25 May 2011

Prime Minister John Key was first in line to congratulate the three millionth passengers on one of New Zealand’s oldest and most iconic tourism operations in Queenstown today (25 May).

Kristy Cox and her husband Nigel, from Melbourne, and Sara Anza and partner Adam Jambanis from Perth were the lucky foursome who booked a trip with New Zealand tourism leader Shotover Jet only to find they had officially notched up the three millionth milestone.

On a ten-day trip to New Zealand for a wedding, they were all “absolutely delighted” to be joined by Mr Key, who is also New Zealand’s Tourism Minister, on a thrilling ride down the Shotover River’s dramatic and narrow canyons.

They were presented with Shotover Jet commemorative jackets and beanies and were also treated by Shotover Jet to a scenic helicopter ride and champagne at the top of Coronet Peak to round off their already memorable day.

Immediately after the trip they were finding it hard to take it all in.

“It was amazing and I don’t think I’ve ever screamed so much,” said Kristy. “This is definitely a highlight of our trip and one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life.”

Meanwhile Mr Key had fun driving a Shotover Jet promotional vehicle known as ‘T-Half’ before he was joined on the Shotover Jet trip by the four visitors and Associate Tourism Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman.

Mr Key described the jet boat ride as one of the highlights of his trip to Queenstown, where he attended the TRENZ tourism trade show.

After the trip a slightly damp Mr Key said it had been sensational and great fun.

He said it was a fantastic ride in a fantastic part of the world, and congratulated the company on its 40-year history.

Multi-award winning Shotover Jet has been in operation since 1970, shortly after the invention of the jet unit by Kiwi Bill Hamilton. It began with ‘Jet 53’ wooden boats that carried five passengers and took 1,480 passengers in its first year.

Since then Shotover Jet has remained at the forefront of cutting-edge innovation in New Zealand adventure tourism, over the years developing boats at the forefront of jet boating design, build and safety standards. The company is currently working on its fifth generation jet boat.

Shotover Jet General Manager Clark Scott said carrying the 3 millionth passengers was a “significant milestone” in the company’s history.

“It truly is recognised as the world's most exciting jet boat ride and our ‘Big Red’ boats are just about as Kiwi as jandals and Buzzy Bees,” he said.

“We pride ourselves on being pioneers of the jet boat industry, while also making a major contribution to New Zealand's overall positioning as an adventure tourism destination.

“Not only do we make it our mission to give visitors to Queenstown the ride of a lifetime, but we do it while constantly evolving our safety features, maintenance standards and driver training standards, many of which are adopted by other jet boat companies around the country.

The multi tourism award winning attraction is 100% owned and operated by Ngāi Tahu Tourism, one of New Zealand’s premier tourism operators.

For more information about Shotover Jet, ‘The World’s Most Exciting Jet Boat Ride’ visit www.shotoverjet.com.

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