QT BUSINESS - Issue 20 - June 2022 Fabulous food options at Five Mile - Lakes Weekly Bulletin
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QT BUSINESS
Fabulous food options at Five Mile
Issue 20 – June 2022
June 2022 | Issue 20
QT BUSINESS
Ski pass collection
Woods arrives at destination
by Paul Taylor
If you were looking for a career path that would The sector was still in its infancy when Woods Tourism, DQ’s counterpart, since October 2019.
prepare you for one of the most important jobs in joined in 1993, but by 2013 the big boys had “So, when the DQ job came up, I realised I’d had
Queenstown, you couldn’t go much better than cottoned on to the potential, and R&R Sport was this incredible apprenticeship to do this role,” he
Mat Woods. bought by The Warehouse Group, becoming part says.
The ski-mad businessman, who has been in the of its Torpedo 7 brand.
“The years at Cardrona and Treble
district for the past 14 years, has been appointed Woods spent about a year as general manager of
Cone gave me a good understanding
chief executive of Destination Queenstown. retail operators for the Torpedo 7 Group, before
following his passion for skiing and heading up around how the tourism and ski
He’ll be behind the desk from 20 June, leading
the mountains as head of sales and services at industry works, then I got some insight
the team at the regional tourism organisation
(RTO), which is responsible for promoting the Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone, ski into the operational side of things in
town to domestic and overseas tourists, drawing fields owned by the Real Journeys group, which the GM role with RealNZ, which was
in visitors from around the world. is now branded RealNZ. another piece of the puzzle.
A potted CV: Woods graduated from Otago After six years, he spent a brief stint during “Working with New Zealand Fine Touring helped
University with a Bachelor of Commerce the Covid-19 years as general manager of me see how inbound tour operators work, what
(Economics) degree before heading for Colorado Queenstown experiences for RealNZ, overseeing they need, and obviously Lake Wānaka Tourism
to spend an OE year as a ski bum operations such as the TSS Earnslaw, before has given me a good grounding in the RTO
leaving to become GM of New Zealand Fine world.”
On his return to Dunedin, he began work with R&R
Touring Group, a multi-channel inbound tour Lake Wānaka Tourism has been working more
Sport, where he’d spend the next 20 years, as general
operator based in Wānaka. closely with DQ since the beginning of the
manager, managing director and co-owner, as the
pioneering outdoor adventure brand expanded to Since 2016, he’s also been on the board of Snow pandemic, drawing up a destination management
10 stores nationwide, including Queenstown. Sports NZ, and has been chair of Lake Wānaka plan, which was a condition of the Government’s
QT BUSINESS June 2022 | Issue 20
STAPP (Strategic Tourism Assets Protection
Programme) funding for RTOs.
“I think one of the ways to help bring that plan to
fruition is to be involved as CEO of Destination
Queenstown,” Woods says.
“And it’s also about my ‘why’. What gets me out
of bed in the morning, and why I applied for the
role, is I love sharing the places I’ve been, the
experiences, and I love this region. I also love to
lead a team, to help people be the best they can
be. This role puts those two things together, so
it’s my dream, all the things that make me happy.”
Woods says the team he’ll be leading at DQ is
already world class.
“Destination Queenstown is in really good shape.
It’s got some amazing people, hugely skilled. To
come in as CE and lead that team is phenomenal.
You look at the marketing team under Sarah
[O’Donnell], and the sales team under Kiran
[Nambiar] they’re fantastic.”
The domestic and Australian market will be key
to over the next six months, with 68% of Kiwis
still planning a domestic holiday.
“So, we can’t drop the ball on domestic and then
Australia is the next cab off the rank. We have the
ski season ahead of us, and the school holiday Mat on the slopes
period is going to be very busy.
“Beyond that, we’re seeing some really The three organisations will then work together “It’s a real shift in thinking. As RTOs, we’ve
good interest out of Singapore and the on joint sales calls and in-market representation, listened to the community and heard what they
North America will be very strong for road shows, media and travel agent visits and want, so it’s quite a change to where we’ve been
summer.” promotion through owned channels. in the past, which was all about bed nights and
Woods says it will help replace the Chinese numbers. But it is going to take a lot of hard work
Last month, DQ signed a memorandum of
market, as it is anyone’s guess when that might to get there.”
