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LAKES WEEKLY

LOCALLY OWNEDSINCE FOREVER BULLETIN

Save money (with a side of saving the planet)

Friday, 5 June is World Environment Day, and this year the focus is on climate action now. As the saying goes: the best time to act was yesterday and the second-best time is right now. Too often, World Environment Day becomes a marketing push for large corporation’s glossy goals and “wins” that feel completely unrelatable to small, local operators.

Queenstown’s natural playground and clean, green image are the very reasons people choose to live here and tourists choose to visit. Yet, we already know e ripple e ec s e en s like pande ics ding and landslides can a e on our community and economy. Against that backdrop, climate talk can easily devolve into doom and gloom.

I want local businesses to look at this through the lens of cost savings. In a di ﬁcul i e r c s li ing aking a p si i e en ir n en al i pac can direc l eneﬁ ur line

If you’re going to act, make it worth your while. At a back-of-the-envelope level, your expenses are a rough guide to where you should prioritise your efforts to reduce ur en ir n en al i pac and als ﬁnd cas sa ings r s l cal businesses, the highest costs sit in electricity, transport, and staff turnover. Plug your energy leaks. Are you running a heat pump with an open door in a busy retail store? Install an air curtain. Are your cooktops still gas? Transitioning to elec ric ers eal and ip p cke eneﬁ s l cal ig lu e c ercial all-electric kitchens doing exactly that. Add doors to open commercial fridges (like the supermarkets have done) or schedule regular maintenance for your heat pump, gives you bang-for-electricity-buck.

Are you still scratching your head about your high electricity bills? Get someone in to see what is using the most power to save you money (known as an energy audit).

Invest in resilience. If you own your building, ask your bank about a low or zero interest ‘green loan’ for solar panels. This effectively locks in your electricity rate which feels unheard of in a world of ever-increasing power bills. Paired with a backup battery, your building becomes a resilient asset when the eventual Alpine Fault (AF8) earthquake occurs.

Where else is cash slipping away? Is your team regularly late - stuck along Frankton Road before hunting for a carpark? Staff incentives like upfront e-bike funding, preloaded bus passes or a simple WhatsApp ride share group saves cash for you and your staff.

How about your rubbish costs? Can you set up simple sorting systems? Glass and d rganics are e ea ies i e s eeping e u e landﬁll ill drastically reduce your commercial waste bills.

l i a el aking ac i n s uldn eel una aina le i s a u u ure pr ﬁng your business to be ‘sustainable’ in every way. It can help attract and keep your staff, improves how customers perceive us, and builds a buffer for the next business ‘rainy day’. Climate action shouldn’t feel out of reach, it’s just good business.

by Meredith Gee - Sustainability Consultant

Sunny and the yetis at 2026 Snowfest Downtown Rail Jam in town Friday night organised by Coronet Peak and The Remarkables

ON THE APP THIS WEEK

otorists reminded to carry and ﬁt c ains as ne inter enforcement begins

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is reminding motorists to take extra care on alpine r ads is in er and e prepared ﬁ sn chains when required.

r e firs i e ris s ail fi c ains in snowy or icy conditions on Council managed r ads a ace a fine en rcea le under e ra fic and arking la lice ill e responsible for issuing infringements.

QLDC Strategic Asset Manager Alison Tomlinson said keeping the district’s alpine routes moving safely was essential.

“Winter conditions can change quickly, especially on alpine routes like the Crown Range and ski ﬁeld r ads s i p r an a ris s n nl carr c ains in eir car u kn ﬁ them.”

“Introducing enforcement will help ensure grit trucks can access and clear major routes as quickly as possible. In previous years, vehicles stuck or abandoned in snow have delayed road crews and slowed efforts to reopen critical roads,” she said.

QLDC staff or contractors will assess conditions and determine when snowfall or ice has made a road unsafe. Enforcement may occur when a “chains required” variable message sign (VMS) is displa ed r en lice ski ﬁeld pera rs r s a r c n rac rs ins ruc dri ers ﬁ chains.

While the Crown Range Road is one of the district’s most high risk alpine routes, the require en carr and fi c ains applies all Council managed roads where conditions warrant it. This includes popular access roads, such as the r u e up r ne eak ski field and lice ill ake an educa i n firs approach at the beginning of the 2026 winter season.

Motorists are also reminded that gates on the Crown Range Road may be closed during severe weather, and up to date closure information is available on the QLDC Facebook page, website homepage or the NZTA’s Journey Planner. Always follow the instructions of road staff and any variable message signs.

Ms Tomlinson encouraged drivers to check conditions before travelling, allow extra time, and pull er sa el ﬁ c ains e re reac ing ic r steep sections.

“We all have a part to play in keeping our roads safe this winter. Our daily winter road report is a great way to know what to expect and help you to make safe travel choices,” she said.

by Sue Fea

cal firefig ers pulled s e i pressi e ea s a e irefig er k er allenge recen l i rank n lun eers ec ing e firs l cal ea win a grand trophy for their fundraising, placing third in their 6 to 9-member category nationally.

Karl Argyle, Matt Phare, Criag McIntosh, Shiyee Teo, Jamie Harris and Tania Sedunary raised a whopping $36,633 as a team – an average of $6105 each. rg le als cl cked an i pressi e inu es sec nds e as ﬁ out of 98 in his ‘Grand Masters’ class and 91st out of 1101 entrants – 84th fastest among the males.

Argyle says Queenstown Brigade’s Tania Stone also made an exceptional effort in the individual section, raising $12,700, while Queenstown Airport ﬁreﬁg er ee Win er as e as es l cal in is ear s e en inu es seconds.

The hugely popular mass fundraising event that’s been running for 22 years n raises unds r l d ancer and a rac s firefig ers r all er New Zealand, who train for months to take on the Auckland Sky Tower’s gruelling 1103 steps in full kit and wearing 25kgs of breathing apparatus. Argyle says he started training in January in full kit and breathing apparatus initially doing the weekly Park Runs around Queenstown Gardens. e firs r und k inu es u e las ne a as inu es seconds.”

His previous time when he last did the event four years ago was 14 minutes 39 seconds.

During training in 2022 he caused quite a stir after coming across two hunters – only one of whom knew him.

“I was running up Wye Creek in full kit wearing breathing apparatus and had taken our family dog with me,” Karl grins.

“One of the hunters radioed to his mate and said: ‘I’m not taking drugs, but a gu us ran pas e in ull ﬁreﬁg ing ki earing rea ing appara us carr ing a i e u d g rg le laug s

“The other guy replied on the radio, ‘It’s ok. That’ll be Karl’.” as n s cli as is ﬁrs real exercise since a e en ur ears ag so Argyle was pleased with his time and the money they raised during all that

“shaking the bucket” around town.

“I’d really like to thank the community for their help giving us all of those donations. That was really cool,” he says.

Organiser Tony Scott says this year’s event was sold out within 13 minutes and they had to turn 200 eager participants away.

“We had 1200 entrants, almost 8% of the country’s entire Fire Service all in one place. That’s up 100 from last year,” he says.

The climb raised more than $2 million this year, also a record, and has raised more than $20.2 million for the cause in its 22 years.

Scott says Blood Cancer NZ have been humbled by the huge efforts and sacrifices e firefig ers

“They say it’s phenomenal and what they’ve done has been a huge help. s ena led s a e e pl ed pa ien s need i recei e ﬁnancial assistance, advocacy, and exciting new research.”

Frankton Brigade’s Stair Climb crew, from left, Karl Argyle, Matt Phare, Criag McIntosh, Shiyee Teo, Jamie Harris and Tania Sedunary among the star fundraisers at the event

CLASS – Central Lakes Arts Support Scheme

A guide and the application form is available online to assist with the funding process - scan the QRcode.

Funding rounds close on the 15th of each month

Funding is now available for community–based arts groups, with the aim of the scheme is to increase participation in the arts at a local level, and increase the range and diversity of arts available to communities. For any enquiries

HireKING is your friendly and helpful one-stop shop for all your construction site and event needs! Give us a call today to ﬁnd out how we can help.

CRIMELINE

by Sue Fea

Unfair Game

A couple of alleged, teenage poachers – one from Lake Hayes and one from Cromwell, were spoken to by Police who executed search warrants on Wednesday, 27 May, after two prize breeding stags, worth between $US30,000 and $US50,000, were shot and killed on a Bendigo farm.

Police say the two prize stags were shot and killed on the private land on Sunday, 17 May. Police inquiries led to two youths, one from Queenstown and one from Cromwell, being spoken to for alleged unlawful hunting.

“Following lines of enquiry, Police from Cromwell and Queenstown executed search warrants early Wednesday morning, 27 May, at addresses in Cromwell and Lake Hayes,” a Police spokesperson says.

The pair have been referred to a youth justice process.

ne e u s is a ﬁrear s licence lder and lice sa e sei ed is licence as ell as ﬁrear s during e execu i n e searc arran

Police also recovered antlers, which the spokesperson says were believed to have belonged to the two stags. These are being returned to the Bendigo owner.

Police urge report poaching

Police are urging anyone who’s been a victim of poaching to report this amid what they say is an ongoing issue across the wider district.

While they’re pleased to have caught the two alleged young offenders to hold them to account, they say they’re “disappointed with unlawful hunting ccurring in e ﬁrs place

“Unfortunately, poaching and unlawful hunting continues to be an ongoing issue across the wider district,” a Police spokesperson says.

Hunting without explicit permission from a landowner, farmer, or forestry manager is illegal. On public conservation land, a Department of Conservation (DOC) permit is mandatory.

Police say the laws are in place not only for personal safety reasons, but also r e n e ec r e da age caused rural residen s ar ers properties and trophy hunting businesses.

Anybody who’s been a victim of poaching is urged to make a report to Police via 105. Police urge anybody who has been a victim of poaching to make a report to Police. People can call or ‘make a report’ on the website online.

Searle Lane assault

A 30-year-old Rotorua man has been charged with injures with intent to injure after an alleged assault in Searle Lane at 1.20am on Saturday, 23 May. Constable Amanda Shute says the offender has allegedly punched the male victim in the face three times, causing an injury to the victim’s mouth. The Rotorua man will appear in the Queenstown District Court on Monday.

Hang on to your passport!

Police are urging ski season partygoers and visitors using their passport for ID to keep it on their person at all times while out enjoying the bars and clubs. Senior Sergeant Glenn Wilkinson says missing passports can be a prevalent problem during the winter season, whether they’ve been accidentally picked up by someone or stolen, especially when left in jackets that people have hung up or removed while in a bar.

“If their passport is their only ID then that becomes a major. We get a lot of that,” Wilkinson says.

“People can get up the next day and realise they’ve left their jacket behind, or their jacket is missing, go back to the bar and it’s not there,” he says. “They a a e ig s ca c and a e g r ug e le pr cedure ge a new passport. Never leave valuables of any kind in a jacket,” he says. Police often have passports, driver’s licences and cellphones handed in and generally people are very honest. “But if you’re missing your passport and u a e a ig ca c especiall i i s an erseas passp r r a foreign country, that can be a major,” he says. Keep valuables in your pocket, not out of sight and not in your jacket once you’ve taken it off.

20km/hr passing a stationary school bus

Police are warning they’ll be out targeting drivers who break the 20km/ hr speed limit when passing a stationary school bus that’s dropping off or picking up schoolchildren. Shute says they want to remind drivers to slow down to 20km/hr even if they are on the other side of the road. “Police will be out monitoring speeds on local bus routes,” she says.

