With the exception of South America, I have travelled to most places in the world over my 38 years in the travel and hospitality industry. There have been some pretty spectacular locations that I've come across with some wonderful lifetime experiences and memories to keep in my memory bank.

In the seventies, after college and two years as an international banker in Melbourne, Australia, I decided to temporarily leave my corporate life and move to the UK. After spending two years of moving between London and various European countries to feed my desire for history and culture I moved on to United States.

The United States at that period of time was very much of the Hippy 'make love not war' era and Vietnam was on most of the world's news channels. Not far removed were Woodstock, Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Crosby Stills & Nash, Neil Yong, America, the Rolling Stones and the list goes on. It was a wonderful time for most of us to be living and I'm happy that I experienced the period.

In the eighties I was back in Australia with a successful career in Commercial Aviation. I worked for an airline for sixteen years and during this period I had the opportunity to travel to New Zealand many, many times. I always had a strong desire to spend time in New Zealand, to experience in greater depth what I had seen and felt over my years in the commercial aviation industry. Thus in the late eighties I left the shores of Australia for New Zealand.

New Zealand, dubbed as 'The Land of the Long White Cloud' by the Maoris, the native inhabitants of New Zealand, in my opinion has it all. The North Island which is what I would call a normal, picturesque almost 'British' countryside is wonderfully green and of course sports more sheep than the population of New Zealand and Australia together!

For my money however, the South Island is the pick of the two islands and in particular, Queenstown which is the location that I would like to bring to you in this article. I spent two years in Queenstown and it was an incredible experience. It just has it all and it is arguably the 'Adventure Capital' of the world.

It is surrounded by the majestic and magnificent 'Remarkables', a picturesque range of mountains that overlooks Queenstown; the town being nestled on the shores of crystal clear Lake Wakatipu. Whatever you do, whatever your style, Queenstown will feed your imagination, fuel your passions and revitalize your spirit.
Queenstown is a small town in the peak seasons it can expand to around 100,000 people! It is just electric during these periods and there are many cafes, restaurants and night spots for everyone; day and night.

The winter season in Queenstown is the premier season for most people as it offers the most outstanding skiing in the southern hemisphere. It offers a fantastic mix of events and every July you can watch the competitors of the North Face, ski, board, bike, run and kayak the 44 kms from the Remarkables to Coronet Peak (Coronet Peak being arguably the premier Ski location in the south island). Also, the Queenstown Adventure Film Festival, held at the end of July will inspire the adventure in you.

I mentioned previously that Queenstown is the 'Adventure Capital' of the world. And trust me, I am not the only one who knows about this; anyone who has been there knows this as well! You have Skydiving, bungy jumping, jetboating, canyon swinging, whitewater rafting, parapenting, skiing and heli-skiing. Queenstown's reputation as the world's favourite adrenaline destination is well foundered from the mild to the wild!

Talking of wild to mild, I worked for a period of time in Queenstown's only FM radio station back in the early nineties, ninety something FM, it just escapes me now! It was run by a very cool dude called Chas. Chas was about 6' 6” tall lanky and not a bit of fat to be found on his body. He had the most deep meaningful voice that you could ever imagine, he was the optimum FM radio announcer. I used to do the 10 to 2 shift; that is, 10:00am to 2:00pm. It was a blast. I had a beautiful 2 year old daughter, and as my wife started work early at the local airline office, I would have to dress and feed my daughter and drop her off at the local kindergarten by 9:45 then begin my slot at the station at 10 o'clock. At 2 o'clock I would finish my shift and I would shoot into the kindergarten and pick up Lily, my daughter. Now that's when the fun would really begin!

As Queenstown is the 'Adventure Capital' of the world, that's exactly what Lily and I would do, go on adventures. We would sometimes go fishing on that beautiful crystal Lake Wakatipu, or climb aboard the town's touristy steamboat, the famous Ernslaw and calmly boat up and back on the lake. It was a great way to meet all the young and excited backpackers from all over the world. However Lily's favourite activity was to ride the incredible fast Jetboats that were abundant on the lake. However if you were really aventurous, which Lily was, we would drive to the famous shotover river and ride the Shotover Jetboats. Now this jetboat ride is really exhilarating. You seem to be going at a hundred miles an hour, the wind ripping through your hair and the adrenalin at it's highest as the driver heads directly to the rocky edges of the canyon, your heart in your throat as you get closer to the edge, but just as you think you are going to crash into that dangerous edge, the driver suddenly and abruptly makes a 90 degree turn and you miss the canyon's edge by a whisker. It was always fun for Lily, no matter how many times she did it, she never missed a beat; she was all laughter and smiles. It's a moment that a father can never forget of his daughter, the absolute look of exhilaration and passion, the love of life.

There are many great and fun filled stories that I could tell you about Queenstown, but I've been told by the editor that time is up! If you want high powered adventure, scenic splendor, or just plain relaxation, Queenstown is for you. Believe me, you won't be disappointed.
Trevor MacDonald is the General Manager of the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel and has been residing in Bangladesh for six years.