Creative Travel
Posted at 03:04AM Mar 14, 2008 by G-Woman
Lonely Planet Community member Elena Paschinger originally hails from Austria and is a passionate traveller who likes to experience a destination as richly as she can.
Her adventures have landed her in New Zealand, where she has signed on to support the local network of creative workshops, known as Creative Tourism New Zealand. Working as development assistant lets her indulge her interest in travel, culture and sustainable tourism.
Charged with developing off-the-beaten-track encounters with New Zealand culture, Elena shares a little of her world with her fellow Lonely Planet travellers.
"Interactive workshops are a wonderful way to approach a country’s distinctive cultural features," she says. "Apart from being in close contact with the real Kiwis, you simply learn so much more – and it’s a great way to meet people!
"Add up tourism and culture, gather local people proud to share their skills and knowledge, spice it up with your own creative potential, and you have all the ingredients necessary for a successful creative tourism experience!
Creative tourism has all the quality, informality and fun that people are looking for in their holiday experiences. Many of the interactive workshops are held right in the tutors' living or working studios, limited to a small number of participants."
Such is the choice that New Zealand workshops are now offered in four different categories: Art, Maori culture, Taste and Nature. Among these, each single workshop topic is reflective of a particular place and cultural expression. Art workshops include wood turning, harakeke (flax) weaving, Kiwiana paper art or native bush painting. 'Tasty' workshops can be arranged featuring wine, olive oil, cheese, Kiwi pavlova cooking or – as of recently – New Zealand coffee discoveries.
Encounters with Maori culture are centred on more traditional elements, such as bone carving, flax weaving and interactive New Zealand bush walks, the latter offered as part of a nature experience too.
"Touch – See – Feel – Do – Understand: This motto pretty much sums up my experience with native New Zealand bush, and I have come to appreciate the stunning properties of local plants and animals even more – certainly a lot more than I would have, just looking at in a museum display", says Elena of her recent forest experience near Kahurangi national park on top of New Zealand’s south island.
"It’s active, fun and exciting. Memorable experiences, not just sights ticked off a list, is what travellers want to bring home from their holidays." Plus, you get to keep what you make (which may alleviate the stress of finding the perfect gift for those back home).
More information can be found on the web at: www.creativetourism.co.nz
Related Thorn Tree Forum Branches: New Zealand, Experimental Travel, Culture Vultures.
Category: TravellerTips | Tags: art community creative new-zealand staff-picks traveller-tips
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