Bondi Rescue star Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll on his time in New Zealand

He’s the face of Bondi Beach, but reality star and famous lifesaver Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll says Australia has a big problem to get over.

If there’s one bloke who knows his way around Bondi, it’s reality star and lifesaver Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll.

Famed for his role on hit reality TV show Bondi Rescue, Harries is a self-proclaimed “sun worshipper” who until now, wouldn’t give the thrills and chills of winter the time of day.

But after a recent trip across the ditch to experience New Zealand’s winter — spending a week on the slopes and enjoying all that the south island has to offer — the father-of-two has realised Australia has a problem. And one that he too took 47 years to shake.

Bondi Rescue’s Anthony ‘Harries’ is a self-confessed ‘sun worshipper’. Picture: Bango PR.

Harries swapped budgie smugglers for a beanie while visiting New Zealand.

“Us Aussies love the sun, but we go into hibernation for some reason with coldness,” he told news.com.au off the back of his recent trip.

“Whereas you get over to NZ, and people are just lively. They want to get out, they want to get to the ski fields. Everyone is in a hot spa and enjoying the outside elements.”

With winter fast approaching, the reality star experienced snowboarding on the edge of Mt Cook, 4WD trails across rugged terrain and indulging in all the best food and wine the south island had to offer.

After spending a week surrounded by snow, Harries said a New Zealand winter is an experience that Australia completely misses the mark on.

Anthony 'Harries' Carroll made a trip to New Zealand.

“I was in these hot springs and I watched this guy surf,” he explained.

“If you could picture 40-degree hotsprings looking out while the sun was rising and watching this one surfer on the waves … I was just like wow … I am floating in heaven.

“We just don't have an experience like that here in Australia … we just don’t have anything like that. I’m actually surprised we haven’t set that up here on the coastline.

“I know we have snow in Australia, but it really is nothing like this.”

Australia is New Zealand’s largest visitor market in 2023, accounting for almost half of all international visitor arrivals.

Bondi Rescue’s Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll says Australia doesn’t match a New Zealand winter. Picture: Bango PR

The Bondi Rescue star hopes to take his family, including two young sons Billy and Leo, to New Zealand soon.

In 2023 alone, the number of visitor arrivals from Australia to New Zealand rose to over 1.2 million arrivals, a notable increase from the previous year off the back of Covid-19.

While majority of visitors tend to cross the ditch in summer, 23 per cent made the visit in the winter months typically spending on adventure tourism, geothermal attractions, cultural experiences and food and wine.

In an attempt to strengthen Australia’s visitation during the winter months, New Zealand has opened ‘New Ski-Land’ – a tourism initiative spruiking all the things New Zealand has to offer between June to October.

Australians account for the biggest visitation to New Zealand. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Brendan Beckett

Andrew Waddel, General Manager – Australia at Tourism New Zealand, said he hopes highlighting all that the country has to offer during winter will entice more Australians to venture across the ditch — which is just a 3-hour flight from the east coast.

“It’s surprising how quickly winter-phobes disappear as soon as the temperature starts to drop, so it was time to show Aussies the light,” he said.

“A trip to New Ski-Land is the best cure for the winter blues. We can’t wait for other self-confessed winter-phobes to experience it for themselves.”