LAKES WEEKLY POLL

LWB regularly polls locals on issues affecting our region. This week’s responses are below.

Do you think we need stronger regional and national energy planning?

Yes - 84%

No - 2%

Not sure - 13%

Do you think Queenstown's infrastructure is keeping up with its growth?

Yes - 1%

No - 83%

Not sure - 16%

Are you driving less because of the cost of fuel?

Yes - 51%

No - 47%

I don't drive regardless - 2%

Do you know who you'll be voting for in this year's election?

I always vote for the same party - 20%

I'll decide closer to the time - 70%

I think they're all clowns and won't vote - 10%

Have you attended any exhibitions or workshops at Te Atamira since it opened four years ago?

Yep, I do regularly - 12%

Yes, I do occasionally - 30%

No but I would like to - 29%

No and I have no interest - 29%

There were 90 respondents this week.

If you would like to take part: you can sign up on the LWB Facebook page.

COMMUNITY NOTES

Geeks on Wheels, a nationwide mobile tech support company, is expanding to The Queenstown-Lakes District, with plans to offer free community tech help sessions focused on scam awareness and online safety. eeks as ﬁciall launc ed ser ices acr ss ueens n W naka len rc r ell and the surrounding areas, bringing its mobile computer repair and technology support ser ice e regi n r e ﬁ rs i e

The company says one of it’s biggest priorities in the area will be helping locals feel re c nﬁden and sa e using ec n l g particularly as online scams continue to target e er da i is

As part of the launch, Geeks on Wheels is in i ing l cal c uni gr ups and re ire en illages regis er r ree nline safety workshops and presentations. The focus of these sessions will be online safety, sca a areness and sca iden iﬁca i n

We e een running ese sessi ns all er New Zealand for the last few years and the response is always fantastic,” said Manfred James – Geeks on Wheels Marketing uper is r We c er pics like identifying scams and new tactics they’re using, as well as good habits users can adopt to i pr e eir nline sa e is is information anyone using the internet needs to know, and we’re excited to help.”

Founded in Wellington in 2005, eeks n W eels pr ides mobile tech support throughout New Zealand, with technicians ra elling direc l es and businesses rather than traditional s res and rks ps er icing the newest region is Alejandro, a Queenstown local originally from rgen ina i er ears hands-on computing experience.

“Alejandro has exactly the kind of calm, people-focussed approach a ur cus ers l e a es says. “He thoroughly enjoys

elping pe ple eel a i ner us ar und technology and it’s constant changes, that’s a akes i e per ec ﬁ

Geeks on Wheels says the regions mix of retirees, families, remote workers and small usinesses ade ueens n a na ural ﬁ for expansion. Any groups interested in a free tech help session can reach out to marketing@geeksonwheels.co.nz

akes Weekl gi es c uni rganisa i ns in ueens n akes e c ance address ur readers direc l ug ur uni es page If you’d like to take part, email Jess at info@qmg.co.nz

PHOTO PAGE

A look back at May - the calm before the storm As shoulder season comes to a close, locals are getting ready to hand back town to the tourists. What a great creative month we’ve had to ourselves though with new venues, locals’ discounts, live theatre, workshops, charity events and more. There’s plenty coming up with the un ains pening earl

Sky City launch Level Two Bar & Lounge, their new relaxed bar and social space, offering all day dining, cocktails, beer and wine.

Thursday, 14 May to Saturday, 23 May

Photo credit: Chris Youell Photography

9 to 5 The Musical, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton

Pink Ribbon Breakfast at Odd Saint, 21 May

The Boat Shed Bakery Run Club with Izzy Elevates, every Saturday at 9am

e a ira urned ur in a app ir da

GOINGS ON ABOUT

EVENTS - MUSIC - ART

COMMUNITY

Women’s Sisterhood Sauna

If you’ve been craving sisterhood lately, Wellspace would love for you to join their weekly women’s sauna. Each week they explore a new theme and topic while moving through three nourishing rounds of sauna and c ld plunge ll ed ea ar und e ﬁre ge er Come with your heart open, ready to relax, connect, and share on a deeper level in a safe, supportive space with like-minded women. Register at their website.

When: Every Thursday, 7.30pm – 8.45pm Where: Wellspace, 59 Boyd Road, Kawarau Falls

Residency Changes for Hospo/Tourism Workers

Confused about which Residency pathway could work for you? With the immigration changes coming in August, you might now qualify for Residency – even if you didn’t before. If you work in Tourism or Hospitality, this event is for YOU! Citizens Advice Bureau break down the changes in simple terms, explain the most common pathways, and help make sense of all the immigration jargon. (Although… it is Immigration NZ, so we can’t promise it’ll be completely si ple e al ng ask ques i ns and ﬁnd u a ur p i ns c uld look like.

When: Wednesday, 3 June, 11.30am

Where: Queenstown Memorial Hall, 1 Memorial Street, Queenstown

Strategic Planning Workshops

A clear strategic plan helps your organisation stay focused, make good decisions, and get better results from the work you do. This workshop introduces you to the fundamentals of strategic planning. Designed speciﬁcall r c uni gr ups and r purp se organisations, this session will cover: understanding what a strategic plan is and why it matters, how to identify your purpose, vision, and values, setting strategic priorities and measurable goals, and how to translate those goals into an action plan. You’ll leave with templates, tools, and a clear starting point to help get s ar ed n ur s ra egic plan ere s a rks p in W naka n uesda 26 May, or Queenstown on Thursday, 4 June. Register for Queenstown at events.humanitix.com/strategic-planning-queenstown-workshop

When: Thursday, 4 June, 5.30pm – 7.30pm Where: Salvation Army, 8 Pin Oak Drive, Frankton

Westpac Queenstown Women

in Business Conference

From rockets to lingerie, this year’s Westpac Queenstown Women in Business Conference is set to soar! With an exceptional line up spanning global aerospace, media, entrepreneurship and leadership, the 2026 programme brings their theme, Inspiring nﬁdence li e

When: Friday, 5 June, 9am – 5pm

Where: Bloom Conference Room, QT Queenstown, 38-54 Lake Esplanade, Queenstown

Pink Ribbon Lunch

Next month Sudima Queenstown at Five Mile is hosting a Pink Ribbon Lunch in partnership with Custom Mortgages. Enjoy a relaxed afternoon of lunch, u les ra e and es dressed pri es p fun, and hear from special guest speaker Katherine Froggatt of Breast Wise. A portion of each ticket sale will be donated to Breast Cancer Foundation. Tickets are $75 and can be reserved by emailing alia@sudimahotels.com

When: Thursday, 11 June, 12pm

Where: Sudima Queenstown, 20 Grant Road, Frankton

ARTS

Repair & Revive: Sewing Workshop with Tikki Studio

Build the essential skills needed to repair your everyday clothing in this workshop led by Nina from ikki udi earn prac ical ec niques ﬁx c n issues like tears, holes and loose components, helping you to extend the life of your garments and reduce unnecessary waste.

When: Saturday, 6 June, 11am – 1pm

Where: Queenstown Lakes District Library, 10 Gorge Road, Queenstown

Open Studios & Creative Trails

On Sunday, 14 June, Three Lakes Cultural Trust will be celebrating the creative and cultural landscape of our district with a self-guided day of Open Studios & Creative Trails. Explore and experience the diverse range of creative and cultural activity happening across ueens n and W naka udi s rkspaces and cultural sites will be open for you to drop in, meet local artists and practitioners, and get a closer look at the work happening throughout the region.

When: Sunday, 14 June, 9am – 5pm

Where: Sherwood, 554 Frankton Road, Queenstown

Queenstown Language Exchange Social Social meetup for all language learners. Whether you’re just starting out learning a new language or you already speak multiple, come along to practice, meet new people, and have some fun with languages in a friendly setting. No pressure, no structure - just fun chats with like-minded people. This is a new thing for Queenstown. The idea is simple: show up, connect, and improve together. We love providing an opportunity for learners to meet and share tips. The languages will depend entirely on who comes to each social, so bring your friends, coworkers, dates, or anyone keen to join in. The more, the merrier! It is a casual meetup — grab a drink, have a chat, and give it a go. Be bold… you never know who you’ll meet or what you might learn.

When: Thursday, 4 June, 7.30pm – 9.30pm

Where: Ballarat, 7/9 The Mall, Queenstown

THEATRE - AT THE GALLERIES If you would like your show, event,

Call For Entries: The Mountain Remembers Exhibition

Queenstown Arts Society warmly invite you to participate in their upcoming members exhibition, The Mountain Remembers. Shaping. Eroding. Enduring. Mountains witness time beyond humanity. The Mountain Remembers invites artists to explore place, time, memory, and transformation. Geological time. Personal and collective memory. Environmental change. Whakapapa. Myth. Resilience. The quiet persistence of landscape. Works may respond literally or metaphorically — to mountains, to landforms, to enduring presences, or to the act of remembering itself. Artists are encouraged to take an open approach. Submissions are open to all QAS members and more information on entering can be found on the QAS website in the near future.

When: Submission deadline, Thursday, 6 August, 5pm

Lunchspecialsfrom12pm-4pm TuesdaytoSaturday

RemarkablesParkTownCentre

12pm-8.30pm(closedSun-Mon) Menu&onlineordersviaUber&DeliverEasy

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Donna Hewitt – Connect Realty

Showing Up: The Quiet Power of Conﬁdence

There’s something powerful about conﬁdence. Not the loud, look-at-me kind, but the quiet, steady belief in yourself that allows you to step forward, speak up, and back your decisions, even when the path isn’t entirely clear.

This year’s Westpac Queenstown Women in Business theme, Inspiring Conﬁdence, feels especially timely. In a world that continues to shift, economically, socially and technologically, conﬁdence is the thread that helps us navigate change.

But let’s be honest, conﬁdence isn’t something any of us have mastered, it’s something we practice. Daily. It’s built over time - through experience, setbacks and failures, and often through the encouragement of others. A conversation, advice, someone taking a chance on you, these are the moments that quietly shape our belief in what’s possible.

That’s why spaces like the Westpac Women in Business Conference, and this very issue of Women in Business, matter so much. They remind us that behind every “successful” person is a collection of doubts, detours, and small brave moments that built their conﬁdence over time. And importantly, they show us that we can do it too.

Across the Queenstown Lakes, as you’ll see in this issue, we are fortunate to be surrounded by people doing exactly that. Women who are leading businesses, mentoring others, and contributing in ways both big and small. The collective impact is signiﬁcant and something worth celebrating.

Of course, none of this happens in isolation. A huge thank you to our long-standing conference partners, Westpac, Lane Neave Lawyers, Deloitte, Air New Zealand, TomTom Productions, QT Queenstown and Gibbston Valley. These partnerships reﬂect shared values and a commitment to seeing our business community thrive. We’re looking forward to hosting some amazing speakers to inspire us this year – Jenny-May Clarkson, Lucy Blakiston, Ali Mau, Lisa O’Neill, Morgan Connaughton and Lu Blade-Bittle. We can’t wait.

As you read through these pages, I hope you ﬁnd something that resonates or simply a reminder that you’re more capable than you might think. Conﬁdence, at its core, isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about showing up regardless.

Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui, Be strong, be brave and be steadfast

Sharon Fiﬁeld

Chief Executive

Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce

Spotlight on Queenstown businesswomen

Women-led businesses are everywhere in Queenstown - paving the way for an innovative future. From tourism and canine care to communications and hair salons, ambitious women in our region are doing some amazing things in their niches. Here are a few to keep your eye on.

After twelve years focusing on building the creative agency Fluid, this year it was time for something new. I found my place in the economic development team at QLDC which taps into my passion for connecting like-minds and enabling big things to happen.

Economic Futures are a team of seven, responsible for helping foster a healthier local economy. My speciﬁc area of focus is to support people and projects that can diversify our local economy and create new career and business opportunities.

We drive some projects but much of my work is ‘joining the dots’ between good people who have a passion for business and the community. Together we are committed to creating meaningful, well-paid work that allows people to build a future here.

I am a connector and creative-thinker who wants to use my experience to help individuals realise their dreams. I am incredibly privileged to be helping others grow our economy while caring for the environment and each other.

Lauren McMurray left Manchester in 2014 and arrived in Queenstown with a backpack, her scissors, and an unshakeable belief in what she could build. An international award-winning stylist, she brought a passion for bold, fashion-forward colour that quietly transformed the local hair scene and helped put Queenstown on the map as a destination for genuinely worldclass hair.

Today she leads Iron + Ivy Hair Studio at Queenstown Central, the largest and highest-rated salon in Otago, a place that reﬂects everything she has poured into her craft and her community over the past decade.

Her ambition has never stood still. In 2025 she opened Revolver Hair Studio in Arrowtown, bringing her signature boutique, high-end experience to a new community. Through the Iron + Ivy Academy she has also shaped four apprentices into conﬁdent, career-ready stylists, proof that her greatest investment has always been in people.

From Manchester to the mountains of Queenstown, Lauren’s story is one of quiet determination, extraordinary talent, and a genuine commitment to lifting everyone around her.

Lauren McMurray — Iron + Ivy Hair Studio

Bex Woollard — Economic Futures

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Lauren Luque — Hustle & Flow Queenstown

For Lauren Luque, business has always been about people ﬁrst. As the owner of Hustle & Flow, located at the Queenstown Marina, she has built a reformer Pilates studio centred around movement, connection and community. What began in Ōakura, New Plymouth, in 2021 has continued to grow, with Hustle & Flow opening its Queenstown studio in 2024 during an exciting season personally and professionally for Lauren and her family.

The studio offers reformer Pilates classes designed to complement all lifestyleswhether clients are training for sport, balancing busy schedules or simply wanting to feel stronger and healthier. Lauren believes the difference at Hustle & Flow comes from the experience created both inside and outside the studio, with a strong emphasis on community, personalised coaching and making people feel welcome from the moment they walk through the door. Lauren is driven by seeing clients grow in conﬁdence and leave feeling better than when they arrived. For her, being a woman in business has been empowering because it has shown her the value of trusting her instincts, building authentic relationships and creating something meaningful from the ground up.

Michelle Needham — Lane Neave

Originally from the North Island, I have called Queenstown home for nearly 10 years and am a Partner of Lane Neave. I specialise in property law, with expertise spanning conveyancing, property development, subdivisions, overseas investment, leasing, trusts and estate planning.

A key part of my approach is building strong relationships with clients and providing practical, straightforward advice. Property matters can often feel complex or overwhelming, so I focus on making legal processes as easy to understand and navigate as possible. I enjoy working with a broad range of clients, from first-home buyers taking their first step onto the property ladder through to large corporate organisations managing significant developments and investments. I feel very fortunate to be able to live and work in Queenstown and to have one of the most scenic commutes in the country. Our Queenstown office has a great cohesive culture and being part of a nationwide firm means our clients benefit both from local knowledge and access to extensive expertise across a wide range of legal areas which allows us to deliver tailored, high-quality advice.

Rebecca Viale is a Mortgage Adviser at Roost, known for helping clients navigate the home-buying journey with clarity, conﬁdence and genuine care.

At Roost, clients don’t just work with one adviser, they beneﬁt from a collaborative team approach.

Rebecca works alongside a highly experienced lending team, giving clients access to shared knowledge, multiple perspectives, and a more considered path forward, particularly when navigating a complex or fast-moving market.

Rebecca’s role within that team is to bring calm, structure and clarity to what can often feel overwhelming - especially for ﬁrst-home buyers. She focuses on listening ﬁrst, explaining options in plain English, and guiding clients stepby-step so they feel informed and supported.

Clients consistently highlight the difference this makes. One described Rebecca as “a massive asset… very knowledgeable, listened to our needs and stuck with us through multiple attempts to secure the right property.”

Another shared, “We don’t know what we would have done without Rebecca… she explained everything clearly and kindly and answered every question.”

Rebecca’s advice for building conﬁdence is simple: start early and ask questions. Understanding your options ahead of time removes uncertainty and gives you conﬁdence to act when it matters.

To get in touch with Rebecca and the Roost team, visit www.roost.co.nz or call 0800 4 ROOST.

Donna Harpur-Swain — ABC Business Sales Managing Partner, Central Otago and Southland

Most brokers sell businesses. Donna builds relationships with people. The deal, she’ll tell you, is just what happens when the right people connect.

As Managing Partner across Central Otago and Southland, Donna brings together buyers and sellers with genuine care, deep local knowledge and a sharp commercial mind shaped by over 30 years in banking. She understands what both sides need, earns their trust, and makes one of life’s most signiﬁcant transactions as stress-free as possible for everyone involved.

Your business gets one chance to make the right ﬁrst impression. Donna makes sure it counts. Professional video, quality photography and premium presentation put your business in front of serious buyers who are ready to act. It’s an approach her clients feel in the results, and one the industry has recognised too, with Donna named ABC Marketer of the Year four times and her region taking out Regional Ofﬁce of the Year in 2024.

With 25 years spanning Queenstown’s fast-moving business scene and Southland’s tight-knit regional community, her network and knowledge run deep in both directions.

“Selling or buying a business is personal, and I’m proud to guide people through that journey with care, experience, and genuine support.”

Rebecca Viale — Mortgage Adviser, Roost

Liz Walker – Forsyth Barr Ltd

Liz recently stepped into the role of manager for Forsyth Barr’s Queenstown ofﬁce, after more than a decade advising clients in the region. Having worked in ﬁnancial services in major cities, she says the Queenstown market offers a rewarding environment because of its diverse and connected community.

After graduating from the University of Keele in 1995, Liz began her career working for an investment bank in London, before moving to New Zealand with her Kiwi husband. She completed the NZX Diploma in 2008 and joined Forsyth Barr in Auckland, later relocating to Queenstown in 2015.

Today, Liz works with a wide range of clients, from ﬁrst-time investors to high-net-worth individuals and business owners. She says the variety of people and the opportunity to build meaningful relationships are what she enjoys most about the role. As branch manager, Liz combines client work with mentoring staff and overseeing business development, while staying closely connected to global markets to help guide clients through changing conditions.

Outside work, she enjoys Queenstown’s food and wine scene, biking, walking trails, golf, and supporting her son’s ice hockey. This column is general in nature and should not be regarded as ﬁnancial advice.

Donna Hewitt is passionate about supporting and empowering women in business — something deeply influenced by her own journey into real estate. She never planned to become an agent. During the Global Financial Crisis, Donna worked in mortgagee recovery, helping families navigate financial hardship and uncertainty. It taught her resilience, empathy and the importance of lifting people up during difficult times.

After relocating to New Zealand, Donna started as an assistant to a high-performing real-estate agent, determined to learn the industry from the ground up. Within just 18 months, she had sold 37 homes, building a reputation based not on hard sales tactics, but on genuine connection, trust and care for people.

In 2025, Donna founded Connect Realty with a vision to create a more collaborative and supportive real-estate environment — particularly for women building careers and businesses. She believes success grows stronger when people work together, share opportunities and champion one another.

Women bring incredible emotional intelligence, resilience and leadership into business,” Donna says. “I wanted to create a brand that values connection over competition and encourages others to rise together.

Today, Connect Realty continues to grow with a peopleﬁrst philosophy focused on collaboration, community and empowering others through meaningful relationships and shared success.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Hubber – Hub Design Interiors

Mother, interior designer, couples design councillor, household administrator, motorcycle enthusiast, car collector, social butterﬂy.

Founded in 2003, Hub Design Interiors has become a leading name in Queenstown’s interior design scene. The firm has earned several accolades over the last 10 years, including the Southern Region Best Kitchen Award and the coveted People’s Choice Award at the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association (NKBA) Awards in 2024. Carmen’s expertise was first recognised with the Emerging Designer Award in 2014, an honour later passed to her daughter Ruby, in 2023, marking a significant generational milestone.

Hub Design’s commitment to quality craftsmanship and passion for design is deeply rooted in Carmen’s family legacy. 65 years ago, Carmen’s father, David Hubber, and uncle, Lloyd Hubber, started their ﬂooring business in Gore, laying carpet and vinyl. This venture eventually led to Lloyd opening Hubber’s Furnishings in Christchurch, where a 22-year-old Carmen began her own journey in interior design. Carmen takes great pride in the family business, valuing the personal connection it fosters with clients. “I prefer being a face and name behind the business rather than hiding behind a corporation,” she says, emphasizing the personal touch that deﬁnes Hub Design.

With over 30 years of experience, Carmen is the visionary leader at Hub Design. Her deep understanding of trades and construction ensures high standards of craftsmanship and natural materials. “I’m passionate about creating spaces that are both beautiful and functional,” says Carmen. “Each project is crafted to support daily life while reﬂecting the client’s style.”

Hub Design attributes its success to its close-knit and specialised team. Together, the team brings each client’s vision to life. With its strong foundation in family values, craftsmanship, and design excellence, Hub Design Interiors continues to lead the way in Queenstown, proving that exceptional design is possible at any scale.

Meredith‘s goal is to empower and instill confidence in new parents by offering education, support, and confidence through hypnobirthing and other birthrelated services. Meredith believes that every parent deserves a positive birth experience no matter the path that unfolds. Meredith also has a broader vision to change the birthing narrative in Queenstown by creating a community of confident, informed, and supported parents. Mama Gaia’s local hypnobirthing classes provide a warm and nurturing environment where complex pregnancy and birth topics are made relatable. The course uses evidence-based information that is easy to understand and using a touch of humour. Hypnobirthing uses visualisation to help parents overcome fears around birth, and includes gentle movement and practical birth tools for the birth partner, so that they also feel entirely capable and able to support.

Carmen

Donna Hewitt – Connect Realty

Meredith Gee – Mama Gaia Birth

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Eloise Green – General Manager, Crowne Plaza Queenstown

Eloise Green has recently stepped into the role of General Manager at Crowne Plaza Queenstown, bringing 14 years of experience with IHG Hotels & Resorts and a genuine passion for people, connection and leadership.

Eloise’s career with IHG has taken her through a range of roles and development pathways, including Future Leader, RISE and Journey to GM. She has also been fortunate to work alongside many inspiring female General Managers throughout her career, who helped guide the way and showed what strong, authentic leadership can look like in hospitality.

Taking on her ﬁrst General Manager role is a proud milestone for Eloise, and Queenstown felt like the right place to take that next step. The stunning location, the opportunity to explore more of New Zealand, and the chance to work with a great team and supportive owners all played a part in drawing her to the role. For Eloise, the best part of hospitality has always been the people you meet and the connections you make. As a leader, she hopes to be known for being authentic, approachable and focused on creating an environment where people can do their best work.

