Bring on the drones

Otago Daily Times

19 hours ago

An Australian-based company is pitching drone light shows for Queenstown over three months that'd not only be an amazing spectacle, but could potentially also drive big visitor numbers, especially during shoulder seasons.
Drone Sky Shows, the southern hemisphere's largest drone light show provider, put on Dunedin's first Matariki drone show last winter, with a New Zealand-record 201 drones, and is doing it again this month.
Its first show in Perth, in 2022, drew an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 people.
Shows feature illuminated, synchronised and choreographed groups of drones arranged into various aerial formations — just about any shape can be brought to light.
Local Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sharon Fifield believes the shows, each about 10 minutes long, would be perfect for Queenstown.
''What I like about the concept is it's something a bit different, it's low-impact to the environment, unlike fireworks, and then people can come into Queenstown and have a bit of a show before they head out to dinner and to the bars.
''Even our animals might like it.
''Events are perfect for these quieter times and for getting locals to come into town.
''We've lost Luma from the Gardens but it's almost taking Luma into the sky with a kind of light show.''
Luma — now transitioned into a winter-long 'Luma Enchanted' show at Kiwi Park — ran in the Gardens for almost 10 years and last year attracted about 32,000 visitors over King's Birthday Weekend.
However, organisers pulled the plug due to rising costs.
Drone Sky Shows owner Josh Van Ross believes Queenstown's an ''exceptional'' light show venue. He's proposing a 300-to-500-drone show over the Gardens ''which would point back at the town and just blow the socks off anyone who would come there''. ''We'd do a weekly show, Friday or Saturday night, we'd change it up multiple times and we'd love to really drive traffic back to Queens-town when it's shoulder season.''
Van Ross says there could be a ''family-friendly'' 6pm show and another at 9pm.
''This would be a first of its type for New Zealand as a residency — it's the same as kind of what the Maldives and other really high-end tourism destinations have.''
According to a proposal sighted by Mountain Scene, a 'standard' 100-drone show could cost $45,000, rising to $100,000 for 300 drones.
Van Ross says the set-up costs are massive, ''but if we can set up there for two or three months the price per show comes down drastically''.
A sponsor who came onboard could also have their logo beamed at the end of the show, he suggests.
He'd be keen to collaborate with a local artist ''who can really make it speak to the people of Queenstown''.
As far as setting up the show, Van Ross' NZ CEO and 'mission commander' is Queenstown-raised Shane Wild, who lives in Cromwell and stores almost 250 drones himself.
Wild, who commutes to Queenstown most days, says a show would take just three months to organise.
''Mate, I can't believe we haven't done one here yet.''
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