Northland to star in film project for international students
Northland will take the starring role in a film project aimed at promoting the region to the country’s international students as a place of cultural and historical significance.
Project Raki is the first joint-partnership between Study Northland – part of the Northland Inc Business, Innovation and Growth team – and Study Auckland, the International education arm of Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), and will involve three days of filming throughout Northland, starting on November 24. This follows the memorandum of understanding signed on September 24 between the two economic development agencies.
A production crew will follow four international student ambassadors from Auckland and Northland as they explore the region. Along the way, they will take part in a range of activities on both land and sea, from horse riding on the beach at Whangārei Heads to touring the hives at Tahi Honey in Pataua North, and kayaking, snorkelling and fishing in the Bay of Islands.
Study Northland Project Manager Jo Lees said expert guides from each location would play a key role in filming as they passed on unique local knowledge and highlighted the region’s cultural significance, adventure hotspots and environmental projects.
She said the completed film would be showcased to youth visitors, including international and working holiday youth, both in Auckland and overseas. “It’s a unique way of promoting the amazing array of experiences on offer in Northland and, for the 80,000-plus international students in Auckland, we’re the perfect destination for a weekend away to discover our stunning scenery, and enjoy the slower pace and friendly faces of Northland.”
Study Northland works with schools and tertiary institutions by helping to promote Northland domestically and internationally as a study destination.
Ms Lees said Northland was an increasingly popular destination for international students and other young travellers, with up to 80,000 international tertiary students in Auckland every year looking for unique and authentic experiences out of the city. The film project, with its colourful local itinerary, aimed to build on that momentum.