At Crowne Plaza Queenstown, Eloise is looking forward to continuing to bring new ideas to the hotel, particularly around technology, guest experience and colleague experience, while also driving strong business performance.

Outside of work, Eloise is making the most of the Queenstown lifestyle. She enjoys bike riding and is now learning to snowboard. What excites Eloise about Queenstown? “The stunning location, the opportunity to explore New Zealand, and working with a great team and owners.”

What does she love most about hospitality? “The people you meet and the connections you make.”

Cristina Grifﬁth – Gibbston Valley

Cristina began her career in the United States as a CPA and auditor at PwC, developing a strong understanding of how complex businesses function. She moved to New Zealand in 2022 to take the Chief Financial Ofﬁcer role within her family’s business gaining her hands-on exposure to the full operation, including vineyard, hospitality, property, and people.

Becoming Executive Managing Director in 2025, Cristina set out to strengthen the foundations of the business and guide its next phase of growth. She is responsible for the overall direction, performance and long-term resilience of Gibbston Valley, spanning wine, hospitality, tourism, infrastructure and community.

Her leadership approach is practical and long-term focused, centred on building a business that performs consistently without compromising its people or place. Cristina sees her role as one of guardianship and protecting what has been built while ensuring the business continues to evolve.

Sustainability is central to that thinking. She views it as the outcome of doing the fundamentals well, supporting teams properly and making decisions that strengthen the business for the long term.

Looking ahead, Cristina is focused on ensuring Gibbston Valley continues to grow into a resilient business, connected to its land, its people and its future.

Amy Smith – Auburn & Ash Hairdressing

Amy Smith is the owner and creative force behind Auburn & Ash Hairdressing, a boutique salon based in Lower Shotover, Queenstown, specialising in healthy, lowmaintenance colour and personalised oneon-one service.

I’m a South Auckland girl who landed in Queenstown at 18 with no real plan, no contacts and absolutely no idea what I was doing. Twenty-five years later, I’m co-owner of Queenstown Electric - a team of 12 sparkies and a business my husband and I are genuinely proud of. He’s the electrician. I’m the one who actually keeps the power on. Behind every successful trade business is someone managing the chaos - the finances, the people, the culture, the compliance and the weekend paperwork that nobody outside these four walls ever sees - that’s me. While my husband may get all the handshakes and high-fives, I’ve quietly been the engine room. I’ve done it while raising three fantastic kids, navigating a male-dominated industry and the ultimate challenge of working alongside my husband for 16 years without either of us blowing a foofoo valve! Admittedly, I’m probably the reason he’s lost all his hair.

The glory doesn’t always find its way to the back office, but the results do. I’m proud of what we’ve built, proud of the team we lead and genuinely excited about where this industry is heading - electrification is transforming everything and we are here for it.

Known in Queenstown for creating beautiful blondes and effortlessly wearable hair, Amy has built Auburn & Ash around a more holistic approach to hairdressing - creating a calm, welcoming space where clients can relax, feel looked after, and leave feeling refreshed both inside and out.

“Sometimes women don’t just need their hair done they need someone to take a little of the mental load away for a few hours,” she says.

Amy has worked at New Zealand Fashion Week and alongside some of New Zealand’s leading technical educators within the hair industry, as well as helping with multiple charity fashion events, including a fabulous Breast Cancer Runway Event in Wellington.

Building Auburn & Ash with her husband, Glen, while raising 9-year-old twins, Olive and Tom, has been one of Amy’s proudest achievements and has allowed her to create a business that supports both family life and community connection. She is also passionate about supporting local schools, fundraisers, and charities throughout the Queenstown community.

Amy believes there is often a misconception that industries like hairdressing are simply “creative industries”, when in reality they require an enormous amount of business knowledge, emotional intelligence, technical skill, and resilience.

“Women in business often wear every hat at once — business owner, marketer, accountant, mentor, parent, and creative — and I think that deserves far more recognition.”

Bookings: auburnandash.nz

Kat Coulter – Queenstown Electric

Louisa “Choppy” Patterson – Over The Top

Louisa “Choppy” Patterson is the force behind Over The Top – New Zealand’s leading luxury helicopter experience.

A trailblazer in the aviation industry, renowned for her decades-long dedication to aviation excellence and innovation. Louisa’s passion for ﬂying has led her to become a highly respected pilot.

What inspired Choppy was sharing the beauty of New Zealand with guests from around the world while building a business grounded in family values and genuine connection.

This year, Over The Top celebrate 40 years, having grown into an internationally recognised luxury tourism brand. Louisa’s passion still lies in creating unforgettable experiences that combine authenticity, hospitality, and world-class service.

Reﬂecting on those years, it has taught Louisa the strength of intuition, emotional intelligence, and perseverance. She says being a woman in business has empowered her to lead with empathy, resilience, and instinct.

Louisa’s leadership extends beyond ﬂying, as she spearheads innovation in aviation safety with Eye In The Sky, a Cockpit Video Recorder designed by her to enhance safety in aviation. Her philanthropic endeavours include donating all proceeds from this device to charity, She challenges the misconception that women in aviation and tourism must lead aggressively to succeed, proving strong leadership can also be thoughtful and deeply personal.

Sarah O’Donnell – Destination Queenstown & Lake Wānaka

Tourism

Sarah O’Donnell has spent more than a decade helping tell the story of one of the world’s most extraordinary destinations.

As GM Destination & Brand for Regional Tourism Organisations Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism, she leads the team that markets this region to domestic and international travellers, supporting our biggest industry and hard-working operators, while also driving the push towards truly regenerative tourism.

“I believe deeply in the transformational power of travel, and in tourism’s ability to be a force for good, both socially and economically,” she says. “For me and my team, that starts with a real love of place for Queenstown Lakes. We care deeply about this region and its future, and that makes the work incredibly rewarding.”

Helping shape and drive the Queenstown Lakes’ Destination Management Plan has been a pivotal moment in her career, reinforcing her belief that regenerative tourism can create lasting beneﬁts for businesses, communities and the environment alike.

She is also passionate about people development and building strong teams, and her advice to other women in business is simple: “Believe in yourself and the value you can add. Understand it’s ok to break a few eggs to make the omelette – any good career will have those challenging moments so don’t shy away from them. And don’t forget to have fun along the way.”

Eleanor Trueman – Auburn Environment

This year’s World Environment Day on June 5 focuses on climate action now. What does that mean to an everyday business?

Eleanor Trueman co-founded Auburn Environment to help local businesses cut through the complexity and BS around sustainability.

Auburn Environment bridges the gap between well-meaning sustainability targets, and real, on-the-ground action. Eleanor, and co-founder Meredith Gee, deliver practical, no-nonsense sustainability advice that helps businesses reduce their environmental impact, cut costs, and meet compliance without the ﬂuff.

With extensive experience in carbon management, waste, procurement and packaging, Eleanor and Meredith can help de-mystify sustainability. Auburn Environment can show businesses how they can incorporate and embed sustainability into everyday operations. By translating complex carbon, waste and sustainability goals into real, achievable actions, Auburn Environment empowers Queenstown’s business community to reduce operating costs, and conﬁdently make a positive environmental impact to protect our stunning backyard for the future. And we have quite a lot of fun along the way.

Minka Boddé leads the Family Team at Aspiring Law, bringing warmth, clarity, and genuine care to her clients most personal and challenging moments. With offices in Arrowtown, Wānaka, and Christchurch, she and her team support individuals and families through separation, relationship property, care of children, family violence, mediation, and collaborative law. What sets Minka apart is her focus on family law being about people first. She takes a holistic approach — really listening, meeting clients where they are, and helping them find a path forward that works for their whole lives, not just the legal part.

A pivotal chapter in Minka’s journey was the move from running her own ﬁrm in the Bay of Plenty to joining the leadership team at Aspiring Law. It’s a decision she values deeply. “The collaborative culture here genuinely changes what’s possible for clients,” she says. “When a great team has each other’s backs, the people we’re helping feel that.”

That team spirit extends to how Minka invests in the next generation of lawyers. She’s a passionate mentor who challenges the idea that you need to be aggressive to succeed in law. For Minka, the real power tools are communication, empathy, and human connection. She endeavours to lead by example every day and loves sharing her knowledge presenting seminars and at speaking engagements.

At Aspiring Law, the goal has always been to make the law accessible and easy to for people in the communities where we work. Minka embodies that spirit completely — practical, approachable, and absolutely in your corner.

Minka Boddé – Family Team Lead, Aspiring Law

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Megan Wallace

– Vita Nova, Immigration Specialists

Originally from the United Kingdom, Megan Wallace’s journey is one of bold decisions, fresh starts, and purposedriven success. After graduating with a Law degree from the University of Northumbria, she chose in 2017 to press pause on her barrister career and explore the world, eventually arriving in New Zealand, where her path took an exciting new direction.

With nothing but a backpack and a sense of adventure, Megan travelled the country in a campervan before discovering Queenstown - a place she now proudly calls home.

Inspired by her own migration and visa journey, Megan founded Vita Nova – Immigration Specialists in May 2021, driven by a passion for helping others create new beginnings. Since then, the business has supported thousands of immigration matters, assisting individuals and businesses across New Zealand and internationally, turning dreams into reality.

As a Licensed Immigration Adviser and Education Counsellor, Megan brings together expertise and empathy, demonstrating that true leadership is measured not only by outcomes, but by the people it impacts.

Beyond the complex world of immigration, Megan is passionate about giving back to her community and proudly serves as a Trustee of Happiness House.

Megan’s story reminds us that life doesn’t always follow a straight path. When women believe in themselves, embrace change, and lead with heart, they don’t just build businesses - they create opportunities and change lives.

Audrey (Drey) Boys and Jade James –Collab. Coaching

Collab. Coaching was created when we decided to join forces after previously coaching as two separate individuals. Bringing our strengths together showed us the incredible power of women supporting women, and that mindset quickly became the foundation of both our business and the community we continue to build today.

Through personalised 1:1 fitness and nutrition coaching, we help women feel strong, confident, and empowered, both inside and outside the gym. Based in Wānaka and Lake Hāwea, we work with women both in-person and online, helping them improve their health, build confidence, and better understand training and nutrition. Our approach is centred around education, balance, and creating habits that are realistic and sustainable long-term.

As former bodybuilders ourselves, we also coach athletes through competition prep and the journey to stage. One of our proudest accomplishments has been coaching our athlete Grace, now also a coach at Collab. Coaching, from a ﬁrst-time competitor to becoming a Pro Champion in her very ﬁrst season!

What makes Collab. Coaching different is the supportive environment we’ve created: one where women feel encouraged, challenged, and genuinely supported throughout their journey, no matter where they’re starting from.

Cladis Brocardo – Moss Spa

Inspiring Conﬁdence Through Leadership and Care

From therapist to Spa Manager in four years, Cladis Brocardo’s journey at Moss Spa Queenstown is a quiet testament to what passion and genuine care for people can build.

Nestled in the heart of Queenstown, Moss Spa offers a sanctuary of premium treatments — from restorative massages and advanced facials to body therapies designed to rejuvenate both body and mind. It’s a place where attention to detail and genuine hospitality come ﬁrst.

