Te Anau tourism identity Paul Norris has been awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZN) in the New Year’s Honours list for 2020 for his services to the tourism industry and conservation.

Mr Norris, the general manager of Real Journeys and Go Orange, said he was “completely blindsided” when he was told about the award.

“I didn’t think in 100 years they would give that to me. I am obviously very honoured and privileged. It is still sinking in,” he told the Southland App last week.

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Paul Norris got his start in tourism in 1985, working for John and Mary Lee at Cardrona Alpine Resort in administration and sales.

It was the year the company was listed on the stock exchange and the original McDougall’s lift was built.

His career in tourism blossomed and in 1993, he started working for Fiordland Travel (Real Journeys) at Milford Sound as assistant manager.

Before long he was managing Manapouri/Doubtful Sound, by 2003 he was area manager for the Fiordland operation and looking after key business relationships and by 2012 he was operations manager for the entire company.

Mr Norris has also been a Milford Sound Tourism board for 15 years and has taken a lead role in many conservation initiatives, including the $500,000 Cooper Island Restoration Project.

“That’s the thing about this area – I’m dealing with great people. It’s all about relationships and trust,” says Paul.

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He has now worked 28 years in tourism, most of that time with Real Journeys, a privately-owned tourism business founded in 1954 by tourism and conservation pioneers Sir Les and Olive Hutchins.

The company now comes under the umbrella of Wayfare, a new corporate identity formed in 2018 to represent Real Journey’s five brands, Real Journeys, Cardrona Alpine Resort, Go Orange, International Antarctic Centre and Canyon Food & Brew Co.

Real Journeys has operations from Stewart Island to Queenstown – including the Te Anau Glowworm Caves, world renowned cruises through Milford and Doubtful Sounds, the heritage steamship TSS Earnslaw and Walter Peak High Country Farm and multi-day Discovery Expeditions.

Mr Norris said he could not single out any one highlight in his career thus far.

He had grown into his position and thoroughly enjoyed working in an iconic area for a family company with strong conservation values that aligned with his own personal values, he said.

Paul Norris enjoys developing and growing new products, designing and building projects and being part of a team. PHOTO: Supplied

Real Journeys and its seasonal staff took a massive hit in February from cancelled bookings after flooding closed the Milford road, followed by the end of international tourism caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Norris said the opportunity for 2021 was to rebuild tourism by gradually welcoming Australians and other international travellers back into the fold.

“Every week and every month it is better news in relation to opening international borders. As tourism rebuilds, international visitors will be a big part of getting our economy moving again in our region. I am looking forward to welcoming Australians first, then the other countries,” he said.

Mr Norris said he was pleased to see the Government was starting to put some dates around when borders might reopen.

In his view, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe would need until October next year to “sort their countries out’’ before they could visit again, “but Australians could be here at a week’s notice”.

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Mr Norris was looking forward to sharing the news with his family over New Year but would be spend his summer holidays at work.

“I don’t have a holiday at this time of the year. It is the busiest time for our region. It is important for me to be around. I will the duty manager over Christmas and New Year,” he said.

Mr Norris said felt very blessed to have a loyal work team around him who shared similar visions and a passion for kaitiakitanga (guardianship) for the region.

Working with likeminded people meant the team could make a difference for the region, he said.

Another way he liked to make a difference was with predator control teams throughout the region.

The recent Coopers Inlet project in conjunction with the Department of Conservation is controlling predators and bringing back birdlife, while Real Journey’s annual Cruise-for-a-Cause has raised over $260,000 in the last five years to help organisations like Forest and Bird and the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital. 

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Mr Norris also chairs the ambitious Predator Free Rakiura project on Stewart Island, a group he has been involved with since 2008. 

The aspiration is to create a predator free island. 

The project launched in September and has significant funding from the Department of Conservation to start feasibility planning and design.

Reflecting on his career, Mr Norris said his contribution had probably been to help ensure Wellington decision-makers gained a greater understanding of what really happens in the southern environment to reach the best outcomes.  

“I’ve always tried to make sure the community is at the centre of almost every decision.  It’s important that the people who live and work in these environments have a say on what influence it will have on their way of life,” he said.