Olivia Rogers, Tourism HQ's Head of Festivals. Photo / Supplied
Olivia Rogers, Tourism HQ's Head of Festivals. Photo / Supplied
Elisabeth Easther talks to Tourism HQ's Head of Festivals.
We joked that Ponsonby had taken on the Abel Tasman because we had ponzu sauce for the fish we caught, we took bottles of wine, meat platters and cheeses ...
Growing up in Tauranga, I spent a lot of time at the beach and outdoors. I remember going to Nippers and being the smallest on the team, so I usually carried the flag but after being bailed one day by a huge wave, I wasn't so keen on Nippers after that.
I think Tauranga's great for growing up in, but I was always curious to know what else was out there. When I left school I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I worked in hospitality and did a short travel tourism business course. Then, at my nana's funeral I met a cousin who lived in Melbourne and she invited me to come and stay. Three weeks later — it was quite a rash decision — I went over. I remember saying goodbye to Mum at the airport and my heart was nearly jumping out of my chest it was racing so fast.
Phillip Island, two hours' south of Melbourne, bustles with tourists and surfers in the summer but in winter it's a no man's land. I got a job at a resort there and then, at 21, was lucky to be offered a role in events at The Crown Casino in Melbourne. And it's huge.
It takes up about four blocks, there are several hotels, retail, restaurants, it's like a small town. And it was there I realised how different Australia is to New Zealand, it's just so big, but I loved all the art and buskers, the eateries.
Last year I went to the Abel Tasman. We did two days' kayaking and one day walking, and it was probably the best walk I've done in New Zealand. We did it in autumn, which meant we had to rug up at night but, during the day it was beautiful and crisp and not too crowded. We joked that Ponsonby had taken on the Abel Tasman because we had ponzu sauce for the fish we caught, we took bottles of wine, meat platters and cheeses — no dried food for us.
Last January I was in Rarotonga and I crashed a scooter. I was having one of those invincible moments, wearing nothing but a bikini and a helmet. Luckily I had on a backpack that took the brunt of my fall but, when I got back to New Zealand it turned out I'd fractured my tail bone in two places and I'd broken all the toes in my left foot. I also had grazes from the back of my knees to the middle of my back, on my feet, my palms, my elbows, everywhere but my face. But I still count my lucky stars I wasn't more severely injured.
Today I work for Tourism HQ. We do events, music festivals and sporting tours to the islands. One event is called Spring Break and it's aimed at 20-28 year olds. We fly 200 people to places like Vanuatu, Rarotonga, Fiji, Samoa and we put on an incredible line-up of artists. The guests stay at a resort and party for five days and there are lots of activities.
We do lots of work in the lead-up to educate people to be respectful. For some of them, it's their first trip without their parents so there's a lot of excitement. We're selling a dream, an experience they'll remember forever, so behaviour is really important.
Sometimes people get too excited but we pull them into line pretty quickly.
Before they leave we send an email called Don't Be A Party Chump; essentially don't be a dick. Then, during the event, if someone's misbehaving, we'll talk to their mates first, and suggest they get their friend to drink water, or eat some food. That usually works quite well but, if it doesn't, we approach the person in a friendly way and explain they have two choices — to act up and be put in time out or calm down and get up tomorrow and have some more fun. We have security, but it very rarely gets to that stage. We've been running these events for seven years and we've only ever had to remove two people.
In October, we're doing a reality TV show with 12 contestants vying for the title of Spring Break Guru. We start filming in October, taking competitors to each location where they'll do challenges and the prize is the ultimate job working for us next year. There's no age limit, no criteria, we're just looking for people who are passionate about working in events.
