November 12, 2015
Shotover Jet golden investment for iwi
A Shotover Jet executive says ownership by Ngai Tahu has been a win for both the company and the iwi.
The iconic tourism company is celebrating 50 years since brothers Harold and Alan Melhop and Herm Palmer first started taking commercial sightseers up Queenstown's Shotover River in a Hamilton Jet 30 boat.
It carried more than 140,000 visitors up the canyons last year in its fleet of twin-engine metal-hulled jetboats.
Marketing manager Nigel Kerr says when Ngai Tahu upgraded the fleet when it bought into the company in 1999 after its historic teaty settlement, and it has continued to invest in its development.
"Over that time the tribe has owned Shotover Jet, it's been the linchpin to their whole tourism portfolio and it's a really good brand to bring out wherever you are in the world it ignites. You can open a lot of doors with the Shotover Jet to let all your other products go through," he says.
Nigel Kerr says as part of the celebration there will be a gold hunt on Saturday, with 50 contestants getting the chance to dig up a one ounce ingot.
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