understanding with Auckland Airport and
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited to target the US return. Woods’ predecessor was Paul Abbot and one of
and Canadian tourism, business and incentive “It’s about the rebuild now because his first engagements as DQ boss was to attend
market. community / business workshops on regenerative
businesses have been decimated and
tourism, about the time the trans-Tasman bubble
Auckland is the most connected city in Australasia it’s been hard to hang on as long as opened.
to North America, with 60 direct flights per week they have.”
to seven cities, once the New York service begins Since then, though, there’s been further pain for
“I think back to March 2020 myself, and we all put tourism operators.
in September. That’s more flights than there are together our optimistic, realistic and pessimistic
between Auckland and Queenstown, with 50 per “Regenerative tourism is key for the industry but
scenarios, and what it might look like. Nobody
week. moving to that model is not something we can do
thought it would be as bad as it has been.”
The plan is to create itineraries that will focus overnight,” Woods says.
Key challenges for Queenstown include attracting
on must-dos in both regions: food, golf, “The goal is 2030. But that’s only eight years away
the workforce back, getting the international
luxury, outdoors, arts and culture, low-carbon and it is going to go beyond that. It is about taking
airline routes back up and running, and pre-
experiences, and a specific incentives itinerary. steps to move in that direction. What pieces can
departure testing.
we do easily?
“We’ve got a balance to strike between revenue
“If you look at businesses right now, they’re
generation and staffing. We need a little breathing
hurting and it’s hard for them to even think about
space, because if you have too many people
it. They actually just need some revenue.”
and not enough staff, that’s not great for the
Queenstown brand.
“The workforce is the biggest constraint.”
Woods joins at something of a crossroads for the
tourism industry.
While recovery from the pandemic is at the
forefront of business minds, Tourism Minister
Stuart Nash has made it abundantly clear the
industry needs to recovery its social licence,
moving on from the bums on seats approach to
growth.
New Destination Queenstown
boss Mat Woods The destination management plan, due out in
July, reflects that.
June 2022 | Issue 20
QT BUSINESS
A couple of Kiwi innovators - Michael (left) and Mathurin in the early days of Wilding & Co
Wilding & Co – A sustainable success story
by Sue Fea
What started out as a dabbling in natural He was already trying to make a perfume from want it on a global scale,” he says. doTERRA
perfume oils for Wilding & Co’s Michael Sly the Taramea (Speargrass) plant to coincide with showed interest early on in the concept, and
quickly grew into a long-term environmental the Rugby World Cup and Ngai Tahu had become was particularly impressed by the ecological
enterprise for him and business partner interested in this. restoration factor. “There was a great synergy
Mathurin Molgat. Entrepreneurial blood runs thick in his veins between what we were passionate about and
Their company now supplies high-end American with Michael’s mum, Ann Pinckney planting the their company ethos. doTERRA is very highly
essential oil company doTERRA exclusively with first commercial grapes in Central Otago, so he regarded as a sustainable company and a lot
huge amounts of Queenstown Douglas fir oil persisted in researching various technologies to of their profit goes back into protecting the
that’s distributed to at least 50 countries. It’s an extract the oil. environment,” Michael says.
environmental success story ridding the region’s A graduate of industrial design, he and former “The company supports a lot of social impact
hillsides of pesky wilding pines that create a Queenstown business partner Dave Turnbull work in communities around the world and
worsening ecological threat. also had their own successful design company, exports high-end essential oils like rose,
It may sound like a breeze but for Michael Chrome Toaster, in Wellington. In another first, coriander, peppermint, lavender, frankincense
and Mathurin it hasn’t been an easy ride, with it was one of New Zealand’s initial web design and cardamom, sourced all over the globe.
constant challenges and sacrifices along the way companies in its time. “Back when we started, home fragrance diffusers
since they first launched in 2014. Michael’s industrial design background came in were relatively new but our Douglas fir oil is used
“I’d been doing some work developing natural handy when, after getting friend Mathurin on in these now, as well as body washes and soaps.”
perfume compounds and during a trip overseas board with the idea, they were faced with the huge Wilding pines grow naturally in America and
I met with essential oil specialists and started to challenge of building their own distilling unit. Europe, but they were introduced here, probably
play with different oil opportunities,” Michael “Nobody knew anything about for the alpine feel and to control erosion, he
says. Passionate about ecological restoration and says. “They’ve been taking over from our native
essential oils in New Zealand then,
protecting the environment, Michael was aware vegetation.
