Travel News

Big Swing Supports Big Bird with Big Cheque

More than $12,000 was raised for the endangered Northern Royal Albatross during Queenstown adventure company Shotover Canyon Swings I give a sh*t campaign.

Locals and customers got behind the six week campaign by either donating money for ice-cream on the company’s dedicated ‘Royal Albatross Day’ on 9 May or by taking on the Shotover Canyon Swing and donating $10 for extra swings. 
 
All proceeds from the campaign go to the Royal Albatross Centre in Dunedin which is part of the Otago Peninsula Trust.
 
Shotover Canyon Swing General Manager Matt Hollyer said he was thrilled with the amount of money raised and was heartened by people’s interest and support during the campaign including booking agents who had helped promote the cause.
 
“We want to contribute towards preserving New Zealand’s environment in anyway we can and it’s been a humbling experience working to help the magnificent Albatross with the backing of our community and our customers,” he said.
 
“Our customers loved having a second go on the Shotover Canyon Swing while supporting a great environmental cause,” he said. “It’s provided a real ‘feel good’ factor for them as well as our staff.
 
“This was also helped by the Royal Albatross Centre providing a great deal for our customers when visiting Dunedin,” he added.
 
Otago Peninsula Trust General Manager, Robyn McDonald congratulated Shotover Canyon Swing on the success of the fundraiser.
 
“We’ve had fun working with a like minded organisation on this project and appreciate Shotover Canyon Swing’s sincere support,” she said.
 
Mrs McDonald said the money would go towards the centre’s satellite tracking project which currently tracks three juvenile Albatross as they journey around the world.
 
“The money raised will give us the opportunity to work with the Department of Conservation in establishing a new research programme tracking the movements of a pair of adolescent Albatross once they depart Taiaroa Head this season,” she said. “Tracking the pair while they are away from Taiaroa Head will help us to understand their habitat and plight better.”
 
Interested people can follow the progress of the Albatross already tagged on www.albatross.org.nz

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