Joining Moss Spa when it ﬁrst launched in 2022, Cladis quickly distinguished herself through her calm presence, meticulous attention to detail and an innate ability to make every client feel truly seen. That dedication led her through a Senior Therapist role before stepping into leadership 18 months ago.

Today she leads her team with equal measures of empathy and high standards, recruiting therapists who share the spa’s culture and guest experience philosophy, and nurturing an environment where excellence is the baseline.

The results speak for themselves. Under Cladis’ leadership, Moss Spa recently claimed the number one ranking for Spas and Wellness in Queenstown on TripAdvisor, an achievement she attributes to consistency, teamwork and the commitment to creating meaningful moments for every guest.

“For me, it’s about making people feel comfortable, cared for and conﬁdent,” she says. “Whether it’s a guest or a team member, I want them to leave feeling better than when they arrived.”

Her story is a reminder that great leadership isn’t always announced. Sometimes it’s quietly built, one client, one team member and one meaningful experience at a time.

Celia (Kai Tahu) is the founder and managing director of Scope Communications, a Wānaka-based PR consultancy that serves clients across a range of sectors around Aotearoa New Zealand.

An Accredited Public Relations professional and a current board member of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand, she is passionate about connecting communities through positive, respectful relationships and the power of authentic storytelling.

Celia is an award-winning former journalist and enjoys longstanding connections with media. She is highly skilled in helping brands anticipate ‘the story’ and specialises in communications strategy, crisis comms and reputation management, stakeholder relations and digital PR.

Celia leads a team of talented, results-driven communications professionals who collectively deliver communications with impact and genuine engagement.

Scope is the proud winner of the PRINZ Best Small-to-Medium PR Consultancy Award in 2022, 2024 and 2025. This year, Scope is a ﬁnalist in the PRINZ Awards’ Best Use of Media Relations category for its 2025 campaign on the sale of the historic Cardrona Hotel.

Celia Crosbie – Scope Communications

Meet the women of Country Lane

Country Lane is home to a remarkable community of women who have turned passion, courage, and creativity into thriving businesses. From ceramics and vintage fashion to bookshops, dog grooming, cookies, and ﬁne art, each woman brings her own unique story to this vibrant Queenstown destination. Many have taken bold leaps of faith, navigating real-life challenges — grief, relocation, ﬁnancial risk, and the juggle of family and work — to build something meaningful on their own terms. Together, they represent the very best of local entrepreneurship: independently driven, community minded, and deeply rooted in the places and people they love.

Tineke Enright and Annika Grant – Founders, Country Lane

When Tineke and Annika set out to create Country Lane, they weren’t simply building a retail village. They were creating the kind of place they wished existed.

As a sister-in-law team, they understood the challenges many women face: balancing family, careers, community commitments, and the desire to pursue something meaningful. They saw talented local makers, entrepreneurs, and business owners searching for opportunities that offered ﬂexibility, connection, and a chance to build a livelihood on their own terms.

What emerged is Country Lane, a thriving destination built around supporting owneroperated local businesses and creating opportunities for people to turn their passions

Claire Todd – Vintage Liberation

Claire Todd is the curator behind Vintage Liberation, Queenstown’s destination for unique, antique, vintage, and preloved garments and accessories. With 30 years of collecting one-of-a-kind pieces of wearable history from around the world, Claire brings an expert eye and a deep respect for craftsmanship to every ﬁnd. Her passion is preserving these beautiful timepieces so they can be cherished by their next custodian—because you can’t beat the quality, construction, love, and care poured into

Connie Jones – Saturday Ceramics

Connie is the creator of Saturday Ceramics. Originally from Dunedin, she relocated to Queenstown 11 years ago, where she discovered her passion for pottery.

What began as a creative outlet in a shared studio space gradually became a deﬁning part of her career. In those early days, she worked alongside other makers, learning and experimenting with clay before moving into a small setup in her garage, where she began to develop her own style and build conﬁdence in her practice. This then grew into a dedicated studio space at Country Lane, which provided the opportunity to expand her work and begin teaching others. As

into sustainable enterprises. Today, many of the businesses that call Country Lane home are led by women, each bringing their own story, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit to the village.

The journey has not been without challenges.

Tineke and Annika have navigated uncertainty, ﬁnancial risk, setbacks, and the complexities of growing a business while remaining true to their values. Through it all, they have learned that success is not just measured by proﬁt, but by the opportunities created for others and the community built along the way.

Their story is a powerful reminder that when women support women, remarkable things can grow.

each individual piece. In her ﬁrst year working for herself, Claire has transformed a lifelong passion into a thriving boutique experience unlike anything else in Queenstown. A standout moment this year was welcoming award-winning costume designer Michele Clapton into her little shop — an exceptional afﬁrmation of Vintage Liberation’s calibre. At Vintage Liberation, each garment is selected for its story, integrity, and enduring style, inviting customers to invest in pieces that feel as good as they look.

interest in her classes and ceramics continued to grow, the studio evolved into The Clay Club, now a community of around 25 members.

The Clay Club has become a welcoming, creative space where people can explore clay, develop their skills, and connect with others through making. Alongside teaching, Connie continues to design and produce handmade homewares, focusing on functional, timeless pieces intended for everyday use.

Her journey in ceramics has opened opportunities in teaching, community building, and running a creative small business, evolving from a personal passion into a growing and sustainable practice.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

What started as a small local grooming business has grown into a trusted space for dogs and their owners. Tara Roberts, owner of Posh Paws Dog Grooming, has built the business around calm, compassionate handling and creating a lowstress grooming experience where a dog’s health and welfare always comes ﬁrst.

Over the past year, Posh Paws has expanded to two dog groomers, allowing the business to welcome even more local clients while maintaining the personalised care it has become

known for. Tara’s focus has always been on building genuine relationships with both pets and their owners, ensuring every dog leaves feeling comfortable and cared for.

Originally from South Africa, Tara ﬁrst began her grooming journey in Auckland before eventually owning Posh Paws Queenstown. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog and making the most of the region’s beautiful trails.

The Barn was the very beginning of the Country Lane Retail Village, ﬁrst opening in 2013. A unique collaboration bringing together two locally loved brands under one roof - Lusso Boutique and Pretty Kiwi - owned by Amie Saxton and Tineke Enright.

Beyond the art studio, the larger focus of Art Adventures is out on one of her plein -air style painting or sketching adventures into the local landscape. These outdoor art adventures are immersive experiences that awaken the senses.

Raquel Carter - Art Adventures

Their partnership began more than a decade ago while setting up neighbouring stalls at the Remarkables Market. Week after week, the pair built their businesses side by side, forming a friendship grounded in creativity, trust, and a shared passion for thoughtful retail.

The Barn offers a carefully curated shopping

experience, blending homewares, gifts, baby and children’s products, wellness items, and locally inspired ﬁnds. The store reﬂects both owners’ distinctive styles while creating a warm and welcoming destination for locals and visitors alike. With an emphasis on thoughtful curation and quality products, The Barn has become known for its boutique feel and ever-evolving collection. Their long-standing partnership is a testament to the power of collaboration, with both women continuing to grow their brands while supporting one another through the changing landscape of retail and business ownership, creating a business that feels both inspiring and uniquely personal.

Moving to Queenstown with my husband and son was one of the biggest and most meaningful decisions of my life. I had always dreamed of owning and operating my own food business, a dream that originally began with my dad. We had spoken so many times about creating something special together, centred around good food, family, and bringing people joy. Sadly, he passed away before we ever had the chance to make it happen, but his encouragement and belief in me never left. In many ways, this business is my way of keeping his spirit alive every single day.

Building a new life in Queenstown has come with challenges, sacriﬁces, and long hours, but it has also brought incredible happiness and purpose. I juggle many roles every day, business owner, employee, mum and wife, and while it can be exhausting, it is deeply rewarding. Watching our business grow while raising our son in such a beautiful place makes all the hard work worthwhile. Queenstown and Country Lane have given us the opportunity to build the life we dreamed of, and I truly love the balance, adventure, and community we have found here.

our environment. Her work in did you know this is just fulling in. Beyond the art studio, the larger focus of Art Adventures is out on one of her plein -air style painting or sketching adventures into the local landscape. These outdoor art adventures are immersive experiences that awaken the senses.

I own Tomodachi Bookshop in Country Lane - an Indie bookshop which stocks Manga, Fantasy, and Sci-ﬁ, with a little sprinkling of everything else.

Starting a small business was daunting, but the idea had been ﬂoating around in my head for about 7 years before the opportunity came up to take a leap of faith- and I took it. That leap was a leap of faith and trust into myself. Into the support and knowledge that if it isn’t to work out, at least I can look back and say - I owned the

cutest bookshop in town which helped me learn and grow.

Raquel Carter - Art Adventures

Raquel’s deep love for the natural world runs through everything she does. In her own paintings, surreal landscapes our environment. Her work in did you know this is just fulling in.

The people and women I have met through this journey have been beautiful, their careful tips and tricks have made the day to day run easier. And if I need help — I just ask one of the people that surround me - a combined wealth of knowledge to pool from. Sometimes just even a hug - a hug that can get me through the day. One step at a time, will eventually lead to the top of a mountain (of books).

Raquel Carter - Art Adventures

Tara Roberts – Posh Paws Dog Grooming

Amy Saxton and Tineke Enright – The Barn

Lee-Marie Nayer – The Remarkable Cookie

Bridget McDonald – Tomodachi Bookshop

beginning the Adventures

paintings, surreal landscapes our environment. Her work in did you know this is just fulling in.

Raquel

Carter - Art Adventures

Kim Shaw manages what is termed a portfolio career – a working style where one has multiple jobs that reﬂect their interests and skills. She is a keen sports woman, and during the summer seasons she works as a tour/cycle/hike guide for Adventure South, a company that helps shape the way travellers explore New Zealand’s outdoors. Her professional background began in graphic design and later in the Arts with Masters degrees in both Fine Arts and Arts Administration. Kim continues her own visual art practice.

paintings, surreal landscapes our environment. Her work in did you know this is just fulling in.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

highly regarded Browne School of Art reinforced the importance of a strong, supportive arts community and the impact it can have on students.

Raquel Carter - Art Adventures

Kim regularly volunteers for Baskets of Blessings, Arrowtown.

Kim has travelled extensively and spent several years living abroad. Back home, she has worked in several Auckland art galleries and been artist co-ordinator for New Zealand Sculpture On Shore. Her many years experience at Auckland’s

After moving to Queenstown, Kim opened a new pop-up art school, “Art Assembly”, at Frankton’s Country Lane this Autumn 2026, offering Queenstown Lakes residents and visitors a chance to learn core visual art skills and join a growing creative community. She sees a clear opportunity in the Wakatipu for a serious, skills-based visual arts programme that also encourages connection, discussion, experimentation and peer learning. “I want people to spark off each other, take creative risks and deepen their understanding of visual art,” she says. The project has launched as a pilot this autumn and it is intended to run again this spring.

Founded in Country Lane, Queenstown, The Kukupa Collective is a creative studio and collective space dedicated to art, culture, and connection.

Raquel Carter - Art Adventures

Created by artists Christine and Ebony Hayes, the studio brings together contemporary artworks alongside Māori taonga and handcrafted pieces by local and Indigenous artists. The collective showcases painting, uku (clay), jewellery, hue art, taonga pūoro, and other works carrying stories of identity, heritage, and place.

and Pākehā worlds, Christine and Ebony’s work reﬂects landscape, memory, and belonging, drawing inﬂuence from the ngahere, coastlines, mountains and wild places of Aotearoa.

