Tamaki Brothers Announce Major New Tourist Venture in Manukau City

24/10/07

With award winning tourism businesses established in both Rotorua and Christchurch, the Tamaki Brothers have today announced plans for a third major tourism development - this time for Manukau city.

The development is a joint venture between Tamaki Heritage Group and Telstra Clear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau. The Tamaki Brothers heritage tourism product will be developed within a multi million dollar art, tourism, hotel and business precinct being established adjacent to the Event Centre.

In charge of the precinct development is CEO for Telstra Clear Pacific, Richard Jeffery who says the Tamaki venture marries beautifully with the other developments and he is thrilled to have the brothers aboard.

"We are very excited to be able to attract the Tamaki Brothers to Manukau. Their development compliments our proposed Whitewater Kayak course being developed in conjunction with Olympic gold medalist Ian Ferguson. Together this will achieve our vision of creating a destination of national and international significance,” he says.

With a multi award winning tourism experience in Rotorua, and their Colonial /Maori village encounter in Christchurch heading in to its first summer, the brothers say the Manukau development will be the icing on the cake in their plans to create a set of core and iconic heritage touchstones throughout the country.

“We have talked for many years of our ambition to position New Zealand internationally as a compelling, amazing epic novel. Our developments thus far – within Rotorua and Christchurch alongside this new project in Manukau are proof that this strategy is not just talk. 

"Our experiences are successful models reflecting actual events significant to New Zealand history. Each is powerful in their own right, different from one another – but equally dramatic and true. It is clear to us that the story proposition not only makes sense to international visitors - it inspires them,” says Mike Tamaki

Each of the Tamaki Heritage Group developments has been created as chapters within an overriding story of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Rotorua is a pre-European story, Christchurch is the story of the musket wars – and early Colonial/Maori encounter. While details of the Manukau story are for now under wraps, it will most certainly be another significant chapter in our nation’s history.

“The Manukau story will be significant and relevant to the Manukau people - its historical community as well as the colorful diversity expressed within its people today – not to mention being captivating for the international visitor,” explains Mike.

The Tamaki Heritage Group sees the new project as the conclusion of Stage One in their overriding strategy to create a South Pacific Trail – linking tourism products, regions, islands and nations throughout the South Pacific within an overriding story.

“The Manukau development will solidify the Tamaki owned New Zealand volume of stories. We will work with other experiences, product and attractions that fit within the overriding story of New Zealand’s culture and heritage."

More than that, Mike Tamaki says the Manukau development may well prove pivotal to a South Pacific story. He says the Manukau locale, its proximity to the airport, and the airport role as a major gateway to, from and through the South Pacific signals its importance to the story.

“The overriding New Zealand story is currently being written, and is nearing completion. A publisher is waiting in the wings and significant marketing campaigns and plans have been etched out to support its launch in to the international arena.

“A Pacific wide story will bolt to the New Zealand volume as would a sequel within an epic novel and I have no doubt that Manukau will be a significant connector story across the South Pacific."

A completion date for the new Tamaki Manukau experience is anticipated for early 2010.