I’m a military-trained steward, which means I’m trained in hospitality management and previously I worked in old clubs like the Wellington Golf Club and the Bay of Island Swordfish Club, so the homestead was a good fit for my skills.
What work goes into your role as proprietor?
It’s all about hospitality. I run it as a homestead bed and breakfast and a venue for functions and small events up to 60 people, so I can do anything along those lines, whether it’s for two people staying at the homestead for dinner, or a full 60-people function.
How has life and business been at the homestead as of late?
I’ve been here for five years now and business has gotten better year on year. In saying that, winter is always the quieter season and summer is always when things get crazy because people want to squeeze their trips into the finer months and the holiday season.
Labour Day weekend usually marks the start of the busy season for me, I go from around 60 per cent occupancy to around 95 per cent.
I get a real mix of patrons. Most of the people who visit are New Zealanders, around 50 per cent of the international tourists are Australians, and the rest come from all over the place, Europe, America, you name it.
Are there any events happening at the park in the near future?
We don’t do any big events, but we have lots of smaller private events coming up. A lot of people lease out the homestead for 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100-year birthday parties.
There’s a group from Hawke’s Bay coming who like to do themed weekends, last year it was Scottish-themed with four days of Haggis, bagpipes and dressing up.
Do you have any plans for further development at the homestead?
Because I live in the business and operate it, I’m really at my limit for what I can do. For the operation to get bigger, the way I hire staff and my business plan would have to change.
I’m hesitant to do that because I love the private nature of the home and I like dealing with smaller groups of people. When people come to Bushy Park, they’re here to see nature, birds and heritage and I think a key part of its nature is that it’s quiet and private.
What do you think of life in Whanganui in general?
I really love it. The west coast of the North Island has been a forgotten part of New Zealand and I think people are just starting to wake up to it.
I love the heritage of Whanganui, I love the beauty of Whanganui and I love the people of Whanganui. People say hello to you in the streets and want to help you take your shopping trolley back and there are always lots of events going on in the city.
What are some of your favourite things to do in the region when you’re not at the park?
I’m involved with the Whanganui Heritage Awards and [am] one of the judges for the domestic and heritage tourism categories, so I’ll be busy with that before the awards ceremony in November.
Other than that, I don’t get much downtime away from the park, so when I do, I like to spend it at a friend’s house, to have someone cook me dinner for a change and to enjoy the company of friends and family.
Is Whanganui a particularly rich part of the country for nature and heritage tourism?
Definitely, the culture is very strong here too. There’s a good sense of nature around Whanganui.
What is something you’d like to see change about Whanganui in the next five years?
I’d like to see a four- or five-star hotel open here. I think we manage the general population well with our array of medium-range hotels and backpackers, but for the more affluent tourists who want to spend more money, there’s nowhere for them to stay in the city. A four- or five-star hotel would provide that option.
Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.
