Latest Newsletter from the Best of New Zealand Fly Fishing

We Are The New Zealand Experts
In this newsletter, we are proud to share some of the letters of congratulations we received as we celebrate our 15th anniversary in the New Zealand fishing and travel business. As we start our 16th year of specializing exclusively in New Zealand fishing and travel, I wonder where the time has gone and how a country could change (for the positive) so much? Although many choices are now available on the internet our clients select us because we are unique in the travel industry - New Zealand is our only destination!!

Fly Fishing is our central focus, but we are also experts in the many other activities and accommodations available in New Zealand. We sell exclusive fishing programs; however, most of our itineraries include sightseeing and other nature-based activities of interest such as golf, winery tours, bird watching, trekking, and sea kayaking.

Our clients travel regularly and widely; participate in a wide range of tourism experiences; actively participate in the natural environment; are environmentally and culturally aware; and seek authentic, new experiences. Therefore, our clients come to us because they know we can help them plan an exclusive, quality experience that is unequaled in other competitive destinations. We know they want a well planned "seamless" trip; a variety of unique accommodations (especially those that offer the opportunity to meet the locals and experience "Kiwi hospitality"); an "off the beaten track" itinerary that concentrates on the scenic beauty of New Zealand; and an individual self-drive trip that provides ample time to enjoy and participate in a variety of activities.

In our business, we continually expand our New Zealand expertise. We travel to New Zealand to visit new properties, experience the activities first hand, and seek out unique accommodations in areas of interest to our clients. We also continue to visit existing properties; host dinners with fishing guides; and meet with operators offering tourist activities. As a result we believe we know New Zealand and the products we recommend better than anyone. The lodge owners and managers tell us that no one visits them as often as our team - not even the inbound operators based locally in Auckland.

The Best of New Zealand Team (left to right) Front row: Andrea Esquivel, Cristina Randall, Georgina Zepeda, Jill Linsk Back row: Connie Lown, Mike McClelland, Karen Miller

It is my practice to send all our employees to New Zealand at least once a year to visit the properties we use and experience the activities we recommend. There is no substitute for being able to describe a property or activity from first hand experience. All the employees in our office have visited New Zealand. My staff have made numerous trips to New Zealand and have extensive experience (several of them have over 15 years) in organizing and selling travel to New Zealand. Since my first visit in 1974, I have personally journeyed to New Zealand over forty times - including six trips in just the last year.

We were delighted to have Cristina Randall recently join our team (see photo) as she brings over 15 years of experience helping plan and book trips to New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Industry Recognition and Awards
We were honored to have been selected by Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand as the only travel agency permitted to organize and offer "The Royal Tour", a visit to each of the favorite New Zealand sights and adventures of New Zealand's Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. Helen Clark. I flew to Auckland to participate in the launch of this product. For details on this program go to our non-angling website
www.TheBestofNewZealand.com

Mike McClelland receiving The 2005 New Zealand Travel & Tourism Award for Recognition of Excellence from Tourism New Zealand CEO George Hickton.

Mike McClelland receiving the the 2004 American Chamber of Commerce/UPS Success& Innovation Awards for "Contribution to Tourism with the USA"

We received the 2004 American Chamber of Commerce/UPS Success & Innovation Awards for “Contribution to Tourism with the USA.” We are the first USA-based travel company to receive this prestigious award. I personally flew to Auckland to attend the presentation dinner and receive the award.

This year Tourism New Zealand presented awards for the first time to travel companies in North America and we received The 2005 New Zealand Travel & Tourism Award for Recognition of Excellence.

Mike & Nancy McClelland with New Zealand Tourism CEO George Hixton and his wife, Maree McGill, and the Hon. Charles Swindells, US Ambassador to New Zealand.

We are especially appreciative of our high level of repeat clients, referrals, and new clients who helped us grow our business and become an Air New Zealand "World 50 Member." This elite group consists of Air New Zealand's 50 largest agencies in the world. My wife and I were invited by Air New Zealand to attend the ceremonies marking the first Air New Zealand flight to San Francisco. We were also invited to fly on the inaugural nonstop flight to Christchurch as guests of Air New Zealand. The honor of this membership brings a number of benefits to our clients. We have the lowest airfares available (lower than the internet or consolidators); enhanced ability to clear wait lists; and the capability to obtain preferred seating arrangements. Give us a call and we will be happy to quote an airfare and share these benefits with you.

This past year we organized the accommodations, guides, and air arrangements for the televised fishing program New American Sportsman. In February 2005, host Tom Ackerman and celebrity guest, motion picture actor Michael Keaton, filmed a program at the Lake Rotoroa Lodge that will be shown on ESPN later this year.

Tom Ackerman, host of the New American Sportsman tv program, and celebrity guest Michael Keaton, wearing one of our fishing hats while filming a program at The Rorotoa Lodge.

We are the sole sponsor of a featured show in the Main Gallery of the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum, Livingston Manor, NY entitled “Flies from New Zealand“ that opened on April 1st. and runs until February 2006. I have lent the show several old and rare New Zealand fishing books from my personal collection including: Trout-Fishing and Sport in Maoriland (1904 first edition); Tales of the Anglers Eldorado: New Zealand (1926 first edition); Troutfishing in New Zealand in Wartime (1940 first edition); and several old New Zealand fishing licenses (1910, 1930).

Does your group have a special interest?

We have created custom itineraries for many groups and can suggest an itinerary best suited to your group's particular interests and budget. Special interest or general sightseeing can be organized for your group. Besides fishing or seminar facilities we can organize food, wine, garden, nature, hiking, golf, or bird watching tours for your group. We work with incentive groups and small groups wishing to combine meetings and seminars with fishing. For the group from Belgium (pictured below, right) we organized a week's sightseeing tour by mini-van and driver, followed by a week of fishing at Lake Rotoroa Lodge. For the group pictured below left, we planned a trip that combined seminars and fishing for a week.

A Quality Saltwater Fly Fishing Experience

New Zealand has been slow to offer a quality saltwater fly fishing experience, but good friend Dud Smith, a skipper for over 18 years, has the boat and knowledge to offer a memorable saltwater fly fishing trip in the North Island's beautiful Bay of Islands.

The 'Triple B' is ideal for all fishing options - Fly Fishing, Light Tackle, and Big Game Fishing - and is especially suited for island cruising and sightseeing. One of the most popular options is a sightseeing cruise though the islands then finding a good spot for fly fishing - and maybe an hour or so of Light Tackle Fishing.

Lingerie-covered fence

While driving New Zealand's uncrowded roads I have become accustomed to beautiful and breathtaking scenery. This, however, is a first: a country fence decorated with women's bras?? I had to know the story so I stopped and asked the local farmer, John Lee.

Farmer John Lee tells me that he began putting bras on the fence around his farm on the Crown Range, between Wanaka and Queenstown, as a joke. After a newspaper ran an article and a photo of the lingerie-covered fence, Farmer John begin receiving underwear from around the globe.

The theft of some of the lingerie prompted a flood of even more bras from supporters of his unique fence. Passing women motorists have been known to even stop, get out of their cars, strip off their tops and place their bras on Farmer John's now famous fence. Sounds like a hazardous distraction to passing motorists...