Raquel, artist and creator of Art Adventures NZ, welcomes you into hfrankslowing down, tuning in, and letting your inner artist find its voice—whether you're just beginning or returning to your practice after time away. Raquel’s deep love for the natural world runs through everything she does. In her own paintings, surreal landscapes our environment. Her work in did you know this is just fulling in. Beyond the art studio, the larger focus of Art Adventures is out on one of her plein -air style painting or sketching adventures into the local landscape. These outdoor art adventures are immersive experiences that awaken the senses.

Raquel’s deep love for the natural world runs through everything she does. In her own paintings, surreal landscapes our environment. Her work in did you know this is just fulling in.

More than a gallery space, The Kukupa Collective was created as a place of gathering – supporting artists, fostering community, and creating opportunities for cultural expression and shared storytelling.

Inspired by a lifelong connection to both Māori

Opening in Country Lane marks an exciting new chapter, bringing art, culture, and connection into the heart of Queenstown.

Cat and Kylee, the advertising duo behind Lakes Weekly Bulletin are passionate about supporting Queenstown businesses of all shapes and sizes. They’re the driving force behind this special edition, spotlighting some of the great women in business around Queenstown, and are passionate about showcasing all that’s going on around town. We couldn’t pass up this opportunity to shine a little light on them.

Cat says that having long-term relationships with many iconic local Queenstown businesses provides her with an in-depth understanding of the local media landscape.

She trained as a graphic artist and has a background in marketing, which she uses to help local businesses thrive.

Kylee’s background spans advertising, marketing and print production, including in London and Auckland, and enjoys the dynamic market that Queenstown offers.

She loves helping clients stand out and grow, motivated by building productive business and professional relationships.

If you want to get your business seen by more people, get in touch with Cat or Kylee today!

Catherine Mercer: 027 777 2785 | cat@qmg.co.nz

Kylee Evans: 021 044 2968 | kylee@qmg.co.nz

Queenstown Media Group www.lwb.co.nz

Kim Shaw – Art Assembly

Christine and Ebony Hayes – The Kukupa Collective

Catherine Mercer and Kylee Evans – Queenstown Media Group, Lakes Weekly Bulletin

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Inspiring Conﬁdence: The Women Behind The Mill

There’s a particular kind of conﬁdence that comes not from having everything ﬁgured out, but from being surrounded by people who believe in what you’re building, and who show up every single day to build it with you.

At The Mill in Queenstown, women are doing exactly that.

Georgina Read Director, The Mill / Sports Podiatrist, Georgina Read Podiatry

The Mill began as a vision long before it became a reality. Georgina and the cofounder believed Queenstown deserved a space where world-class health and performance support could exist in one place - for everyone. That vision was driven by what Georgina saw every day in clinical practice: a desire to offer more, and the knowledge that she had the right people around her to make it happen. Together, they created a space that holds the full spectrum of human performance - from someone returning to movement after injury, to an athlete chasing their next personal best. As a podiatrist, Georgina saw ﬁrsthand how the gap between clinical care and everyday training left people without the support they needed to keep moving. The Mill was built to close that gap - bringing healthcare, strength and conditioning, recovery, and education together under one roof. “There are so many reasons why people choose to train,” she says. “Every single journey matters.”

Honor Saunders Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, The Mill

A strength and conditioning coach builds the whole picture — designing progressive programmes grounded in sports science, tracking how your body adapts over time, and using real performance data to make sure you’re always training with purpose, not just effort. It’s the difference between working hard and working smart.

Honor brings exactly that to The Mill. She has developed The Mill Method — a progressive, evidence-led strength programme that takes the guesswork out of group training, giving every member a structured pathway to genuinely get stronger. For those wanting more, she works one-on-one to build fully customised programmes, integrating testing — from strength baselines to VO2 max — so that results are measurable, not just felt.

What makes Honor exceptional is that she holds all of this expertise lightly. She translates the science into something every member can actually use and believe in — whether you’re picking up a barbell for the ﬁrst time or preparing for competition.

Carly McCarthy General Manager, The Mill

If The Mill runs like a well-oiled machine, it’s in no small part because of Carly McCarthy. The title of General Manager doesn’t quite capture what Carly does day to day. In most businesses, a GM oversees one team, one service, one set of moving parts. At The Mill, Carly is responsible for multiple services such as: physiotherapists, podiatrists, musculoskeletal specialists, integrated GP, DEXA bone and body scanning, strength coaches, personal trainers, and recovery services — allowing this to all operate under the same roof, serving the same community, with the same philosophy, every single day.

But the thing that sets Carly apart isn’t systems or structure — it’s people. She knows the members by name. She anticipates problems before they surface. She creates the kind of environment where staff feel supported and clients feel seen. Her leadership is the quiet kind: steady and consistent.

The three of us hold very different roles, and we bring very different skills. But we share the same reason for being here.

The Mill was built on the belief that a community deserves access to world-class health and performance — not as a luxury, but as something real and accessible. We believe that when people feel strong and supported in their bodies, they show up differently in every other area of their lives.

The theme of this year’s conference — Inspiring Conﬁdence — resonates deeply with us. Because that’s what we’re trying to do every day — building something that works, and creating a space where people feel capable of more than they thought possible. The three of us are passionate about health and wellbeing and push ourselves to reach our individual goals, whether that is in activity or business.

We are proud to be part of a community of women in Queenstown who are building something that matters and keep supporting the exciting things to come at The Mill.

Georgina, Carly, Honor

5 minutes with Lu Blade-Bittle, Co-founder of Ohen

by Jessica Allen

From a corporate career in UX, digital and design to diving into entrepreneurship and co-founding modern lingerie label Ohen, Lu Blade-Bittle always had the desire to start something of her own. She’s in town for Westpac’s Queenstown Women’s in Business Conference, sharing insights and inspiration.

She was waiting for the right problem to solve - enter business partner Anja Bucher, who had the depth of experience to match the ambition of the idea. Bucher’s 20 years of lingerie design complemented Blade-Bittle’s background well. A short conversation later and it was clear the pair were aligned. They wanted to build something more considered, design-led, and more connected to how women actually want to dress day to day, and so Ohen was created.

LWB: What have these ﬁrst few years in business been like? Any lessons learnt?

LB: It’s been a mix of exciting growth and continuous learning. A big part of it has been learning to go with the ﬂow and adapt quickly to a completely new industry and way of working.

But the biggest lesson has been around focus – learning what to say no to and resisting the urge to do everything at once. I’m also learning to trust timing more, and to remind myself that this is a process of building something steadily, brick by brick, rather than expecting it to all come together immediately.

LWB: What’s your favourite part of owning your own business?

LB: The most rewarding part has been the community that’s formed around OHEN. Seeing how people connect with what we’ve created, and how our lingerie makes them feel — more conﬁdent, comfortable, and like themselves — is incredibly meaningful.

It’s no longer just about the product itself, but the relationships and conversations that have grown around it.

LWB: And least favourite?

LB: The uncertainty can be challenging — there’s never a real sense of things being fully settled, just an ongoing cycle of new decisions and problems to solve.

LWB: Any advice for others out there trying to start their own business, particularly women?

LB: Start before you feel ready. If you wait until everything is perfect, you’ll likely never begin.

Be intentional about who you work with — the people around you have a signiﬁcant impact on how sustainable and supported the journey feels.

LWB: What’s on the horizon for you - personally and professionally?

LB: Professionally, it’s about continuing to grow OHEN in a way that feels considered — expanding our reach while staying really clear on who we are as a brand.

Personally, it’s more balance. Making space for family, health, and not being in constant output mode all the time.

LWB: What women in business inspire you?

LB: Phoebe Philo, fashion designer and previous creative director of Celine and Chloe has an unmistakable point of view and works entirely outside convention. There’s a restraint to everything she does — she doesn’t rely on spectacle, or feel the need to over-explain her work for it to have impact. I love that her clarity and conviction have built a highly inﬂuential fashion brand.

Arts+Culture

Unexpected Paths to Redemption

by Jessica Allen

Social Animal started its life as a comedy sketch about a dog. It’s now evolved into a stage show that follows a down-on-his-luck actor who is followed home one evening by a stray, neurotic ex-racing greyhound. Stephen Papps is the star of the one-man show and is excited to bring it to Queenstown this month.

The show is satirical and compassionate in nature, and follows actor Joe Quigley and his urne ﬁnd rele ance in a s cial edia rld He was the face of Parks, the nation’s favourite TV detective, until one reckless comment cost him everything. Papps inhibits a menagerie of characters including the ill-disciplined dog and a quirky community of walkers.

“It’s also about a man who is very ambitious,” Papps says. “He’s an actor and actors tend to be very passionate about what they do and it becomes a huge part of their personality. When an actor loses his career, as this character does, it then becomes a question of how does he recalibrate, especially when he’s getting older.”

Papps explained that he did draw on some of his personal feelings and experiences when writing the show, but he’ll leave it up to the audience to ponder what’s what. It all came about as he used to walk a friend’s dog and he made a comedy sketch about the experience. He met co-creator and director Damon Andrews as they were both working on a show together in Wellington.

“We had a glass of wine and talked about what we might do together beyond that season and I said that I had this idea called Social Animal, and so we went about making a play that completely changed what it was about.”

This is where the greyhound was introduced and the sketch became a full show. They did a couple of seasons starting in 2023 and have reworked the script and show a couple of times since then.

Papps says the show is where they want it now and he’s enjoying touring the country, receiving positive feedback.

“People love dogs, and stories about dogs, and we’ve made the story a satirical one. It’s about er a ed pe ple reall ic is al a s g d for comedy. Hopefully we’ve got the balance right in terms of a satire that is critical of people and eir a s u als c passi na e en ug to have us, maybe, love them.”

Papps brings over 35 years of experience to the stage, having worked across screen and stage in the past. Social Animal will be his fourth selfwritten solo work and he really enjoys hearing what the audience gets out of his work. He doesn't want to give away what he thinks people will take away but says there's some themes and threads that run throughout.

“Damon and I prefer to present the way people are – the way animals are, how we react with each other, and the good and bad things we do, the funny things we do and the ridiculousness of trying to be somebody.”

“People

love dogs, and stories about dogs, and we’ve made the story a satirical one. It’s about ery a ed people, really, which is always good for comedy.”

Social Animal is presented in association with Greyhounds as Pets, highlighting a timely connection as New Zealand’s racing industry approaches its end this year and thousands of dogs will be seeking new lives.

Stephen Papps will perform Social Animal at Arrowtown Athenaeum Hall on Friday, 19 June. More information and tickets can be found at events.humanitix.com/social-animal

KARMA KEGS CONTINUE

Atlas X QMTBC - Drinks for Good $$

Proudly supported by our ﬁne friends at Emerson’s, Altitude, Crimson Badger, BEffect, Double Vision, Searchlight & Thatchers.

APRES AT ATLAS WITH OUR HAPPY HOUR BETWEEN 3PM & 6PM DAILY - ATLAS, QUEENSTOWN’S HOME OF CRAFT BEER

To keep things running smoothly and looking their best, Lokal will be closed from Monday, 25 May. We apologize for any inconvenience, but we’ll be back open and ready to welcome you all from around mid June! See you then!

