Our Team

Louise Burnie

Director

What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever travelled to, and what made it so special?

I’m a big fan of the island of Niue and love how unspoiled it is. The snorkelling is amazing too.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one book, one movie, and one type of food, what would they be?

The Lorax, The Lake House and any fruit but not feijoas.

What’s your ultimate guilty pleasure, whether it’s a TV show, snack, or hobby?

I like to sneak off with a good book which I can read from cover to cover if no one is going to interrupt me. I’ve been known to pull an all-nighter when I need to know what’s going to happen next! I can’t walk past a Chomp which is a South African chocolate bar, conveniently sold at Kmart.

Tell us something unique or interesting about your hometown where you grew up.

I grew up in Cape Town and stopped surfing the day that I went up in a small plane and discovered that what looked like a rocky reef near my surf break was in fact a heap of sharks.

Favourite Pantone colour number (PMS)

317 – minty green which reminds me of the sea colour at my favourite spot.

Shelley

Accounts

What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever travelled to, and what made it so special?

Rio de Janeiro when I was 21! Seeing Christ the Redeemer (Modern Wonder of the World) and world famous beaches Copacabana & Ipanema up close.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one book, one movie, and one type of food, what would they be?

Book: Difficult decision.. “One Hundred Days of Happiness“ by Fausto Brizzi (No it’s not a self help manual)

Movie: Too hard to choose just one so an old musical like “My Fair Lady” with Audrey Hepburn

Food: Cheesy popcorn.

What’s your ultimate guilty pleasure, whether it’s a TV show, snack, or hobby?

Home & Away (Australian TV Show).

Tell us something unique or interesting about your hometown where you grew up.

Oscar winning actress Charlize Theron was born in the same town as me – Benoni in South Africa.

Favourite Pantone colour number (PMS)

2807 – Ballerina Pink.

Seona

General Manager

What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever travelled to, and what made it so special?

I travelled extensively in my 20’s, doing the Big OE, going through Europe, Africa, the Middle East. Everywhere I went was interesting in its own way. Fez and Meknes in Morocco stick in my mind because it was so different to home. In our tent, being woken up by a chorus of calls to prayer from every minaret around (all at slightly different times) and wandering through medinas that looked like they were straight from an Aladdin movie.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one book, one movie, and one type of food, what would they be?

One Book – War and Peace by Tolstoy. It’s a book I’ve always meant to read, it’s really long so will occupy me for ages and in this situation I might make it past page 7.

One Movie – Empire Strikes Back.

Food – Daim Bars.

What’s your ultimate guilty pleasure, whether it’s a TV show, snack, or hobby?

Going down a YouTube rabbit hole with friends, finding songs that I haven’t heard for years and singing…loudly.

Tell us something unique or interesting about your hometown where you grew up.

I was born in Scotland. My parents moved our family across the planet and we ended up in Oamaru. It was a great place to be a child. Oamaru has a colourful past, at one point boasting more bordellos and taverns than anywhere else in NZ before prohibition created a roaring bootleg trade. Tourism kicked off just after I left and all of the old buildings that we used to ride our bikes around, carving our initials in the Oamaru stone walls, have been scrubbed up and the area is vibrant with interesting shops, markets and wonderful places to eat. Oamaru is also now known as the Steampunk capital of the world.

Favourite Pantone colour number (PMS)

This is a tough one, there are so many! I guess I’ll go patriotic – PMS 300C, the blue of the Scottish Flag (Saltire)

Lisa

Office Assistant

What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever travelled to, and what made it so special?

I went to Poland with my family in 1987. It was before the Berlin wall came down and still under communist rule so very poor. I think we were the only tourist there but somehow still managed to have a lot of fun.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one book, one movie, and one type of food, what would they be?

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, The Holiday and any Mexican Food.

What’s your ultimate guilty pleasure, whether it’s a TV show, snack, or hobby?

Coco Pops but I try not to buy and have it in the house.

Tell us something unique or interesting about your hometown where you grew up.

I was born in Napier. I have heard so many stories from my grandmother about the 1931 earthquake. It is New Zealand’s biggest natural disaster. My grandmothers father was killed in it and my grandmother had to run up Napier hill to the hospital to try and help her sick mother.

Favourite Pantone colour number (PMS)

164 – orange.