- About Charity Flight
Every year RIDBC and Pathfinders, with Qantas as a major sponsor, host a fundraising flight to a delightful destination.
- This year's destination
This year's destination for the 2009 Qantas Pathfinders Charity Flight is beautiful and breath-taking Queenstown, New Zealand
- Special guests
Joining passengers aboard the Charity Flight will be RIDBC Ambassador and international best-selling author, Tara Moss.
- Reserve a seat
Seats for the 2009 Qantas Pathfinders Charity Flight to Queenstown, New Zealand are now available.
This year’s destination: Queenstown, New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country comprising both the North and South Islands. The indigenous Maori named New Zealand ‘Aotearoa’, commonly translated as ‘The Land of the Long White Cloud.’
Queenstown is an iconic township located in the south-west of New Zealand’s South Island known as ‘Otago’. The town is built around Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a lake formed by glacial processes and backed by the towering peaks of The Remarkables.
The Queenstown-Lakes District has a land area of 8,704.97 km˛ not counting its inland lakes (Lake Hawea, Lake Wakatipu, and Lake Wanaka) and contains many spectacular locations used in the filming of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
Queenstown Arts and Crafts Market
Queenstown Arts and Crafts Market are renowned for some of New Zealand’s finest sculptures, pottery, paintings, knitwear and arguably the best place in the world to buy traditional wool and sheepskin clothing and indigenous Pounamu (greenstone).
The compact market and shopping areas showcase the best in unique New Zealand designs amongst a spectacular backdrop of breath taking views and scenery.
TSS Earnslaw
Cruises on the TSS Earnslaw, first began in 1912 and have since become one of the oldest tourist attractions in Central Otago. The TSS Earnslaw remains the only passenger carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere.
The Earnslaw was named after Mount Earnslaw, a 2889 metre peak at the head of Lake Wakatipu and soon became a valuable vessel for the New Zealand Railways known as the “Lady of the Lake”. Passengers can explore the mechanics of the ship or relax and view the extraordinary alpine scenery.
Walter Peak Historic Homestead
Walter Peak High Country Farm is located on the western shores of beautiful Lake Wakatipu and provides visitors with the opportunity to relax and experience New Zealand high country life.
Skyline Gondola
The gondola carries visitors high above Queenstown, up what is reputed to be the steepest lift in the Southern Hemisphere. Passengers can sit back and relax on their way to the Skyline complex located on Bob’s Peak whilst enjoying the spectacular views and scenery.
Did you know?
- There are debatable accounts of how Queenstown was named, the most popular suggesting that a local gold digger claimed the town was “fit for Queen Victoria” and is now known for its commerce-oriented tourism.
- In March 1990, the Earnslaw carried Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. Other royalty to travel on board have been the King and Queen of Belgium and the Prince of Thailand.
- At the height of filming The Lord of the Rings, over 500 people a day queued outside the casting rooms in Queenstown.
- The beautiful background that was seen in the Lord of The Rings trilogy was filmed in Queenstown, New Zealand. At the height of filming, over 500 people a day queued outside the casting rooms in Queenstown.
- Other movies filmed in the area include 10,000BC, Chronicles of Narnia, Vertical Limit, and The Water Horse.
- Since its opening in 1968, the Skyline Gondola has had more than 10 million passengers.
