Out on These Streets: Pride in Place is a 4-part podcast series exploring the art of creating LGBTQIA+ Rainbow walk tours. In this fourth and final episode, hosts Gareth and Roger of Walk Tours NZ look at what happens on the day of the walk tour, how to manage participants and reflect on some exciting outcomes that we've experienced through running walk tours.
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In this final episode of the Out On These Streets podcast series, hosts Gareth Watkins and Roger Smith of Walk Tours NZ walk listeners through the actual day of delivering a Rainbow walk tour. They provide a wealth of practical tips on managing the group, staying on time, creating a warm and engaging atmosphere, and making the experience memorable for all involved.
The episode opens with a recap of the first three parts of the series, which covered the inspiration behind the tours, the process of research and writing, and promotion and registration management. Now, the spotlight turns to what it’s like on the ground, the day the tour goes live.
They start by addressing a listener question about feeling overwhelmed by too much information. Roger recommends using AI tools like NotebookLM, Claude, or ChatGPT to help summarise research into key points. These can be especially helpful for building timelines, bullet points, or mind maps to distil complex information into something manageable—though they note it’s always vital to fact-check the results.
Listener Kim chimes in with a reminder about sensory elements, such as perfume, used during tours. Gareth and Roger mention that on Carmen’s tour they spray Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds, Chrissy Witoko's favourite scent, to evoke a sense of place and time. They highlight how appealing to multiple senses—sound, sight, smell—deepens the historical experience and emotional engagement.
Preparing for the tour starts early. On the morning of a tour, Gareth and Roger rehearse their scripts, especially since they only run each tour infrequently. Practising helps warm up their voices, refine delivery, and ensure they remember the structure. Roger notes the importance of smiling while speaking, as it naturally warms the tone and creates a more welcoming vibe.
Before the tour, they also do a reconnaissance walk of the route to check for any obstacles like roadworks or clashing events, and they aren’t afraid to alter the route if needed. Tour atmosphere begins the moment participants arrive. The hosts make a point to greet everyone—even passersby who occasionally end up joining the tour spontaneously. They arrive early, display a rainbow-themed flipbook as a visual signal, and aim to start and end punctually, which people appreciate.
The tour begins with a welcome, a brief overview of the route and duration, and a chance for attendees to say their first name and where they’re from. This helps everyone connect and gives the hosts a sense of how to tailor content depending on the audience—be it locals or international visitors. Housekeeping includes safety reminders like sticking together at pedestrian crossings, not blocking public paths, and forming semicircles around speakers at each stop to avoid wind and noise interference.
Throughout the walk, they recommend keeping the group together and being flexible in response to the pace of walkers or changing conditions. Roger keeps a running count of participants to ensure no one is left behind. They also give regular time updates, such as how many stops remain or how far through the tour they are, helping participants manage their energy.
Adaptability is key. Roger and Gareth often adjust content on the fly depending on the group. They welcome questions and are open to corrections, having been enriched by participants who share new information or personal experiences tied to the places and people featured on the tour. The philosophy behind their approach is communal learning—they don’t position themselves as all-knowing experts, but rather as facilitators of shared knowledge.
Timekeeping remains crucial, even while fostering this relaxed and open environment. At the end of each tour, they thank participants for their presence and energy, acknowledge the shared experience, and promote upcoming tours or invite attendees to complete a short feedback survey. Their free SurveyMonkey survey asks how people found the tour, why they attended, and whether the timing suited them. Motivations for attending range from learning about rainbow history, to meeting new people, supporting loved ones, or simply discovering more about Wellington.
They share glowing feedback from attendees who felt energised and grateful, praising both the content and delivery of the tours. One participant called it a “masterclass”, highlighting how a good walk tour balances informative material with engaging presentation.
The episode closes by reflecting on some of the bigger, unexpected outcomes of running the tours over a eight year period. One early tour was attended by someone from Heritage New Zealand, sparking the creation of the Rainbow List—believed to be the first national register of rainbow heritage sites in the world. Others have planned trips to Wellington around the tour dates. They’ve also developed virtual walk tours for those unable to attend in person and included NZSL interpreters to improve accessibility.
Perhaps most importantly, the tours have inspired others to launch their own local versions, which helped motivate Gareth and Roger to create this podcast series. They’ve been humbled and uplifted by learning from participants, hearing new stories, and keeping rainbow histories alive. Their final thoughts reflect pride in the diverse audiences they’ve connected with, joy in offering something meaningful for free, and a renewed sense of how everyday places hold powerful, hidden histories—if we only stop and take the time to look.
This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.
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