of the wilding pine issue. “I thought if I could so we had to work with designs from
“We have a significant wilding pine problem
cross pollinate the work I’d been doing to develop overseas and design our own,”
so having a large scale partner meant we could
essential oil natural perfumes and apply that “I’d only made a small amount of oil to start make pine oil seven days a week to keep up with
technology to pine oil I could be onto something,”. with but when you put it in front of the right demand.”
people overseas and they’re keen, classically they
QT BUSINESS June 2022 | Issue 20
Initially, there wasn’t much buy-in locally from
the authorities, despite the concerns about
wilding pines being a huge problem, so they set up
in Lawrence, near Dunedin. Once their idea was
a proven success they moved their manufacturing
base back to Speargrass Flat to mum Ann’s old
winery, which they converted into a pine oil still
and processing unit.
Signing up a multi-year contract with doTERRA
created the perfect synergy – a self-funding
method of paying for the removal of troublesome
wilding pines from the region.
“Our oil sales pay for the pines to be removed
and we now have between six and eight staff,
depending on the time of the year,” Michael
says. While Covid restrictions held every
other business back they were able to continue
operating, around lockdowns. “The good thing is
we’ve been able to employ people who were left
without tourism work when the borders closed
and they get paid well for what is pretty physical
work.” Wilding pines have been taking over from our native vegetation
“Since we’ve been operating in Queenstown
we’ve removed about 90 percent of the wilding management tools in place to try and resolve any of business concept off the ground. There was no
pines that had spread below the Coronet Forest environmental balance,” Michael says. grant funding. It’s all self-funded,” Michael says.
along Malaghans Road. Those pines could have “The banks said ‘no’, even once we’d secured the
threatened vegetation higher up if not removed “As a social impact business if we can
contract with doTERRA, so we had to mortgage
and we’ve probably saved landowners hundreds sell more oil and remove the wilding
our houses and find our own money.”
of thousands of dollars. pine spread then we’re succeeding.”
However, it paid off. Within a year of getting their
“We’re just part of a vast puzzle. There’s never a “There’s a soul food element to this for us, but operations off the ground by 2016 Wilding & Co
silver bullet so it’s important to have a myriad of there’s a huge amount of hard work to get this type was producing 750,000 bottles of pine oil. “Since
we started, millions of products have been sold
around the world using our wilding Douglas fir
essential oil.
“It hadn’t ever really been tried in New Zealand
before, but I guess I learned how to break new
ground by being around Mum. She gave me that
capacity for tolerance to try new things and solve
problems and not give up. Mathurin and I have
always been about building a team and sharing
information with others.”
It doesn’t need to stop there either. “Potentially
we could have a thriving essential oil industry in
Central Otago,” Michael says.
“If you flip our latitude into the
Northern Hemisphere where all the
perfume oils are made we have the
perfect climate and conditions. There
was once a DSIR perfume and research
facility on Sam Neill’s Earnscleugh
vineyard.”
He believes it’s early days with the perfect
conditions locally for growing the likes of thyme,
more lavender, and rose. “The centre of European
perfume in France brings in several billion Euros
in tourism a year. There’s definitely potential in
this region. We’ve just paved the pathway and
opened up the channels.”
Olive Sly (left) and Lindsay Ludemann ensuring precious Wilding & Co mulch
goes back into the earth in a locl reforestation project
June 2022 | Issue 20
QT BUSINESS
On the business of books
by Bethany Rogers
Coach, consultant and author Jacqui Thomas “It became about
is a familiar face in the Queenstown business letting people know
world. that anyone with
Jacqui has a passion for business and works an idea can start a
closely with businesses on planning, strategy, business.”
coaching and marketing. Over the years, people
Writing is another of Jacqui’s strong suits – her who loved Go Girl Go
first business was in freelance writing – and she’s kept asking Jacqui
recently released a book featuring real stories of if there’d be another
inspiring women in business. book, but for a long
time, Jacqui didn’t see
Her Way delves into the stories of Queenstown
the need.
businesswoman Louisa ‘Choppy’ Patterson,
former Telecom chief executive Theresa Gattung “I thought women
and leading fashion designer Kiri Nathan. don’t need to be told
now that they can start
The book comes 20 years after her first, Go Girl
a business. They know
Go, which was published in 2001.
that. They don’t need
“[Go Girl Go] came about because it was a book I another book on it.
needed at the time,” explains Jacqui.
