New marketing and sales manager flying high in Queenstown

Nicky Busst’s feet haven’t touched the ground since she zipped up the job of marketing and sales manager for Queenstown’s newest adventure tourism activity.

Nicky started her role at Ziptrek Ecotours the week of the flying fox eco-adventure’s launch date (11 December) and she is absolutely thrilled to have secured the position.

“Ziptrek is very popular in Whistler and we’re positive the Queenstown operation will be just as successful. The amount of interest we’ve had already is staggering. I’m already addicted to zip-lining and I know zipping will be the next big craze to hit Queenstown.”

Nicky’s prediction isn’t just based on the bookings and feedback she’s receiving but also the response from Queenstown locals and businesses.

“People are pumped that there’s a new activity in town and that it fills a gap in the market - it’s adrenaline-fuelled but not too scary. People also like the fact that Ziptrek has a strong ecological focus and low environmental impact. Sustainability is becoming a real focus in Queenstown and New Zealand as a whole.”

Managing Director Trent Yeo is thrilled to have Nicky on board and says she’ll add a huge amount of value to the business.

“Nicky’s knowledge of Queenstown and her strong relationships within the industry will be invaluable to us in building the business. She’s also a perfect fit in terms of the attributes we look for in our staff – she’s dynamic, professional, dedicated, and a real team player.”

Nicky has spent the past seven years rising through the ranks of Queenstown’s award-winning Hotel St Moritz and has a strong background in public relations and marketing.

She says she’s loving working for such a dynamic international company and sees a bright future with them.

“I’ve only been here, officially, for a week but what stands out most to me is the team’s positivity, passion for the Ziptrek product and belief in its value to Queenstown’s adventure tourism community.”


About Ziptrek
Ziptrek Ecotours is a spectacular two-hour flying fox operation and interpretative guided tour in the forest canopy atop Skyline Gondola, high above Queenstown.

‘Zippers’ either ride the Skyline Gondola or walk up the Skyline track to check in at the Ziptrek Guest Services tree.

From the moment guests check in, to the moment they complete the tour, they are in the trees, high above the ground, and privy to stunning panoramic lake and mountain views of Queenstown and its surrounds.

Zippers are outfitted with a climbing harness and attached to the cable with a pulley to take part in a two hour journey through the forest. They then step off a series of architecturally designed, beautifully constructed aerial launch platforms to “zzziiiip” down the cable from tree to tree. Zippers can control their speed and thrill factor by zipping in different positions – frontwards, backwards, sideways, upside down and ‘Spiderman-style’! Between flying foxes, Ziptrek guides deliver an interpretive talk with a strong ecological focus.

Ziptrek’s all-weather, all-abilities tour operates year round and is perfect for families (min. age 7), individuals and groups.

About the company
Ziptrek Ecotours was founded in 2001 in Whistler, Canada, when business school graduates Charles Steele and David Udow came together to create an adventure ecotourism business. Their goal was to provide a unique experience combining nature-based learning with a rush of adrenaline. Not satisfied with traditional business models they set their sights on getting ‘back to nature’ in a way that would marry their business sensibilities with their love of the outdoors and passion for the environment.

Ziptrek has now become a must-do, award-winning adventure ecotourism business famed for delivering an awareness and appreciation of the natural environment along with a good dollop of adrenaline.

Trent Yeo, an Australian by birth and New Zealander by residence, joined the company as an employee and soon committed to a partnership that would open a Ziptrek operation in Queenstown, New Zealand. He has spent four years in the resort town researching sites and developing the business which will run to similar exacting standards as Ziptrek Whistler. The activity is expected to become an integral part of Queenstown’s adventure tourism menu.