Shotover Jet customers take the thrills home

New technology on board Shotover Jet’s Big Red boats means customers can now easily relive the thrills of their high-speed adrenalin trip as soon as they’re back on dry land.

Following an upgrade to its systems, the iconic Queenstown-based tourism operator can now deliver a take home DVD ‘Jet-Cam’ pack to customers in the time it takes them to walk from the boat to the base building.
The format and footage of the DVDs has been updated from a previous version which captured just the first three minutes of the trip.  New recording equipment now captures five separate trip segments, recording some of the close-up on-board ‘best bits’ as guests experience everything from narrow rock-lined canyons to high-speed spins, and shots showing a wider perspective of each group in their boat.

Using wi-fi technology, footage from each trip is transmitted back to the Shotover Jet base building and inserted into a take-home souvenir package for guests to enjoy at home.

“Shotover Jet has always had a commitment to being at the cutting-edge of innovation,” said Shotover Jet General Manager Clark Scott.  “This is most evident in the development of our boat design and safety standards.

“We see this new camera technology as an exciting way to maintain innovation but also to provide our customers with a lasting memory of their entire experience on Shotover Jet. The system is incredibly efficient, as our guests are able to view the footage moments after they get off the boat.

“That means they’re still buzzing about the trip, so it’s seamless.”

The new system brings together of two of Queenstown’s most innovative companies, Shotover Jet and Magic Memories.

Pioneering tourism photography experience company Magic Memories has tailor-made the new camera technology to suit Shotover Jet’s requirements. Dual cameras have been mounted at the front and rear of the boats to capture each guest and their reaction to the thrills of the jet boat trip.

Magic Memories also developed the editing and production suite needed to create the DVDs easily and quickly.  The footage is compiled automatically and ‘storytelling’ intro and outro footage is added to create a personalised record of the guest’s journey. The end result is automatically burned to DVD and sent to the sales area where guests can view it on large screens in the retail area and relive their experience.

“The technology needed to be easy to use and reliable, and most importantly deliver a finished DVD by the time guests came in off the boat,” said Mr Scott.

Magic Memories CEO and co-founder John Wikstrom said the company had a long relationship with Shotover Jet.

“Since day one we’ve strived to enhance the guest’s experience and ensure that our technology is leading the way in enabling Shotover Jet to become the ultimate jet boating experience that it is today.

“We look forward to taking innovation to the next level with them over the coming years.”

Shotover Jet has updated the promotional footage that appears on the DVDs to include stunning aerial footage captured by helicopter.  The aerial shots follow the boats as they speed through the spectacularly narrow Shotover Canyon, so guests get a ‘birds-eye’ view of the incredibly steep canyon rock walls, making it the world’s most exciting jet boat ride.

In order to accommodate the increased level of interest in the DVDs, Shotover Jet has revamped its retail area to make more room and help traffic flow better.

“In the summertime we can have two boatloads arriving in the retail area every fifteen minutes, so that’s 28 people coming through each time,” said Mr Scott.  “We now have enough space for everyone to view their photos and videos.

“The DVDs really are the complete package. Not only do we capture them in some of the most exciting parts of their trip, but we also film them on the beach and on the boat before they set off. ”

A commitment to providing a ‘360-degree experience’ for guests means that jet boat drivers host their passengers all the way up to the base building to watch the footage.

“It’s all about keeping the experience going for our customers and we’re getting really positive feedback on it,” said Mr Scott.