“But then one day I
“I had become a freelance writer and was sitting looking at
I knew how to write the stories but I my bookshelf, full of
didn’t know how to set up the business all my business books
side of things. and books on money
and books on personal
I guess back in the late ‘90s, it wasn’t quite as
development and that
prevalent the amount of people starting their
sort of thing. I thought:
own business and women in business wasn’t
actually, most of these
quite as prevalent. There weren’t all the networks
books were written
and organisations that there are now.”
by men. And they’re
Jacqui got frustrated by it all one day and said to about men. They’re
her partner: “You can’t just go to Whitcoulls and biographies of men.
buy a book on it, you know!” And they’re all very Jacqui Thomas
“His response was: there you go, that’s your cool books, useful in
answer. You’re a writer. Go and write the book their own right, but where are all the books written “This is despite statistics showing that female-led
you want to read.” about women in business? Because women are businesses tend to go further, for longer, making
During her search for answers, Jacqui began doing really cool things. And I realized that my more money.”
interviewing women in business around own bookshelf wasn’t reflecting that. Balancing childcare or making choices around
Queenstown and ended up travelling the country “There was an untapped need for real whether to do business or family was another
talking to different women. Go Girl Go became stories about real women and their common theme; “women are being quite
about these women and how they turned their businesses.” resourceful, making different choices and
ideas into successful businesses. accommodating to find balance.”
In Her Way, Jacqui delves deeper into how
women do business differently. Again, she spoke With Her Way on the shelves (it’s available
to women across New Zealand and interviewed via Jacqui’s website, jacquithomas.com as well
them about how they ran their businesses. as in gift and book shops), Jacqui’s currently
working closely with Queenstown businesses in
She uncovered a theme of a more feminine way
a contracted role. She says the future of business
of doing business; less cut-throat, more heartfelt.
– for men and women – in the region is looking
“The crux of it is that you can be commercially bright.
viable while doing business in a way that
“We’re in an interesting time in Queenstown
brings out these softer qualities.”
at the moment going through Covid. There are
It also became clear that there are some wonderful opportunities to do things that
still some challenges for women have been talked about for a very long time in
in business. Statistics show that terms of diversifying Queenstown.
although there have been
“There’s a lot of talent here and it’s about
improvements made, it’s hard for
maximising that, looking after the people in the
women to get funding.
community and the beautiful place we have here.
“Of all the money that gets […] These things are being discussed in business
invested into businesses through circles and particularly in the wider community.
things like venture capital firms, It’s a good reminder that it is possible to make
women’s businesses are getting fewer money and do well and still look after people and
dollars invested in them. the planet at the same time.”
QT BUSINESS June 2022 | Issue 20
Sponsored content
Fabulous food at Five Mile
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The Crown
Family-friendly and a new local favourite, The Crown offers all the classic
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Podium
Elevated dining at its best, Podium in Sudima Hotel is a master in blending
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You can Trust the Chef to create a flavourful four-course meal experience,
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Hikari
Serving high-quality ingredients and excellent customer service, Hikari
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Boliwood
Serving authentic Indian food, Boliwood has a delicious dinner menu and
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Tanoshi
A local favourite, Tanoshi produces genuine, authentic Japanese cuisine.
Creating a fun, back-alley, Osaka- style dining experience, it’s the real deal.
Perfect for lunch and dinner, the Kingfish Sushi Bowl, Gyu Tataki (one of
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June 2022 | Issue 20
QT BUSINESS
Zenkuro Sake
Sake – secret to success
by Sue Fea
What began as a good idea over a sake and a few beers watching an All
Blacks win has burgeoned into an internationally-recognised business
success in just seven years.
Within a year of three Queenstown mates hatching that idea their now
renowned Zenkuro Sake had wowed the world, taking out a gold and silver
at the prestigious London Sake Challenge. By then they also had strong buy-
in from Japanese business partner and high-profile Christchurch hotelier
Yoshi Kawamura.
Zenkuro, which means All Black in Japanese, not only got them to the 2019
Rugby World Cup, but much more.
Since then Zenkuro’s premium grade sake has taken out eight leading
international sake awards, fending off the world’s, and Japan’s, best to scoop
gold and silver medals.
It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind for head brewer Dave Joll, Richard Ryall,
Yoshi, and up until recently, former business partner Craig McLachlan who
recently sold out to pursue family interests overseas.
It all started when rugby fans Dave, Craig and Richard were watching the
All Blacks beat the Aussies in preparation for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Dave and Craig have Japanese wives and families, and all three have long
business links living and working in Japan. “We’d learned that the next
World Cup was in Japan and thought, ‘We’ve got to be there! We need a Cellar door Dave and Yasuko
scheme,” Dave says.
