Twice now we’ve had the unique opportunity to work with Grant Dalton and his team at Emirates Team New Zealand. As I mentioned in a previous post, Grant is one of those guys who seeks adventure at every turn. He’s sailed around the world (many times), he’s done some insane motorbike tours, he’s run an Iron Man, and now he’s launched a social media blog for Emirates Team New Zealand… and along the way it all feels like another adventure...
RD2 Launches Emirates Team New Zealand Blog!!
Oct 3 2011
The sport of Sailing in New Zealand is very serious business. Emirates Team New Zealand is an all out business that requires nearly 100 men and women to make racing on the water a thing of passion and beauty. But it’s not all beauty, it’s a lot of work in a competitive world of racing.
The Boss of Emirates Team New Zealand, Grant Dalton, is hard as nails. He’s a real tough guy who has won three Round the World Yacht races. In his spare time Grant does the Iron Man...
New Zealand – Team New Zealand
Jul 15 2011
A key reason for our trip was to visit with Emirates Team New Zealand. Look for some really cool things to come in the near future from RD2 and this crew!
Emirates Team New Zealand is a really amazing organization. We had the chance to meet there most of one of our days. We were able to tour the facility and even go for a ride on one of the chase boats in the bay.
This was such a tremendous learning experience about the history and the culture of Team New Zealand. Here’s a quote from Wikipedia:
Team New Zealand has become a household name in their home country following their consecutive wins in the America’s Cup in 1995 and 2000...
New Zealand – Nature
Jul 14 2011
Before going to visit New Zealand my friends kept telling me it was on their bucket lists. I’d heard for many years about the beauty of New Zealand and words can’t describe it. Keep in mind I did visit during the winter time so it was a different kind of beauty. One that I appreciated very much coming from the Texas 100+ degree heat.
Of course there’s beauty in the city, but to really take in the beauty in Auckland, the quickest and easiest thing to do is to take the ferry over to Waihiki Island...
New Zealand – Sailing
Jul 13 2011
New Zealand – Culture
Jul 12 2011
The Culture in New Zealand was in some ways similar to that of the United States and in many ways different. Firstly, there was not a single person we met that was not very interested in talking to us or sharing their knowledge of New Zealand, the history, what to see, the brands of NZ, or any other thing really.
Overall I think I must have lost 5 pounds from walking throughout the city of Auckland. It’s funny but it seems like a lot of people walk or use alternative transportation such as bicycles, scooters, or ferry. Also, we visited in the winter so it was a bit chilly. One of the things that did impress me was the dress...
Pals in New Zealand
Jul 11 2011
For the New Zealand trip, it was about friends too. We’ve got several friends we have come to know in working on New Zealand Projects. This helped out a lot as there was always someone to give us a guided tour, finding all the great cafes, the great shops, and generally feeling comfortable in a city so far away.
Here’s a shot of Andy Lark and Greg Cross at Greg’s office in Auckland. Andy’s soaking up some precious bandwidth as we did every chance we could...
Taste of New Zealand
Jul 7 2011
My first meal was at Cafe Melba. Amazing, Amazing, Amazing. Andy and Greg introduced us to the “Flat White” and the “Long Black.” Of course it had been a long flight so we needed massive amounts of coffee. Upon my first taste I was stunned...