Chester Borrows PHOTO/FILE
QUITE apart from the weather (enough said!), the topic of conversation over the summer break often turns to friends and family and the enjoyable things we can do with just a little summer weather and some longer days.
After all, prior to Christmas we all make noises about spending time with those we love over the summer.
I wonder if we ever stop to think about what this region can offer our visitors within, say, an hour's drive and how much local residents know about what is available.
Let's also think outside the scope of our New Zealand family and friends, because we are currently attracting 3million overseas visitors annually. Good information, accurate directions and a friendly smile from the locals are essential here. If only a small proportion of that huge number come to visit us, the region would benefit greatly from every litre of fuel, each sausage roll or every night's accommodation purchased by someone who doesn't actually live here.
Not every overseas visitor is here for the glitz and glamour of city life or skiing. I am taking nothing away from fun parks, mud pools or snow, but a good proportion of the 3 million or so visitors in the last 12 months have been of the "free and independent" variety. They are travelling "under their own steam", often with itinerary unplanned, in a hire car, campervan or vehicle bought on arrival for the purpose of exploring an interesting and unique country.
These people are keen to fossick and linger, chat with the locals and see heartland New Zealand at its best.
So, at the risk of leaving a huge proportion of our big range of attractions to the brochures and websites, here's a "quick three" I would mention to that hypothetical visitor I got yarning to in the street the other day and, in fact, the trio of attractions I covered in a recent two-minute segment I did on radio in Wellington when asked about what my electorate could offer a visitor on a road trip.
Visitors can enjoy the two-hour cruise on the Waimarie, the most authentic way to experience our scenery and heritage. Conveniently departing at 11am six days a week, this jaunt up the river and back can be worked in as the highlight to any day in the River City. Light food and refreshments are available on board and I think most will probably never experience a coal-fired paddle steamer again.
Only an hour away, the world-renowned Tawhiti Museum just out of Hawera gives the visitor a great taste of colonial history and that "go underground" experience.
Coffee and a muffin at Badgers with its The Wind in the Willows theme will make it even more memorable.
It takes only another 25 minutes drive north to arrive at Stratford's Pioneer Village. You won't be able to get the train buffs to leave, and the trust has done an amazing job with the historic buildings and the stories they tell. The Shakey Pear is a wonderful place to have a great meal.
It's not a new idea, but -- before the next tourist season -- our major attractions could open their doors for locals to have the visitor experience to become the best ambassadors the region could provide. The recent change in dynamics of incoming tourists has a big implication for this region -- and I think we need to think as a State Highway 3 region. Every person we can attract to travel our way and linger becomes an important contributor to everyone's economy.