Queenstown's Train of Shame

Posted 16th January to the Mountain Scene Newspaper Queenstown NZ

 It is clear now that the Government is the only hope for the Kingston Flyer as the Private sector is not fit for heritage tourism
Projects. I hope one day the Real Story of the demise of this iconic Steam Train concept will be printed as an example of everything going wrong that can go wrong when private enterprise fails.
At one time the Earnslaw and the Flyer where one package but both when their separate ways so what happened?
When did the Flyer get its curse ?  There is a lesson here to be told... And its not over yet...

The State of New Zealand Tourism - 2015

Posted to the Dominion Post Newspaper 24th May 2015

Targeting Tourism Needs is a funny thing when it comes to Government.
Since the Early Days the Government has been the Bedrock of the Tourism Industry that Private enterprise is able to thrive on.

Museums and National Heritage  have always rated High on the Tourist Itinerary yet I don’t see them getting a boost from the Government
The Manapouri Power Project and Fiordland National Park have nothing in place to preserve and showcase the History behind the attractions that
Bring in so many tourists. Not that Meridian or The National Park Park don’t generate Millions of dollars for the Public Purse.

I like Cycle & Walking Trails but they are only part of a bigger spectrum on the New Zealand experience.

Part of the New Zealand Life style is collecting  of Artifacts and Old Technology to remember the past, that should be celebrated along with our historical achievement's
As well as Buildings and precincts of our Cities.

I think Weta Workshop and Mirimar have shown the way and its way more rewarding ride than Miles of politically expedient Cycleways in Places of no aesthetic Interest.

It is also a shame the Kingston Flyer is failing through the cracks when the TSS Earnslaw sails on when they worked so good togeather in History Passed.

ODT- the Kingston Flyer Curse

Posted Friday 9th Jan 2015 to the Otago Daily Times Dunedin.

I have been Watching the Kingston Flyers Progress since I was in School when it first was mooted to Use Heritage Steam Trains for Tourists by the NZ Railways and I have to say it looks like Kingston is just doomed to fail at every attempt to make this Idea Work
The Best chance it had was when the then Fiordland Travel (aka Real Journeys) had a joint venture trip with the TSS Earnslaw
but they gave up on it. After that it just lost steam with blow after Blow I did suggest to the Late Les Hutchins how owned Real Journeys that they could have used there second Steam Ship the SS Tawera from Te Anau (similar to the old Ben Lomond) as a stand in for the Earnslaw and buy into the Flyer operation to make Kingston a Heritage Steam Town again... But it too risky Financially even for the Adventurist Les who was not physically well at the time.
And as Les would say his Board would see it as a Hare Brained Scheme anyway.

Today there are People with an eye on getting the Flyer one group in Invercargill want to put her back on the Rails to Bluff
As she was in the late 1970s when the Rails to Kingston got ripped out for scrap.

If they do that I would like to see the Mandeville Kingston Flyer People bring back their train to Kingston.
If you think about it, it would be rude not to .

Personally I think there is a curse on the Train, History says bad luck follows it.  Even Peter Jackson & Sam Neil  have abandoned their Patron positions, now Russell Glendinning. She really is an Orphan Now.

 

Fiordland Advocate - Te Anau What If...

Posted 13th February 2014 to the Fiordland Advocate Te Anau

I like your Devil’s Advocate Speculation about 1960s Tomarrow-land Monorail Projects getting the Go Ahead.
I wouldn’t get too excited as Queenstown has thrown up a lot of grandiose projects that got a green light
But have fallen over before they got of the Proverbial wayside.

But If one could go back in time and Write a “What if” Scenario
There is a lot of stuff we just would never see coming. What if Fontera never formed, what if Roger Douglas wasn’t Born, What is Auckland was only a Provincial City.
Life in New Zealand would be a whole lot different today.

As for Fiordland... What if the Cave Creek Disaster Never Happened to the Department of Conservation.
And What if the Milford Road was Never Sealed. What if the Christchurch Earthquake didn’t scare all those Rich Tourists on to Cruise Ships... That would be like Science Fiction because everything would now be unrecognisable to us!

There is one “What if” I asked Bob Robertson the First Time he showed up with his Monorail... What if... you used the Kingston Flyer instead Bob?
 Bob could go green and recycle !