Surprised to discover sake wasn’t being produced in New Zealand, they Junmai Daiginjo Sake at the Bordeaux Sake Challenge. Once again it was
got busy. Dave, who has a Japanese hospitality and property investment the first time they’d made that higher grade sake. This gave them huge
management background, was sent to Japan and Canada to research and confidence to move forward, especially as 99% of entries in international
learn the brewing process, which he clearly mastered in record time. Dave sake competitions are from Japanese sake producers. “Our gold in Bordeaux
had worked for Yoshi’s father in his property company in Tokyo and Yoshi, was up against some of Japan’s biggest, most renowned breweries that have
who’d recently invested in a sake brewery in Canada, was immediately on been around for hundreds of years. They’re household names, so that was
board. a real honour.”
Six months after the first commercial release in December, 2015, they Despite the past two years changing the landscape Richard says, while
entered the London Challenge, just for feedback. “Richard was going home exporting some sake to Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore where it’s a hit,
to England so we sent New Zealand is their focus.
some with him,” Dave
says. They were blown Production rose from a thousand bottles in the first year and
away when their Drip this year they’re aiming for 7500 750ml bottles.
Pressed Sake snatched Freight costs make it quite prohibitive to export much and with such pent
gold and their Cloudy up demand in New Zealand lately there’s no need to export. “The New
Sake won silver at that Zealand market’s grown so much that we don’t have enough left over to
2016 competition. “We export much.” Dave’s already ordered another 20% for next year of the
couldn’t believe it,” specialist sake rice they import for the sake from Japan.
Dave says. “I was in Prior to Covid times Zenkuro Sake was sold in about 40 restaurants New
Japan and received an Zealand-wide and the company was breaking into the highly-competitive
email to say we’d won!” Japanese market. It had also gained some big notoriety in London when
In the three years it caught the attention of the NZ-born head sommelier and wine buyer
they’ve entered the for one of London’s leading five-star Japanese restaurant groups, ROKA.
competition they’ve Interest was strong from other overseas markets, including the US, however,
cleaned up six medals, Richard says they lost a lot of restaurant sales due to the lockdowns and
including two golds, restrictions. That didn’t stop sake lovers pursuing them online where sales
and in 2020 they skyrocketed. “Now that the restaurants have re-opened our sales have
entered the Hong come back in bigger numbers so maybe those online buyers are asking for
Kong Sake Challenge, it in restaurants,” he says. They’re currently working closely with top five-
winning bronze and star Auckland restaurants like MASU, Ebisu, Azabu, Pasture, Sidart, Hello
the following year Beasty, Poni Room and Mr Morris. “We’re also talking with a sake expert
again winning gold. friend and chef in San Diego who has three Japanese restaurants. That’s
The same year a a good fit for us as we have to be selective. We’re a small scale boutique
European panel of producer.”
sake experts awarded More recently they’ve teamed up for a sake collaboration with local Tanoshi
them gold for their Restaurant operators to produce their own exclusive special blend, Zenraku
Dave pours for Yoshi’s feedback
super premium grade Junmai Ginjo Sake, on tap - a huge hit. They’re now working with So Bao,
QT BUSINESS DO YOU NEED
June 2022 | Issue 20
an Asian fusion restaurant opening soon in Dunedin, to produce its own
unique blend for service on tap.
Small Business
Sake is renowned for its health benefits and only uses three simple ingredients
– rice, koji (saccharified rice), water and yeast, however, for premium grade
HELP?
sake the quality of that water is paramount, Dave says.
“That’s why we produce our sake from Queenstown as we need Anna has owned award winning small
our nice soft, glacial-fed, rainforest filtered water.” businesses all her working life.
They work with a local Japanese company, Kangen Water, using their specialist
water filter system to cleanse out any impurities. “This also allows us to adjust Anna has a passion for helping others
the pH level and produce a slightly higher alkaline water for brewing, which to succeed in all areas of business,
has even more health benefits and a softer mouth feel,” Dave says.
specialising in small business.
