Wildlife key to bringing New Zealand tourists to Tasmania

A kiwi living in Tassie has identified the key to bringing hordes of New Zealanders to the state.

AS a kiwi living in Tassie, wildlife ecologist Scott Carver reckons our native mammals will be the key to bringing hordes of New Zealanders to the state.

However, in the event of a trans-Tasman travel bubble, we may need to brush up on our kiwi lingo and borrow some recipes for mince and cheese pies if we really want to make New Zealanders welcome, he said.

After nine years in Tassie, wildlife researcher Scott Carver considers himself both a Tasmanian and a Kiwi, "but definitely not an Australian". Picture: UTAS

“Being able to see an echidna or wombat or wallaby, or the prospect of seeing a platypus will be a major draw card for New Zealanders,” said Dr Carver, a senior lecturer in wildlife ecology at the University of Tasmania.

“New Zealand doesn’t have any native mammals basically. There are two and they’re both bats, so no one sees them.”

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He was extremely excited by the prospect of direct flights opening between Hobart and New Zealand, particularly as he and his Tasmanian fiancee will soon tie the knot.

Having lived in Tasmania for nine years, only a few of Dr Carver’s kiwi-isms remain intact.

“I still say jandals and togs (for thongs and bathers) and of course I still love to have a joke about which country pavlova came from,” he said.

“There’s also the debate about where lamingtons originated, but New Zealanders aren’t as passionate about that one.”

Dr Carver and his university colleague Nigel Blundell are old primary school soccer teammates from Wellington.

While Mr Carver came for his job, Mr Blundell ended up in Tassie 18 years ago after falling in love with his-now wife, who is a Tasmanian, while working in Europe.

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As executive director of research at UTAS, Mr Blundell was optimistic about the potential ongoing benefits of a direct link with his home country.

“From a business development perspective and a research perspective there are many synergies between Tasmania and New Zealand,” Mr Blundell said.

“From a tourism perspective, once we come out of COVID, if those direct flights continue we could tap into international tourists going into New Zealand so that as they exit the country they come down to Tasmania.”

KIWI INTERPRETED

Chilly bin = Esky

Togs = Bathers

Jandals = Thongs

Trundler = Shopping trolley

Batch = Shack

Chippies = Potato chips (crisps)

Dairy = Store/milk bar

Fush ’n chps = Fish ’n chips