Tight A$$

(Great Deals and the Biggest DJs)

Open Decks

Late Nights with Lenni Vibe

- Your World Cup VenueLIVE & LOUD All games from 7am Monday/Tuesday Karaoke with “Wolfe” from 9pm

Dolittle

Happy Hours

$9 House pints

$9.80 Guinness

$10 Wines

$12 Cocktails

George FM presents Arii Jade, Ribera and Lew

$25 Chicken Parmi

$30 Lamb Roast

Everyday Café 1904 Coffee and Scone $10

Café 1904 Daily Coffee and Bowls for $15 between 10am and 12pm Everyday Bar 1904 Beers and Bowls for $20 from 4pm to 6pm

Everyday Café 1904 Waipiata Pie and Bowls $25

SKYCITY Stampede Home Game Tickets Online! Sunday Free to Watch Ice Hockey from 5.15pm10pm Monday Closed for Public Free to Watch Ice Hockey from 5.30pm Wednesday Free to Watch Ice Hockey, Jurassic League 6.30pm-10pm Tuesday Closed for Public Free to Watch Ice Hockey Trainings from 4.15pm

All-Day Ice Skating from 9.30am-4pm Ice Bumper Cars from 1.15pm-3pm

SKYCITY Stampede Home Game Tickets Online!

All You Can Eat Pizza $35 Everyday from 5pm Bookings essential $26 Business Lunches Monday to Friday 12pm - 3pm

All You Can Eat Pizza $35 Everyday from 5pm Bookings essential

Pav Apres hour $10 Pav Wine, Beer & Aperol Spritz Everyday 4pm to 6pm Sunday $24 Sunday Roast Available Lunch & Dinner Bookings essential

241 Pizzas starting from 5pm

Trad Session 5.30pm $28 Sunday Roast

Is your “Pint” a Pint?! Get your 570ml Imperial Pints here $6 Beer handles 7 days a week

Madness All you can eat pizza from 6pm Tuesday Kids Eat Free Everyday Between 5pm - 6pm

$3 slices from 6pm - 10pm Shipwreck AUS/NZ Tour from 10pm

8am - 9am Coffee Happy Hour 50% off when you byo keep cup Everyday Happy Hour 3pm - 5pm

Uplift music from 6pm

Latin Party from 11pm

from 8.30pm

Music by Choice from 6pm

Music with Dorothy by 6pm

HOSPOGUIDE

$10 Jagerbombs |

$7 Jack Daniels & Coca-Cola & Absolut & Sprite RTDS

Live Music with Dorothy Ella 9pm $15 Burger Special Southern Bell

$16 Cocktails

R20 Venue. Drink Responsibly.

Music with Vicky-Leigh Duo 9.30pm $15 Burger Special O’Fish Al

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Hangry As has taken over the Rhinos Kitchen – Check out the menu on insta @hangryas_ queenstown

Hour* 4pm – 6pm | $5 fries | 10% off drinks

R20 Venue. Drink Responsibly. Limited time only. *Exclusive to SkyCity Stampede ticket holders upon presentation of your ticket for that night’s home game.

Music with Danny Atkinson 9.30pm $15 Burger Special Classic Cheese

Live Music with Tai Forester 9pm $15 Burger Special Streaky Cow

ON THE APP THIS WEEK

Fears of ‘zombie’ town as Queenstown reaches breaking point

Queenstown’s postcard-perfect image is increasingly masking a growing crisis - one where soaring house prices, empty holiday homes and a shortage of affordable rentals are leaving many locals struggling to survive r ﬁnd a ed r e nig

The southern resort town, long seen as one of New Zealand’s most glamorous destinations, is also one of its least affordable places to live, with an average house price of more than $1.8 million, well above the rest of the country. The national asking price is just over $900,000. And rent for a standard three-bedroom home in the region is now about $1000 per week.

This is creating a “two-speed” housing market - one for the wealthy, and another for the workers who keep the town functioning.

d n ink u uld find an er places in e ealand ere u uld find nurses d c rs eac ers p lice ficers a ing li e in overcrowded situations or living in garages just to afford where they live, it’s pretty unique,” One Roof property journalist Nikki Preston tells The Detail.

“They can’t afford to rent or buy a home there because of how expensive it has become.”

Some desperate workers, she says, are even opting to hot-bed, “Which is where one person sleeps in the bed in the day because they might be a night worker, and the day worker would use that same bed at night.

“Others are just moving out of the area and making the long commute into work because it’s the only way they can afford it.”

Mayor John Glover acknowledges that “housing affordability is the headline” for his region.

“The house price for earnings ratio is getting on for 17 - anything above three is deemed to be unaffordable,” he says.

“We have heard that the prices are driving our long-term locals away, and that is very, very confronting.”

He says the council needs to look at rating differentials for the region.

“It may be that if people can afford [expensive homes], they can afford to pay a little bit more.”

by Sue Fea

My Life story

TRACY MCLEAN

Taking it all on

A community fundraising powerhouse and dedicated volunteer, no task is beneath local nurse Tracy McLean from decisions in the charitable trust boardroom to cleaning loos.

She’s pitched in for PTAs, at local swimming club meets and led and fundraised for a huge downtown church redevelopment.

The versatile and proud mum of popular, homegrown TV presenter Matty McLean, Tracy has even found herself starring on the cover of Woman’s Day.

The daughter of a Welsh immigrant from the 1950s who’d fallen in love with a Kiwi on her OE, Tracy’s never shied away from a new challenge.

Desperate to escape high school on Auckland’s North Shore after the family moved there from Wellington, Tracy set off alone at 16 for a year’s Rotary Exchange in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Her dad was an Air NZ Cargo manager which had its perks, Dad calling in favours to get Tracy to South Africa via multiple stopovers.

“It was the most amazing year of my life.” She arrived back in NZ with a South African accent in 1981 – the year of the controversial Springbok tour, none the wiser about the politics of it all. “I just wanted the rugby boys to play rugby and win,” she says.

Keen to return to Wellington where she’d spent many happy years at Titahi Bay and Mana College, Tracy trained as a nurse at Wellington Hospital. “Those were the days of scary matrons.” So scary a a riend rus ed d n e fire escape during a urse s e fire alar lea ing er riend locked in her wardrobe. “She said to me outside, ‘I pe is isn a real fire rac grins

That year she met husband of 43 years Steve, who was studying quantity surveying at Polytech. Steve and his carpenter dad launched Rilean Construction, the couple marrying in 1983, a ski honeymoon in Queenstown proving a strong lure.

Tracy initially worked in hospital paediatrics. “We uried kids e ﬁrs ear a er gradua ing as young and it was hard.” She switched to practice nursing working at John Street Doctors – actor Ginette McDonald’s father one of the GPs.

With Matty arriving in 1986, Tracy moved to accounts at Rilean in the midst of the transition to GST, starting back a week after Matty’s birth.

“That was my passion, a nonjudgmental environment. I took that role very seriously. I’d talk to the new intakes at QRC on navigating the health system and warn them that Queenstown may seem idyllic, but it was like any city after 2am.”

She returned to casual hospital shifts once second son Rob was born in 1989. Then in 1993 they enjoyed a surprise ski holiday back to Queenstown for Steve, after he had been seriously ill and hospitalised. “Once Steve recovered he was asked to price Rob and Marjory Boult’s house at Alpine Retreat, six months’ work in Queenstown.” The work kept coming so they stayed, Steve launching Rilean South Island with Gary Dent in 1994.

Tracy threw herself into numerous community roles – chair and secretary of the Queenstown Primary PTA, one of its star fundraisers along with Kaye Parker. “She was an absolute advertising machine. We did the community phone book, Classic Street Race and annual apple crumble stalls at Winter Festival Mardi Gras nights.”

e s eig and ﬁ e en e arri ed rac was a cub leader until 1997 when she decided, ’I don’t think I’m done with kids’. Mikaela arrived, Tracy by now already an active member of the local volunteer Babysitting Club.

She then managed BONZ in the Mall through the n ri us ds uckil e ad an ups airs gallery to keep stock dry. Our stores in Auckland and Sydney would call looking for stock and I’d put on my wetsuit and go in.”

When Queenstown Medical Centre moved to Isle Street she was asked to be a practice nurse, where she stayed for 20 years, also working alongside doctors in the new sexual health clinic. “That was my passion, a non-judgmental environment. I took that role very seriously. I’d talk to the new intakes at QRC on navigating the health system and warn them that Queenstown may seem idyllic, but it was like any city after 2am,” she says.

She’s also worked part-time as practice nurse for Dr Hans Raetz at his skin clinic since 2004, Skin Institute since 2008.

Mikaela was christened at St Peter’s and since 2000 Tracy has been heavily involved with the Earl Street Charitable Trust, leading fundraising for the commercialisation of the historic vicarage land, necessary income for church work. It was a huge job. “We had an Op Shop and the old hall facing Earl Street, which had to be moved. The vicarage was on old kerosene tin piles, and we had to fund a $20,000 archeological dig, which only turned up old bottles.” Tracy did all the funding applications for the necessary $500,000, the trustees then faced with the GFC and multiple tenancy challenges.

For 10 years she’s cleaned the St Peter’s Hall and toilets weekly to save funds. “It’s my community service,” she says.

Also host Mum to seven overseas Rotary Exchange students over 20 years, she and Steve spent 10 years looking after Rotary’s lower South Island Youth Exchange programme. “It’s my way of giving back.” All three McLean kids did their own Rotary exchanges following proud Mum. “I don’t know of any other family that’s done that.”

Tracy at what would soon become the Kawarau Bungy Bridge on her Queenstown honeymoon in 1983

Tracy, centre, in her teens with one of her sets of host parents during her Rotary Exchange to South Africa

Tracy with the family, from left, Rob, holding Mikaela, Steve, Tracy, visiting niece Sarah and Matt during their early days in Queenstown

Tracy exploring a cave in Ljubljana on a bike tour in Slovenia last year

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QUEENSTOWN DHARMA CENTRE, 12 LAKE ST TUE (2 June) @ 6.30pm, ‘Natural Ease’ with Grant Rix WED (3 June) @ 6.30pm,‘Sadhana Practice’ with Grant Rix SUN (7 June) @ 10am, ‘Cultivating Awareness Practice’ followed by Social Sunday

All are welcome.

Donations for the teacher/centre are gratefully accepted. See www.dharmacentre.org.nz / FB

Where would a Council office work best?

People head into our offices for heaps of reasons: to register a dog, pay rates, or get advice in person. But which location will best suit the needs of our growing community? Now’s the time to share your views on a future home for Council services. How about central Queenstown, something closer Frankton, or somewhere else? And is the current office in Wānaka working for the Upper Clutha? Get full details and have your say before 21 June at https://letstalk.qldc.govt.nz/cab

Snow chains: new rules this winter

Drivers who don’t fit chains on Council managed roads when required may now face a $750 fine, with Police responsible for issuing infringements. Winter conditions can change quickly so please carry chains, know how to use them, and follow any signs or direction from Police, ski field teams and QLDC. Sign up for a daily email on road conditions at www.qldc.govt.nz/winter-road-reports

Funding to diversify our economy

QLDC’s 2026-2027 Economic Diversification Fund will be open for applications from 1 July – 31 August. We want to hear from businesses and organisations collaborating on projects that could make a difference in our district. Got an early idea? Start the conversation with us by submitting an expression of interest via www.qldc.govt.nz/edf

LitFest runs until 13 June

Queenstown Lakes Libraries is hosting a vibrant programme of FREE literary events this May and June, celebrating stories, creativity and community. Enjoy author talks, poetry workshops, neurodiversity sessions and more. Explore the full programme and book your spot at https://qldclibraries.govt.nz/whats-on?tag=litfest

Dispose of hot ashes safely

Hot ashes can start fires in bins, trucks and landfills even days after. Always empty ashes into a metal bin, douse with water, and leave for five days before putting them in your red rubbish bin. More tips at www.qldc.govt.nz/services/rubbish-recycling

Skippers Road closures (rescheduled)

Skippers Road will be temporarily closed at the saddle through to around the 3.5km mark for maintenance during certain weekday hours from 8 –19 June (weather dependent). Closures will be 8.30am –12.00pm then 12.30 – 4.30pm Mon – Fri. The road will open at midday for 30 minutes to allow vehicles to pass in both directions. Weekends are unaffected.

