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Why did you choose to study Adventure Tourism Management?

• I thought that it sounded like the coolest industry ever. You get paid to make people laugh and smile and show them a good time, who wouldn’t want to be a part of that.

What was the most memorable part of your time at QRC?

• The friends I made along the way. I’m still in close contact with everyone from my term’s intake and we have been a tight-knit family ever since. From road trips to Te Anau and missions out to Bobs Cove for a swim after a hot day, every single part of my whole experience at QRC was memorable.

Where did you do your internship, what was your role there and what was something you learnt on internship?

• The Helicopter Line Queenstown. I had the most amazing team there who guided me along each and every step of my internship journey. When I wasn’t picking up customers or checking them in, I would be out in Milford Sound or up on a glacier pouring champagne for some newly engaged couple. I learnt about working under pressure with large groups, helping people, and keeping them calm if flying was a new experience for them.

Tell us about your journey post QRC – Where have you worked, travelled, studied? What have you been doing since QRC?

• After I graduated, I cut my teeth in tourism as a jet boat driver in Taupo and a Jet Sprint Boat and Racing Truck driver at Oxbow Adventure Co in Queenstown. However, I could never forget the amazing experience I had during my internship at The Helicopter Line, so in 2023 I packed my bags, moved to Christchurch and went to flight school to become a commercial helicopter pilot. I’m excited to say that I graduated at the end of 2024 and am now a helicopter pilot on scenic flights and private charters around the North Island.

Can you share a proud moment or significant achievement from your career?

• Definitely passing my commercial pilot licence test and getting a flying job in tourism. It has always been a life goal of mine to be a helicopter pilot and to get to do it in the industry I have so much passion about is just the cherry on top.

How did QRC prepare you for the challenges of your career?

• QRC does the most amazing job at preparing you for the industry. From learning about how you might interact with different cultures to the marketing courses or accounting, everything you learn at QRC is so valuable. Even if you are a jet boat drive or helicopter pilot, you still have to do marketing, you still have to do accounts and you most certainly have to figure out how you are going to tailor the experience to the individual client. QRC highlighted key areas of the industry and honed in on them in their teaching to give you an accurate and pinpointed education on what to expect when you get out into the world.

What do you love most about working in the Hospitality/Adventure Tourism industry?

• Putting a smile on people faces. Families save up long and hard to go on a holiday and it is my privilege to give them an experience they will never forget. The honest answer is it’s just a fun industry to be in and the possibilities are endless. No matter where you begin in the industry there is so much room to grow and change.

Do you have any advice for prospective students considering QRC?

• Do it! If you’re thinking it might be fun to live with a bunch of like-minded people and share experiences while learning about some pretty interesting stuff then you are bang on the money. Some of my best friends are the ones I met at QRC. Seeing everyone grow and where they are today makes it all worth it. 10 years ago, a recruitment adviser for QRC called Laura Flannery convinced me at a carers expo to come to QRC and I can whole heartedly say it was the best decision I have ever made.

Study Adventure Tourism Management or Hospitality Management.