You can take the sport out of Australia, but you can’t take an Aussie out of the sport.
The NRL Auckland Nines, ICC Cricket World Cup, and the BMW New Zealand Golf Open have all been hosted in New Zealand over the past three months, giving Aussie sport fans plenty of reasons to visit.
Over 20,000 additional travellers have made the trip so far in 2015, compared to the same period (Jan-March) last year. March alone showed an almost 15% increase in arrivals from across the Tasman.
NZ is hoping this figure increases in the next months, when the AFL St Kilda vs Carlton Wellington Anzac Day Game and the NRL Melbourne Storm vs Dragons on July 25 are both held on home soil.
Everyone knows Aussies love their sport, and it’s not just the fans willing to take the journey to be part of the action. Australian cricketers Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting were photographed playing gold at Queenstown’s Millbrook Resort, in a spectacular pro-am round at the New Zealand Open golf championship.
The courses and scenery are “a one off – you just don’t see in many parts of the world,” Ponting said.
The flight being only three hours from some major East Coast Australian cities means it’s easy to watch a game, play a round of golf and still be back in time for work on Monday.
“We are finding that once fans are in New Zealand, they’re also taking part in a variety of experiences and end up doing everything from skiing and cycling to visiting vineyards,” Tourism New Zealand general manager Australia, Tony Saunders said.
CREDIT: Mark Hill
Featured Image: Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting tees off on The Hills golf course, Queenstown, during the 2014 BMW New Zealand Golf Open celebrity challenge.
CREDIT: BMW New Zealand Golf Open