Rubbish at remembering?

www.qldc.govt.nz

LWB QUIZ

1. What is the name of the largest species of bear?

2. Which organ is responsible for producing bile?

3. Which famous explorer reached India by sea route from Europe in 1498?

4. Which New Zealand native bird has a long curved beak used to feed on nectar?

5. Which New Zealand town is famous for gumboots and hosts an annual gumboot throwing event?

6. What is the capital city of Kenya?

7. What is the name of the deepest lake in the world?

8. Which artist painted Guernica?

9. Which New Zealand city has the international airport closest to Antarctica?

10. Which native New Zealand bird is known for stealing shiny objects from tourists?

FOR SALE

For Sale

NISSAN LAFESTA 2006 FOR SALE. 2-litre petrol engine, 197000kms. 7-seater-massive boot when seats down (great for skis, snowboards, camping gear or sleeping). Airbags, sunroof, in ed ind s p er ul ea er exi le n price P: 021 264 5227

GOT A TON OF QUALITY scrap wood off-cuts from work that are up r gra s rea r ﬁre d c llec i n nl call r address.

TRADES & SERVICES

Trades & Services

PRIVATE AIRPORT & CITY TRANSFERS. Skip the taxi queue. Private vehicle, local driver, stress-free every time. Book at www.lakesdelsur.com

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COMMUNITY

Community

THE QUEENSTOWN HIGHLAND DANCE CLUB will have their AGM at 4pm Sunday, June 14, 2026 at the Sudima Hotel Five Mile, Queenstown. Agenda items will include: President report, Financial rep r lec i n ﬁcers and eneral usiness

SPCA OP SHOP – 51 GORGE RD. Open 7 days a week 9am- 5pm. Pre-loved goods and clothing at great prices. Help support the ongoing work done by the SPCA. Accepting donations now. Call into store now to enquire about Volunteering. Your old goods, or your time, could help save a life.

NEW TO THE AREA OR got more time on your hands & looking to give back to your community? Altrusa International Qtwn is looking for volunteers just like you to join our women’s charitable & service organisation supporting our local community. Want to know more? Email: president.queenstown@altrusa.org.nz or message us on Facebook.com/AltrusaQueenstown

WHAKATIPU DRIVE MY LIFE ARE seeking volunteers to become mentor buddies to help our vulnerable people achieve their drivers licence. If you are interested or have any questions contact Louise Ward louise@reap.co.nz

WSCA – ROOMS FOR HIRE - Spacious, sunny rooms are available for hire to Queenstown Community Groups. The rooms hold up to 90 pe ple i sea ed dining r ca ed n e s r alag an House, 10 Memorial Street, Queenstown with lift access. There are kitchen facilities, toilets, Wi-Fi, media equipment for projection onto large screen plus large screen TV. Contact us on 03 4429214 or info@ wsca.org.nz for more details. EVERYTHING ELSE NEVER BIN A BATTERY. THEY cause ﬁres

Everything Else

so keep them out of all rubbish and recycling bins. Safely recycle your a eries and elec

WHAKATIPU POPPY TRUST - ANNUAL General Meeting. Thursday, 11 June 2026, 2pm at Todd Walker Boardroom, Five Mile. Enquiries to whakatipupoppytrust@gmail.com

WATCH REPAIRS NOW

For all your repairs, watches, clocks, batteries, key cutting & straps. Level One, Stratton House (Below Sky City), 24 Beach Street, Queenstown Mon - Fri, 9.30am till 5.30pm. Closed on Saturdays. Phone/ text: 027 217 0442

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ON THE APP THIS WEEK

Japanese tourist sentenced after punching, sitting on wife at Queenstown campground - by Brianna McIlraith, Open Justice reporter at RNZ

A Japanese tourist was celebrating his second anniversary with his wife en e g in a ﬁg er a passp r and e punc ed er Takahide Nishio then shoved his wife, Takako, before dragging her along the ground and then sitting on her for 10 minutes.

The couple, who are from Kyoto, Japan are travelling in a campervan around New Zealand.

But on 5 May, the day of their second wedding anniversary, the pair got into an alcohol-fuelled argument while in Queenstown.

Now Nishio has found himself in the Queenstown District Court being sentenced for a charge of assault on a person in a family relationship and a charge of resisting police.

The tourist, who does not speak English, was supported by a Japanese interpreter via video.

Courtney Grace sentenced for false Uber sexual assault report after Queenstown holiday - by Brianna McIlraith, Open Justice reporter at RNZ

A 25-year-old woman was celebrating her engagement on holiday in Queenstown when she claimed an Uber driver sexually assaulted her.

After a night of “excessive binge drinking”, Courtney Grace told police she got into an Uber alone to head back to her accommodation.

But the Auckland woman was kicked out of the Uber for vomiting, and it was when she hopped in another to continue the journey, that she said she was sexually assaulted by the driver.

This week Grace was sentenced to 10 months’ supervision in the Manukau District Court for making a false statement to police after the sexual assault was found to have never happened.

race as lida ing in ueens n i er ﬁanc cele ra e eir engagement in October 2025.

Her defence counsel DeAnne Nicoloso said after a night of “excessive binge drinking” Grace ordered an Uber alone to go back to her accommodation.

According to the summary of facts, Grace claimed she vomited in the initial Uber and was kicked out. It was then she ordered a second ride in which she claimed she was sexually assaulted by the driver.

She then called her sister-in-law and told her about the alleged incident.

e sis er in la en called race s ﬁance as e ﬁance a called e p lice

VACANCIES

SOLICITOR POSITION – Queenstown

We’re looking for a motivated solicitor to become part of our close-knit and high performing team. At our firm, you’ll work alongside approachable and experienced practitioners, enjoy a steady and varied workflow, and be supported to build strong client relationships and develop your career.

Intermediate to Senior level Solicitor. A position of this nature is rare and we look forward to receiving applications from quality professionals who wish to establish their career in general practice. The position offers significant opportunity for a practitioner wishing to progress.

Ideally the successful applicant will have a minimum of 3 years PQE with strengths and interests in any combination of (but not limited to), Commercial Law, Property, Trusts, Wills & Asset Planning

This is a full time, permanent role based at our Queenstown office. Berry & Co also has offices in Oamaru and Invercargill. Berry & Co are committed to ongoing professional development and offer a vibrant and supportive working environment. The employment package on offer is negotiable depending on the skills, experience and qualities of the successful applicant.

If you are looking for a challenge and believe you have the attributes required, make an enquiry in the strictest confidence to:

The PRACTICE MANAGER PO Box 10

OAMARU 9400

Telephone: (03) 433 0007

Email: gmunro@berryco.co.nz https://berryco.co.nz

La Perle Jewellery Queenstown Store

Sales Professional

Full time $29 $34 per hour

We're Looking For:

Individuals with a strong passion for luxury sales. Previous experience working in sales or customer service. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Responsible and reliable, seeking long-term employment.

Please send your CV to daniel@la-perle.com.au

MARKETING COORDINATOR

FIXED TERM

Harcourts are looking for an experienced Marketing Coordinator to jump in and support our team on a fixed-term contract from mid-July to early September (with some flexibility on dates).

This is a full-time, hands-on role suited to someone confident managing social media campaigns with graphic design experience, who can quickly take ownership and keep things moving.

To be successful, you’ll need:

• Experience managing paid social media campaigns (Meta)

• Strong design skills and attention to detail

• Proficiency in InDesign, Canva, and Microso O ice

• A proactive, organised approach and the ability to hit the ground running

• Experience using AI tools would be advantageous

This is a great opportunity for someone looking to spend the best winter months in Queenstown while working in a fastpaced, supportive environment and making a real impact over a short period.

If this sounds like you, please email your CV and a cover letter telling us how you’d be a good fit to hr@highlandgroup.co.nz

OutsideSportsisafamily-runbusiness,built byadventureloversforadventurelovers.

WhatYou’llDo? Leadandsupporttheteam Delivergreatcustomerexperiences Helpdrivedailystoreoperations

WhatWe’reLookingFor: Retailleadershipexperience Motivated,reliableanddetail-oriented Weekendandpublicholidayavailability

WhatWe’reAfter: Fun,supportiveteamculture Staffdiscountsandincentives Proudmemberof1%forthePlanet

ToApply: EmailCVto: jess@outsidesports.co.nz Formoreinformation,visit www.outsidesports.co.nz

Business Support – Arrowtown

Full-time role

• Be part of a close-knit, community-focused office.

• Be part of a supportive, engaged team making a real difference locally.

• And… love your work!

Are you a proactive, systems-savvy, details-focused person looking to do varied and meaningful work? Come and join our Arrowtown team where you’ll work alongside our Family Law team leader. At Aspiring Law we’re on a mission to change the way that people think about lawyers. We’ve flipped the traditional law firm model on its head and built our business around our clients and local communities. You’ll get to know our clients like they’re friends and neighbours – because they probably are.

Applications close 3 June 2026. Find out more at www.aspiringlaw.co.nz/careers

essions of interest f HVAC Technicians

Expressions of interest now open for: HVACTechnicians

Electricians Plumbers Laborers

Welco Heating is a locally owned Queenstown business delivering highend residential heating and cooling solutions. We’re now looking to

Welco own deliv end residential solutions. We’re expand our team. We’re offering:

Company vehicle

Flexible working hours

Competitive wage

Staff tool account

Tight-knit team culture

Morning coffee & Friday beers

Smiths Craft Beer House requires QUALIFIED DUTY MANAGER

The successful candidate must have: A VALID NZ LCQ certiﬁcate/the ability to obtain one, a VALID WORK VISA good for at least 6 months and be prepared to start within a week or two.

We also have Kitchen roles at all levels.

Please pop up in person or email your CV to Chris@smithscraftbeer.co.nz

Teacher of ESOL (English as a Second Language)

Wakatipu High School Start Date: 20 July 2026 (or by negotiation)

We are seeking an experienced and qualiﬁed ESOL Teacher to join our dynamic team. In this role, you will work closely with our Head of Languages and the International & Migrant Student Advisor to create a welcoming, inclusive environment where students thrive.

How to Apply:

Please apply directly through our school careers website: wakatipuhs.schooljobs.nz/Job

Southern Lakes Engineering are looking for a Structural Steel Fabricator/Installer Workshop based in Cromwell. Min 5 years experience. Must have great communication skills, be reliable and organised. Company truck included. Fun small busy team environment with regular social outings. This is a full-time, permanent position. Applicants for this position should have a NZ drivers’ licence, NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa.

Enquire Now paul@sle.nz | 0210718823