Media release

Monday, 29 October 2012

Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy to host Arrival Magazine ‘Dream Job’ winners

On Wednesday 31 October, two tourists who won an Arrival Magazine ‘dream job’ competition will be visiting Upper Hutt to check out some of the city’s recreation and hospitality hot-spots. Mayor Wayne Guppy will be playing official host and expects the lucky travelers will be surprised by how much Upper Hutt has to offer.

UPPER HUTT, Wellington NZ, 29 OCT 2012—Queenstown, Rotorua, the Bay of Islands and… Upper Hutt?

Although Upper Hutt has never had a reputation as a tourist’s Mecca, Mayor Wayne Guppy is convinced that Upper Hutt can hold its own with New Zealand’s recreation hotspots, and to prove it he has invited two ‘Dream Job’ competition winners to stop off in Upper Hutt this Wednesday.

After winning Arrival Magazine’s international ‘Dream Job’ competition, American Dean Chytraus and Taranaki man Ben Sarten have been charged with travelling the country and trying all that New Zealand has to offer. The ‘job’ part is that they are required to share updates and videos of their exciting escapades and discoveries via social media, proving to people around the globe that if it’s awesome, you’ll find it in New Zealand.

Another aspect of the epic national tour was conceived by Arrival’s publisher Mike Taillie who wanted to showcase the relaxed and community focused nature of New Zealand. He put out an open invitation to New Zealand’s mayors to play host to Dean and Ben in a very Kiwi fashion: over a beer.

“I wanted Dean and everyone overseas following this competition to see how down-to-earth New Zealanders are, and what better way to do that than by giving them the chance to sit down and share a beer with a mayor!”

When Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy heard about the ‘Beers with Mayors’ tour, he decided that Upper Hutt needed to get in on the action.

“Anyone who lives in Upper Hutt knows that there are heaps of recreational and natural attractions here, but I think we need to do more as a city to promote them,” he says.

“We refer to Upper Hutt as Wellington’s ‘gateway to the outdoors’ for good reason: In Kaitoke alone, there are about ten different recreational activities you can do within a five kilometer radius.”

So what is on the itinerary for Dean and Ben when they visit Upper Hutt?

Weather permitting, they will start the morning at Hutt Valley Gliding Club in Kaitoke, where club member Wayne Fisk will make sure they get the very best view of our beautiful city.

At noon, Dean and Ben will return to the city centre with Mayor Guppy where they will be treated to lunch at the Art of Pizza. Owner Chris Chevallier will have them make their own wood-fired, gourmet pizzas so they can add it to their list of achievements and because there is no such thing as a completely free lunch.

Then comes the all-important beer.

We think Chris Mills’ Kereru Beer will be one of Upper Hutt’s favourite brews in no time, so we’ve asked the Silverstream-based micro-brewer to treat our guests to a tasting of his nine terrific tipples.

Chris and Chris say anyone else who wants to drop in to meet Ben and Dean and should stop by too for some lunch and a brew.

“We’ve got plenty of room and anyone is welcome to come and buy some lunch and share a beer with Dean and Ben,” says Mr Chevallier.

After a day jam–packed with awesomeness, Dean and Ben will be putting up their feet at the luxurious Eirene Bed and Breakfast in the Akatarawa Valley. Owners Mary and David Beachen were happy to put the intrepid

travelers up for the night, and Mr Chytraus says he is looking forward to a real bed after many a night in rowdy backpackers accommodation.

Mr Chytraus and Mr Sarten both entered Arrival Magazine’s Dream Job competition at the beginning of this year, hopeful that they would the lucky one selected for an all-expenses-paid, two-month tour of Aotearoa. Arrival Magazines is one of New Zealand’s leading tourist publications, distributed to thousands of tourists every year at Auckland and Christchurch airports. Arrival is owned by People Media Group, and the company’s director Mike Taillie says the competition was dreamed up after they decided the best way for readers to learn about New Zealand was through the eyes of a fellow traveler.

“We wanted to find a gutsy and outgoing person who would get out there and try all that NZ has to offer, from food and wine to adventure pursuits,” Mr Taillie says.

The response was beyond what Mr Taillie expected.

“We had thousands of entries from all over the world, and even though the competition was for international tourists, we had so many kiwis enter that we decided to open it up to locals and select one person from overseas and one from New Zealand.”

For more information on this media release, please contact Natalie Finnigan on (04) 527 2173.

About Upper Hutt City Council

Upper Hutt City Council is the steward and custodian of Upper Hutt City, providing governance, infrastructure, and community services and resources, and promoting opportunity in the city for business, recreation, lifestyle, and leisure. Upper Hutt City is located 30 km north-east of Wellington City (41°07'34" S, 175°04'06" E) and boasts 70% of the region’s parks and reserves, along with state-of-the-art entertainment and leisure facilities.

ENDS

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