Nothing goes to waste in this sustainably-produced product, and while many
may say the secret’s in the soil, for the Japanese the secret’s in the sake. Sake, Anna will help you to succeed!
a fermented beverage with only around 14 percent alcohol, is renowned
in Japan as health enhancing, as is the residue from its production, sake- 100% funding could be available.
kasu, also highly sought after. Rich in vitamins and amino acids, sake, in
moderation, is known among Japanese to improve blood circulation, lower
blood pressure and cholesterol, and treat skin conditions. Sake kasu is in Call Anna now on 027 232 4820
demand among Japanese women seeking a smooth, youthful complexion for a no obligation “free” catch up
and clear skin. Dave’s wife Yasuko Joll and a group of Japanese women are
kept busy producing Zenkuro’s sake kasu facial cosmetic products, also a over a coffee or a wine.
burgeoning business. “Word has spread among Japanese people all over
New Zealand and the online orders keep flowing in,” Dave says.
Zenkuro is also now collaborating with two local breweries providing this
healthy sake kasu for special sake beers, a New Zealand first. Canyon Brewery
began producing a lager with the sake kasu last year, which is now selling
in supermarkets and distributed around Auckland. It’s already been named
as one of New Zealand’s top 100 beers. Altitude Brewery, New Zealand’s www.freedomconsulting.co.nz
champion small beer brewery for 2021, is also making a Zenkuro sake kasu
pilsner which is proving popular in restaurants and liquor stores nationally.
Yasuko & Dave delivering to Hisaya Sake Store in Fukuoka 
June 2022 | Issue 20
QT BEESNESS
The business of bees
by Sue Fea
Probably the biggest issue facing beekeepers
during the past two years is the massive stockpile
of Manuka honey that couldn’t be exported
because of border closures and no flights.
“Thirty percent of our Manuka honey was sold
through New Zealand tourism trade and gift
stores and that trade died all over the country,”
says Peter.
Despite honey’s huge health benefits it’s been
extremely difficult to establish new export
markets because the borders have been closed,
Peter says.
Fortunately honey gets better with time and stores
well, but like Peter, Buzzstop’s Nick Cameron has
also been hit hard by the huge drop in tourism
trade caused by the Covid crisis.
“Manuka honey was my main source of revenue
prior to Covid,” Nick says. Renowned the world
over for its hugely beneficial antibacterial and
antiviral properties, the tourists loved it. “Every
first world hospital in the world has high-strength
MGO Manuka honey on hand now as part of its
Nick Cameron beekeeping with guest
treatment protocol,” Nick says.
He lost 99.9 percent of his business when Covid
Not only the bees, but the business of bees has taken a battering lately. hit. “It was gone overnight.” Sales in Nick’s busy Buzzstop Café and Honey
What was a lucrative industry five years ago, bees and their business have Store dropped from four to five dozen jars a day to one jar. He kept his
been constantly flying into a head wind. First it was the varroa mite outbreak export licence, but with a glut worldwide it’s been hard to move stock. “Then
destroying hives, then AFB disease, followed by Covid border closures, and without any industry consultation MPI (Ministry of Primary Industries)
ironically on top of all that too many hive hobbyists springing up. limited the amount of honey we could post overseas to 2 kilos.” While
that’s recently crept up to 10 kilo lots it certainly hasn’t helped struggling
Local commercial beekeepers say that while it’s great that there’s been
beekeepers who are also facing huge postage price hikes, says Nick, who
such an upsurge in interest in hobby hives, which helps bolster local bee
hosts and helps tend local hives beside Buzzstop.
populations and pollination, in some cases this has exacerbated disease
problems. He had to majorly revamp his business from a “staggeringly busy”, large
honey shop and little café to become a large, busy café and little honey shop.
Alpine Honey’s Peter Ward in Wanaka says there’s been a huge increase in
hobbyist beekeepers in the last few years and this creates no end of problems Fortunately hundreds of local honey lovers have still been lining up for
for commercial beekeepers. their hayfever reprieve three weeks ahead of spring each year for their
prescription of fresh local honey, on tap at Buzzstop. “You take one teaspoon
While the vast majority of hobbyist beekeepers are doing a brilliant job of
a day for a few weeks before the season to build up natural antibodies from
taking care of their hives to ensure disease doesn’t enter and spread, there
the local pollen profile,” Nick says.
are a good number who aren’t, he says. The feel good factor of helping the
environment and growing your own honey can wear off with some people While beekeepers have faced huge costs and issues protecting hives from
who forget to tend their hives. varroa and AFB disease, Wanaka company Tiaki Bees has been trying to
take the hassle out of that. “Our aim is to put hives out onto residential
“A big part of beekeeping is also stopping your hives from swarming,” says
properties and businesses to get the environment pollinated through little
Peter, who operates hives from Buller down to Northern Southland with 20
or 30 in each locations.
