Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) has sent a formal invitation to New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Adern and her family to holiday in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef.
TTNQ Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen wrote the letter in support of City Terraces Cairns Holiday Apartment owners Will and Lyn Melville-Rea who sent a video invitation to the Prime Minister’s office for her to kick off a trans-Tasman bubble in Cairns.
Ms Adern’s private secretary thanked them and the email was tweeted by the couple’s daughter Hannah Melville-Rea which prompted a response from Ms Adern’s fiancé Clarke Gayford.
Mr Gayford, who fronts popular New Zealand television show Fish of the Day, wanted to know if the fishing was any good in Cairns and thought the Melville-Reas were adorable parents.
“I’ll put Cairns on a family holiday shortlist for some time in the future … whenever that may be,” he wrote.
The Melville-Reas offered to babysit Neve Adern Gayford so New Zealand’s first couple could dine out and suggested the three visit Muddy’s Playground and the Cairns Aquarium.
Mr Olsen wrote saying he hoped Ms Adern and her family would be on the first direct flight available from New Zealand to Cairns and that the region was world famous for fishing.
“From June to August is a great time of the year to shoot an episode of Fish of the Day as this is when our iconic Great Barrier Reef species are active,” he wrote.
“Coral trout, largemouth nannygai and red emperor are the favourites with anglers and these three large red sports fish look amazing on film.
“The water is a cool 21C and crystal clear on the Great Barrier Reef while daytime temperatures are around 26-27C so you won’t work up a sweat hauling in your catch.
“I can’t express how honoured we would be to have you and your family visit our region. It would bring a positive touch and message to our hurting tourism industry.”
The story of the video invitation was picked up by the New Zealand Herald.
This is the second invitation for Ms Adern to holiday in Cairns with Member for Cairns Michael Healy issuing one after bumping into her at a restaurant in northern New South Wales.