the 1920s and 1930s, until by the 1940s the only permanent occupants of Skippers were the owners of the Mt Aurum Station.

One group of miners lived on the fringes of the Skippers community. They were the Chinese miners who had come to New Zealand from villages in the area around Canton. Many had left wives and families to make money on the gold fields with the aim of buying land back in China. They often lived in isolated locations in small huts built of stone next to their claims. They lived very simply, growing their own vegetables and buying their rice and other supplies from the Chinese store run by Wong Gong between Skippers and Maori Point. Now the only reminder at Skippers of the presence of the Chinese is the solitary grave of Hoy Yow in the Skippers Cemetery.

This information was brought to us by a customer who joined our Unforgettable Skippers Canyon Tour. Some information can as well be found in the Skippers Schoolhouse.

It is not only our Love Affair

2009-10-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

It was last March 2009. It was a beautiful Thursday, the 12th day of the Month, where a group of our other very valuable customer Scenic Tours joined us to visit breathtaking Skippers Canyon. It was a small group enjoying the area of this exclusive, heritage-steep canyon all by their own. We had a great time, letting the history sink in while sipping a glass of Queenstown local wine and nibbling away some home-made cheese served on crackers.

It was a nearly perfect day for the customers. But not entirely perfect enough... 2 passengers wanted to join our Unforgettable Skippers Canyon Tour again on the next day. They claimed they enjoyed it so much that they would like to experience this once-in-a-lifetime moment again - right then. We took them into the canyon on the very next day and offered them a 'frequent visitor' discount - that was of course out of question.

Some weeks before, we hosted an elderly Lady with her husband. She came back and mentioned to her Tour Guide (who organized Skippers Canyon Tour for her) that she was deeply impressed by what she had just experienced that she wanted to make a note in her Travel Diary. She sat in front of her booklet for a moment but could not find the proper words to describe what she experienced.
Even though, it is a bit difficult to understand another person's feelings, but I strongly believe that we can not receive any better recommendation that this of our customers. THANK YOU!

Our entire team could hardly believe that visitors to our stunning area would love it so much that they literally can't get enough. Our drivers regularly tell us that performing tours for us together with the customers is not only 'work' for them, but also a genuine pleasure.

Sometimes I can only imagine how it was for my team to enjoy Skippers with our customer. Like in Spring, when snow is still lying around and the group has their snow ball fight - in the middle of nowhere .I see a sparkle in my team's eyes and I can only imagine how our customers must have enjoyed the experience and how unique and special this half day must have been for them. I take great pleasure from seeing this reaction and I am very thrilled by the fact that my team does in fact indulge in sharing our beautiful and breathtaking, history-related Skippers Canyon with everyone who joins us.

I can truly and honestly say that according to our experience, Skippers Canyon is not only OUR Love Affair.

From Brisbane to Skippers

2009-10-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

One of our closest business relationship is with Grand Pacific Tours. Many of their customers join our Unforgettable Skippers Canyon Tour. They almost always comment on our tours as follows:

"It's a great trip - everyone should do it"
"what a fantastic scenery"
"the pictures you publish on your website don't do this remarkable area justice - particularly in Autumn, the canyon is just stunning"

Maori Point in Autumn

One of the best comments though reached us just a couple of days ago. A group of Grand Pacific was on their way home to Australia. they met an other group of Grand Pacific Travelers and so the started to talk to each other; what is there to expect, what should be done and what so on. The returning group told the others that they should not miss Skippers Canyon. That's why they come to visit Skippers.

Overview over Skippers Bridge

We try hard to publish the best descriptions and the most beautiful pictures available of the canyon. Nevertheless, we believe that such comments told from one customer to the other are the best publicity we can get. We would like to thank all of you who are out there talking positively about our tour into Skippers Canyon!

Having said that, have a look at the following short trailer, sponsored by Grand Pacific and featured in Australia a couple of months ago. This movie will give you an impression about what to expect while travelling with Grand Pacific and joining our Unforgettable Skippers Canyon Tour:
PostcardsAustralia

Some other comments that reach us are about the excellent Brochure Grand Pacific is publishing every year about their Optional Tours. Some customers use this brochure to plan ahead and make their decision at home to join one or the other tour. Have a look at the latest copy (September 2009).

The pictures in this article were taken by our customers and kindly sent to us. We are happy to share them with us.

Shotover River in Skippers Canyon

A little bit of History: Gold at Skippers

2009-10-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

By courtesy of Mr. Peter Hutchison who joined our Skippers Canyon tour at the beginning of this year, I would like to publish this historic background about gold at Skippers. Mr. Hutchison covers with his description a part of the commentary we provide on our tours.

