Napier Media Famil - The Crown Hotel

A whirlwind visit to newest and trendiest hotel in the Bay - The Crown - situated oceanside in the equally trendy newly revamped area of Ahuriri Port.  Some of the country's best bylines headed east for a luxurious sleepover and dining at the adjacent Milk and Honey restaurant. 

There was also time to fit in a little wine tasting and lunch at Clearview winery - thanks Tim, and then we took to the air for a chopper's eye view of the sprawling Cape Kidnappers. 

With the group replete we left the next day with vows and wows to come back for more!

Bron and the team at The Crown pulled out all the stops with the little MG proving to be a big hit as the group shuttle service. Louise pictured with Hawkes Bay Inc's Kris Larner with The Crown Hotel GM Bronwyn Bulpitt in the drivers seat. Motoring became a bit of a theme with AA Directions Kath Webster reinventing the art of draping oneself art deco style.

Englefield Bathtub Derby

Love a Duck! What an event...the inaugural Englefield Bathtub Derby event was held at Takapuna Beach and featured over 40 entrants from around the North Island. Everything surpassed every expectation, lest of all the incredible turnout. Thousands of friends, families and supporters crowded the shores to see the great onwater tubbing action which comprised three categories;

motor, sail, pedal/paddle. Tubbing has a great history internationally and looks set as a crowd pleaser here in NZ. For details on the 09 event click on to www.bathtubderby.co.nz....also some great video footage and pics of competitors. Kohler's Peter Murphy kept the crowds abuzz in the Englefield made 'crowd pleaser' racer....

An event of our own

Squeezed in between a crazy couple of weeks of client events, we managed to hold a little event of our own - the christening of Emilie-Anne. Speculation was rife that the train on the vintage family christening gown rivalled that of the King of Tonga.

In the Kitchen with Gabriel Gaté

New Caledonia Tourism used the opportunity of celebrity chef and author Gabriel Gate being in town for The Food Show to thank key partners for their fabulous efforts in the recent 2 4 1 campaign. Guests learnt how to take their cooking 'Somewhere New' with an evening in the commercial kitchen at Austin's Food Design Events. Gabriel proved just the inspiration some guests needed to get back in the kitchen and take a new look at the way they cooked...

After a demo dish and a sumptuous meal in very raw surrounds, guests were gifted Gabriel's latest book ' Recipes for a Great Life' - simple steps to wellbeing and vitality. The cookie lifestyle book is a collaborative effort betwen Gate and Dr. Rob Moodie and is a wonderfully holistic take on food living and love...by the giggles on Alyssa, Lindy and Sarah's faces they obviously found page 14!

Virginia (New Caledonia Tourism), Gabriel and Louise cookin' smiles for Christine's camera

(Christine Symes - photographer to the stars!)

Working it for the cameras in Kani - Maldives

PR IN PARADISE!
TVNZ's Abbey Scott worked it hard for the cameras both on water, underwater and er...on the beach, and errr...at the bar. All in a day's work though and surely one of the tougher gigs for the cameraman to0. Tracey was at hand just to make sure no one kicked sand at the camera!

Nine Months in the Making

One of Louise's shorter but most significant projects - joining the over 40's baby boom.On the 3rd of May, Emilie-Anne Mason Brooks arrived - 2 weeks ahead of deadline - a first for Louise!

Sunrise for Anzacs in New Caledonia

Tracey travelled with the TV3 Sunrise crew headed by news reporter Ali Ikram to New Caledonia for a TV3 Anzac Day feature. Hundreds of New Zealand servicemen lost their lives in the region and were laid to rest in the immaculate and peaceful surrounds of the beautiful Bourail cemetery. The long days of filming were rewarded with great French hospitality in the evenings making the visit memorable in many ways.

Crowd Pleaser Sneek Preview

Kohler New Zealand's Rob Watson and Coastguard Northern Region's Don Scandrett gave Breakfast TV viewers a sneak preview of the Englefield Crowd Pleaser racer which wont compete in the upcoming bathtub derby but will hopefully rouse the crowds on Takapuna Beach this November.....see www.bathtubderby.co.nz

Bathtub Derby for Breakfast

TVNZ breakfast reporter Jomine Neethling took a bath at Kohler New Zealand's Glenfield factory.....It was all good fun though and for a very worthy cause - Coastguard Northern Region who are the charitable recipients of the upcoming Englefield Bathtub Derby to be held on Sunday 9th November 2008.

Tasmania Media Famil

With Lou firmly grounded in the final month of pregnancy and Trace at full steam, travel writer and blogger extraordinaire, Megan Singleton picked up the reins and gallavanted off to the wilds of Tasmania with a group of great editors - given the extremely luxurious nature of the trip there was not too much 'wild' about it - except that is for the unseasonal weather experienced by  Anne Newbery - Herald on Sunday, Fiona Rotherham - Unlimited Magazine and Megan Singleton on their sleety cycle descent from Hobart's Mt Wellington. Check out what the rest of the group were up to on Megan's blog at tripstar.co.nz. Reports were that a devilishly good time was had by all and some great stories put out there to inspire New Zealanders to hoof on over there....you will be very pleasantly surprised!

The Good and Gracious Queen Victoria

With a baby on board Louise's travels off shore have been somewhat curbed however when the Queen came to town and promised not to leave its berthing, Louise stepped aboard to check out Cunard's latest offering for on location magazine. The Queen's maiden voyage to Auckland was a spectacular affair and did not fail to impress....see the April issue of Holiday Shoppe's on location magazine for full story and pics. 

Captain Paul Wright and Louise take in a view from the bridge.

Club Med Maison Vauron

Fabulous French food and wine defined an evening with Club Med at Auckland's Maison Vauron

Club Med Maison Vauron

Club Med hosted their top agents at Auckland's Maison Vauron with an evening of fine French wine, food and flair....Maison Vauron's Jean-Christophe interspersed the evening with regional wine tasting while Club Med's Heidi Kunkel from Sydney HQ and Kaarin Gaukrodger from NZ brought their top sellers up to speed with the latest and greatest developments at Club Med.