“There’s a lot of internal management goes on to stop the bees from
swarming – half stay and half leave. They may build their own hive in a tree
somewhere and those feral hives can’t be treated for varroa so it multiplies.
“It only takes one infected bee to join a hive and the whole hive can die, or
have to be burned. They load up with honey, winter over, then bring varroa
with them.”
Peter understands as many as 30 percent of local hives had to be destroyed
during the last year due to varroa. “A few hobby hives can damage a huge
number of managed hives.”
However, many hobbyists work hard to keep healthy hives and they’re a
welcome addition with Cromwell-based Otago Polytechnic experiencing
exponential growth from budding apiarists in its courses. In just three
years its programme’s grown from two courses to 37 in Cromwell with the
number of students learning nationally increasing from 32 to 520, says lead People are more aware of the importance of bees and
tutor David Woodward. Gaining some sort of qualification is the best way the role they play in pollinating our food and plants
to prevent hive disease, he says.QT BEESNESS June 2022 | Issue 20
Sweet as...
Beekeeping may not be a regular teenage pastime, but for one Wakatipu
teenager Lincoln Reddell it’s becoming a sweet little sideline gig that
could hopefully help fund his upcoming university studies.
At 16, Lincoln’s probably one of the district’s youngest beekeepers. He’s
already producing about 40kgs of honey a year under his own honey
label, Remarkable Organic Honey, with an ever increasing following of
local honey fans.
It all started when the Wakatipu High School Year 12 student was just 13.
“My grandfather had started beekeeping and bought me a beekeeping
suit for Christmas and helped me set up some hives,” says Lincoln.
Together they collect the honey with help from his grandfather, Keith
Reddell’s friends where they hand spin the honey out of the hives and
it’s poured into pots for sale to family and friends.
Like most young people he’s increasingly aware of the biodiversity
angle - the need to bolster pollination and bee populations locally to
encourage environmental sustainability. Gradually Lincoln’s become
increasingly interested in the whole beekeeping process and he’s hoping
to expand his little enterprise of three hives as time and money allow.
The family lives just below the Remarkables Ski Area so Lincoln’s bees
pollenate on a beautiful mix of wildflowers – matagouri and rosehip
There’s been such an upsurge in interest in hobby hives flowers, and clover, at the base of the mountain range. “There’s a
massive diversity of different pollens around here which creates an
amazing taste,” he says. “Since I’ve had my hives we also have a lot more
gardens and flower beds, then deliver that honey back to the customer,” says wildflowers popping up around the house too.”
founder and head beekeeper Barna Szocs. Depending on the time of year he usually checks on his hives fortnightly,
“We rent hives to people who are interested in helping the environment and checking and re-arranging the frames to ensure the bees get to retrieve
understand the importance of bees, but don’t have the knowledge to manage the honey from the centre of the hive, which is what they prefer. The
hives.” honey is collected just prior to, and just after, winter. Lincoln’s also
Tiaki, which launched in 2020, has more than 100 customers currently constantly on the look-out for any disease which could be detrimental
and Barna says the past year has been the busiest with business doubling and his grandfather’s on hand with a bit of other beekeeping and
as people want to do their bit. He and his team go in and extract the pure business advice. “I’m not much of a businessman so I get help there
raw honey – anything from 10 to 18 kilos a season for their hive customers. from Grandpa with working out costs and things.” While so far Lincoln’s
They’re also working with local schools, hotels and big companies like Mitre had very positive feedback from his regular returning customers who
10. QT Hotel and several upmarket Wanaka lodges have been lining up for love the honey, he confesses he’s not done any promotion. “I don’t
Tiaki hives. “The chefs are so excited. They want local produce with local like tooting my own horn as a 16-year-old kid, but the majority of my
‘story’ and jars of honey to give to customers.” customers have been really loyal and want to pre-order from the next
batch.”
“People are more aware of the importance of bees and the role they play in
pollinating our food and plants,” he says. “Since the Covid lockdowns more
people want to be self-sufficient, grow their own food and eat locally.”
Awareness is growing about the dangers of sprays too with local contractors
informing beekeepers and checking the best time to spray in order to avoid
any harm the bees.
Lincoln with some of his Remarkable Organic
Honey, beside the hives under The RemarkablesJune 2022 | Issue 20
QT BUSINESS
Is scamming NZ’s fastest growing The small print
business sector? Appointment
Have you or your business been scammed?