The gold at Skippers has its origins in quartz veins or reefs in the schist bedrock of the area. Over millions of years the bedrock was eroded and the gold in the quartz was released into the streams and rivers as alluvial (water borne) gold. The thousands of miners who flocked to the Shotover valley in late 1862 and early 1863 were drawn by this alluvial gold, which was rumoured to be present in almost fabulous amounts. In the early weeks of the rush some lucky miners did make their fortunes. The discoverers of Maori Point, Raniera Erihana and Hakaraia, two Taranaki Maori, panned 300 ounces of gold in an afternoon. (in 2001 this was worth about NZ$200,000.)
At first the miners worked the river beaches using shovels, gold pans, cradles and sluice boxes. A cradle was a wooden box on rockers. Gold bearing gravel was shoveled onto a perforated iron plate at the top and water was poured as the cradle was rocked back and forth. Fine gravel and gold fell through the holes and then passed over a sloping board that had been covered with cloth and horizontal wooden bars. The cloth and bars trapped the heavier gold while the lighter sand was washed away. A sluice box worked in a similar way but was laid into a channel cut into the ground, with a constant flow of water passing through it. Gold bearing gravel could then be shoveled into it or washed into it by water cannons or sluicing monitors.

The early miners also realized that a fortune in gold lay under the river itself. Huge efforts were made to “turn the river”. This required wing dams to be constructed. These were built out from one side of the river and then down the middle of the riverbed, confining the river to half its bed and allowing the other half to be mined. But the sudden floods in the river often destroyed the dams and the riverbed filled up with more and more gravel as the river terraces began to be sluiced. The most spectacular attempt to mine the riverbed occurred in the 1930s when the river was channeled into a metal fluming at Maori Point. This last attempt was a financial failure, with only 1,000 ounces of gold being recovered in 5 years.

The riverbed was also worked by dredging. A dredge was basically a chain of buckets powered by steam or electricity and mounted on a floating pontoon. The bucket chain was lowered into the river bottom and the buckets raised the gravel onto the dredge, where it was passed through a screen and gold saving tables. The first electricity powered dredge in the world, the Sandhills dredge, operated on the Shotover upstream of Skippers during the 1890s. It was not a financial success either. The final attempt at dredging the Shotover near Skippers was made during the 1920s when an Australian company built a suction dredge at Maori Point. This was also a financial failure and the rusting remains of the dredge are still visible on the river bank near Maori Point.

The alluvial gold was not confined to the existing riverbed and adjacent beaches. Over thousands of years gold had also been laid down in the ancient beds of the Shotover and its tributaries. These former river beds are now visible as the high flat terraces above the existing riverbed. The miners first worked these terraces by tunneling into them, looking for the elusive leads of gold that ran through the gravels. When iron pipes became available and water races had been dug to bring water to the site, the terraces were worked by hydraulic sluicing. Water cannon or sluicing monitors played high pressure jets of water against the high gravel faces of the terraces, breaking them down and washing the gravel through sluice boxes. It is hydraulic sluicing which is responsible for the massive areas of washed out terraces which are visible from the Skippers road.

Water cannons still visible in Skippers Canyon

Frommer's Guide and Comments on TripAdvisor about Queenstown Heritage Tours

2009-10-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a lovely couple joining our Skippers Canyon Tour in the afternoon. They live in San Diego and learned about us through the Frommer's Guide.
Frommer's describes our tour as one of the best. I would like though to make a few comments on the description. We offer limited seats only for our Canyon & Wine Tour. For our unforgettable Skippers Canyon tour as well as for the Skippers Canyon Photography Tour there are no limits to 4 or 6 seats as described.
In regards to pricing, please have a look at above links.
In addition, we do not pass AJ Hackett Bungy Centre but we pass the old Pipeline Bridge which used to operate as a Bungy Bridge. This operation stopped several years ago.
Otherwise, the description of the picnic is spot on. We offer home-made cheese with some refreshments right in the Canyon next to the old Schoolhouse in Skippers.
The customers who joined us yesterday, were on our Skippers Canyon Vista Tour. During this tour, we do not offer a picnic but spend more time in the canyon to enable our customers to take those lovely pictures.

On TripAdvisor, you can find nice comments about our Skippers Canyon Tour.We regularly receive verbal comments like this. I will do my best to publish more feedback by encouraging more customers to actually write their comments to us.

This means: watch this space!

Another Day in Paradise

2009-10-07T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today is another mildly warm day in Queenstown. Spring is here and in some parts in Skippers Canyon, Spring is on its way. The mountains are still covered in snow. Mount Aurum looks just stunning with the sun glistening on its snow-covered top.

Spring in Skippers Canyon

This pictures was taken 2 days ago. Queenstown was fully covered in clouds but the weather was picture-perfect in Skippers Canyon.