Nicko Mannix has always been a thrill seeker.
Nicko calls Wanaka on New Zealand’s South Island home – an ideal base for his thrill-seeking lifestyle, but it hasn’t always been easy to get involved in such activities.
Nicko was living in Australia back in 2014 when he was run-down by a reversing car. The driver left him with fractured vertebrae, collapsed lungs, multiple broken bones and in a coma, but help from a stranger meant that he survived. Nicko went through a tough recovery being told that some of the injuries he had suffered were indeed permanent – he was now a tetraplegic.
This life changing event brought out his passion for more accessible adventures. This passion led Nicko to meet Jezza Williams, a fellow outdoorsman and Kiwi who also happens to be a tetraplegic.
Through their relationship, Nicko has been able to continue his love affair with thrills, jumping off bridges (see the video below), paragliding and much more…
Jezza runs his own inclusive tourism business called Making Trax (https://www.makingtrax.co.nz/), a company with an incredible vision according to their website:
“Our vision is to see New Zealand tourism embrace all abilities and adapt their offerings, providing ultimate experiences to all. Making Trax is a Charitable Trust dedicated to inclusive tourism.
Diversity is the Only thing all humans have in common!”
Jezza’s work is an extension of his own lifestyle. Like Nicko, he loves an adventure and the thrill of doing new things. In just a few words, Jezza has made the whole concept of inclusive tourism sound simple:
“It’s about advanced customer care, that’s all inclusive tourism is. It’s looking out for the customer that comes through your door.”
Jezza, through Making Trax, works with a wide range of tourism operators, including rafting, skydiving, paragliding and kayaking, to make their businesses more inclusive. They do this through assisting them with special harnesses and processes to make whatever they offer truly available to anyone.
Nicko has regularly placed his confidence in operators that Jezza and Making Trax have worked with and his advice for anyone looking for thrills is:
“If Jezza has worked with the company, you know that the people that are working that day are confident, the safety gear is all legit and you’re not going to be rejected.”
So, if you are looking for adventure (when travel opens up again), we recommend taking a look at Making Trax. Go find a thrill in Queenstown – there are lots to do.
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