It feels as if scamming is one of the fastest growing business opportunities Otago Regional Council appoints temporary boss
and I nearly fell for the pitch recently. Dr Pim Borren has been appointed interim chief executive of the Otago
Regional Council, following the resignation of Sarah Gardner, who left the
I’m a trustee for a Family Trust, and I received instructions to invest some of organisation last month.
the funds for a 12-month holding period. All the local banks were offering His appointment was confirmed by ORC councillors in an emergency
was an interest rate of nothing more than 2.9% - which is less than the council meeting on Tuesday, 31 May.
inflation rate. So, I kept investigating. Dr Borren’s experience to date covers more than 27 years in corporate,
local government, tertiary education and private sector economics, which
I looked at NZ-based second-tier lenders. An Auckland-based property
includes 15 years as a public sector chief executive.
development company were offering 10% for 12 months, which smelt
decidedly fishy and after digging a bit further. I found some fraud and legal
activity, so I rejected that and moved on. Awards
Next, I moved to web-based NZ banks including a USA-based bank,
Citibank, which is with a NZ wholesale product offering. I knew the name Grow NZ Business wins Microsoft gong
and had previous small contacts with them. Kiwi marketing and growth advice agency, Grow NZ Business, has been
selected as the Microsoft Advertising Celebrated Partner for Australia and
I left the search for a day or so, deciding to come back to it later.
New Zealand for 2022.
After two days I received a phone call – no caller ID - the caller noted that I Microsoft runs the biannual initiative to recognise and reward the
had been on the Citibank website and could he help me with any issues. This outstanding, creative, effective, and passionate work of businesses in their
should have been a ‘red flag’, but I didn’t pick it up as he had a good reply and Microsoft Advertising Partner Programme
explanation and the proposal fitted my needs. I gave him my email address. Grow NZ’s local Business Development Manager Sam Jones joined the
team to service the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago region just over
I then received a good-looking professional proposal, followed by an email a year ago.
asking how I was getting on. This email included an attached application “It’s been a challenging year, but I’m so pleased the Grow NZ team has
form with detailed instructions which I started to fill out. My gut, however, been recognised for their hard work. I’m enjoying working with some
was not happy. great small local businesses who are making it out the other side of the
pandemic and seeing positive results with the digital marketing support
I realised that all the contacts had been one way. I had not phoned him. So, I
we are providing.”
attempted to contact him direct. There was only an answer phone and email Grow NZ is also a registered provider with the Regional Business Partner
addresses. I then got the contact details for Citibank in Auckland, and spoke Network
to reception. As soon as I mentioned the person I wanted to speak to – she
said: “Don’t talk to him, he does not exist, it is fraud, ring the police” Queen’s Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours
I felt terrible, relieved, furious, gullible, thankful – all at the same time. David Clarke, the long-serving director of Lakes District Museum, has
been awarded the Queens’ Service Medal, in the Queen’s Birthday and
On reflection, the good news is that the Trust still has its funds. But – how
Platinum Jubilee Honours List for services to heritage preservation in
did he get my phone number from looking at the Citibank website? Citibank Queenstown Lakes District.
wasn’t helpful at all and reporting it to NZ authorities was not easy, as no
one seems interested. Anne Urlwin has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of
Merit (ONZM) for services to business. A Queenstown Airport Corporation
I was lucky that my gut rumbled at the right time. But it could have been very (QAC) board member Urlwin has been a director, a chartered accountant
different. None of the people I tried to contact were interested in helping. It and business consultant for more than 20 years. Urlwin is also the
could be a gap in the market for a new tech start up, here in Queenstown. Independent Chair of the Te Rūnanga Audit and Risk Committee of Te
Learnings from my experience. Understand the red flags and Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and serves on the boards of City Rail Link Limited
and QAC.
inconsistencies, trust your gut if something doesn’t feel right and check. All
the banks have formal details on their websites. MBIE also has some info. Paul McEwan was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of
Merit (MNZM) for services to neonatal care. McEwan is a founding trustee
Post scrip – they are still onto me. Nine days after the first contact they
and chair of the Canterbury Neonatal Unit Trust formed in 1992. The
sent a reminder email asking if I needed help in filling out the application/ retired cricketer led the Trust as it raised more than $600,000 for projects
lodgement form. to support neonatal care
I’m telling my story, so others are not reeled in and become a victim.
Be careful out there!!
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