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Blue Chip founder Mark Bryers is on a luxury tour of Scottish golf courses, including the sport's spiritual home, St Andrews. Well-placed sources told the Herald on Sunday he was part of a group celebrating the 60th birthday of his older brother, Auckland barrister Stephen Bryers.
One said the party had booked the Old Course Experience, which includes a round on the most-famous course in the world. The package also includes a room in a four or five-star hotel with full Scottish breakfast, lunches, a dinner, and a commemorative photo on the first tee.
Three-day packages at the course range from $4568 to $5034.
More than 2000 Kiwi investors were left out of pocket by millions of dollars when Blue Chip companies were put into liquidation earlier this year. Many are retired and face losing their homes.
Bryers' former business partner, Bob Bangerter, faces bankruptcy for a Blue Chip debt he claims he has been unfairly left with.
Bryers has moved to Sydney where he is running a property investment company similar to Blue Chip. Sources told the Herald on Sunday his sister, Lynda Rewita, and her husband Mike, have struggled to cope with the fallout from the Blue Chip collapse. The Rewitas ran thriving Blue Chip franchises in the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua. Among Tauranga Blue Chip creditors are a 90-year-old woman and her 68-year-old daughter, both of whom may lose their homes.
After the Blue Chip failure, Mike Rewita, well known in Tauranga golfing circles, had a breakdown.
Lynda Rewita, who has a teaching background, is working at Edvance, which specialises in workplace tutoring to increase the skills of staff.
The couple had a collection of cars on finance at the time of the collapse and owned eight properties. They still live in their original home and Mark Bryers' elderly mother, Betty Bryers, lives in a house on the property. She denied she might lose her home as a result of the Blue Chip collapse.
Meanwhile, Sir Bob Jones is pressing ahead with plans to bankrupt Bob Bangerter, who signed personal guarantees for leases in Qantas House, owned by Robt Jones Holdings Ltd, which housed Blue Chip's head office.
Jones alleges $395,000 is still owing, on the leases and for refits to two floors. Documents show Mark Bryers paid $47,662 from a Gulf Harbour Country Club account in March this year but a further $100,000 he indicated to RJH Ltd would be paid never came.
Bangerter's partner Maree Aitkenhead said they would fight the summary judgment proceedings.
Aitkenhead was furious to hear about Bryers playing golf in Scotland.
She and Bangerter, who ran Blue Chip's Parnell franchise, had been left disillusioned by Bryers. Aitkenhead said she had gained access to Blue Chip's corporate box at Eden Park to retrieve an All Black jersey donated by 1950s halfback Keith Davis, who asked for the jersey back after the Blue Chip liquidation.
