Where did it all begin?
I could go into a super long account of my years and years of traveling and working abroad, how my love of this and constant adventure led me to live on a remote, off-the-grid island some 90ks and a 30-minute flight on a tiny plane that is one of THE most scenic flights you'll ever enjoy. But let's say I did all that, and you have the backstory tight.
I lived on the island; I loved it, but I ultimately lost it. That sounds sad now, right? It's anything but. I found another passion on the island, and that was lifesaving—literally.
In the early stages of life up there, a massive fire took out both home and business. What was left of the small tourism-reliant business then joined the rest of the ashes when 2020 delivered the world the big C.
I want to congratulate the businesses that survived the COVID era. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of them.
What to do? There was more than a financial investment in the business, never mind the fact that my livelihood had just gone down the drain.
Not one for being a victim, I thought, crunched numbers and looked at the world's landscape and what was happening inside Aotearoa as a result.
Kiwis love to travel! The desire continued, as did the need to be out of the 'bubbles' we'd all been occupied with and maddened by for so long. And Aotea Experience was born. Thank you for your dependable sense of adventure, fellow Kiwis. You allowed the dream to survive.
You'll recall that I said earlier that I lost the island. There's a saying amongst the locals of Aotea that 'the island will provide.' And she did. Amidst all the chaos, I did what most locals do to support the island, its beauty, and its residents: I became a volunteer. I chose Hato Hone St John, a role with which I feel deeply in love, and in two short years, I will be a graduate Paramedic.
To realize this dream, I had to take a sojourn from Aotea, the hardest move I ever made (and there have been tens of dozens in my adventures, people!) What I accumulated during my years living in paradise was a fantastic knowledge of exactly what a holiday looks like, from sunset to sunrise and the incredibly overwhelming starry, starry nights in between. (Zero light pollution. Let that sink in..) Solid, dependable preferred suppliers and a network of people who make your own experience seamless.
To wrap up, most recently, we've expanded…
Cos you know what?! Niue is an island with beauty, ruggedness, and a unique holiday experience waiting for you! And the Chatham Islands, another short hop from the day-to-day living in Aotearoa to a beauty that will take your breath away. And Stewart Island – another short trip to one of those home-grown bucket list places that all Kiwis should see and are more and more. We have chosen to represent these destinations because they all sit in our wheelhouse of genuine, authentic island destination holidays. We know we can provide an honest account, and we wholeheartedly believe you will love it after we've done all the arranging for you.
