Southern tourism legend Lady Olive Hutchins’ life has been one of courage, resilience and sheer hard work - the backbone and matriarch of one of New Zealand’s most renowned family tourism empires.One of the original boats used by the Hutchins for tourist excursions in Doubtful Sound in 1954. Photo: RealNZOlive turns 100 tomorrow (Saturday, 7 June) and will celebrate with a family function in Queenstown, many of her 28 great grandchildren in tow.From her challenging and quite traumatic childhood through to often single-handedly raising her, and late husband Les’s, family of five while he was founding their tourism business, Manapouri Doubtful Sound Tourist Company.A young Olive Hutchins (nee Simpson) at Heddon Bush. Photo: Cochrane Family CollectionOlive’s always been a girl who “got the job done”.Despite living their early years in Manapouri without electricity, Olive was a tremendous support to Les throughout their tourism career, “keeping the home fires burning”, eldest daughter Robynne Peacock says.“Mum has always been a great family person, so was Dad. They’ve led very busy lives but always managed to keep in touch with extended family and friends,” she says.Extremely loyal, supportive, very social, kind and generous, Olive was always a woman who overcame, her strong Christian faith giving her the strength to get through.Always positive and keeping excellent health even now, Robynne believes her mother’s early childhood years built resilience that’s seen her through.Growing up in Myross Bush, Southland, Olive’s father died of tuberculosis when she was just two.Lady Olive Hutchins (nee Simpson) as a young lady. Photo: SuppliedHer mother then contracted the disease and was sent to the Waipiata Sanatorium deep in the heart of Central Otago to recover for two years.Little Olive and her two older siblings were sent to live with her mother’s elderly relatives at Heddon Bush.Once her mother was healed, they all moved in with her mother’s single brothers and uncles, where her mother became housekeeper and cook and they in turn supported her family.“There were no widow’s benefits in those days,” Robynne says.“Mum had fun though and was always very fond of the relatives at Heddon Bush.”Later back at Myross Bush she biked to Southland Girls’ High and back – about 16kms, daily, working in the office at H & J Smiths after leaving school.“There were 12 girls in there and they called themselves ‘The Twelve Unclaimed Treasures’,” Robynne smiles.She met Les Hutchins at an Invercargill ball, Les having just returned from training as an Air Force pilot in Canada, fortunately sent home as World War II was ending.“Dad was in a uniform and Mum thought he was a bit of alright.” They married on 6 October 1948.Sir Les and Lady Olive Hutchins. Photo: SuppliedLes ran a furniture business initially in Invercargill’s Tay Street, but a distant cousin lived in Manapouri which took his fancy.He and Olive soon bought Les Murrell’s estate and founded the Manapouri Doubtful Sound Tourist Company, operating four-day walking trips to Doubtful Sound and return.By 1954 they’d moved the family to Manapouri during summers, leaving a manager in the Invercargill business, moving up permanently by 1956.There was no electricity in those early years, Olive managing with a tilly lantern and candles in the house they’d built, running the family and base manager and communications for the business via a two-way radio while Les was away running trips.Eventually Les bought a windmill and a generator.“We’d play on the roof of the generator shed,” Robynne says.While that got lights on it still wasn’t play for Olive with her gas stove, kerosene-powered fridge and a frustrating old washing machine run by a petrol motor that had to be kick started.They bought the then existing Fiordland Travel Ltd at Te Anau off Wilson Campbell and Lawson Burrows, renaming their whole company Fiordland Travel, later Real Journeys and now Real NZ.Olive made all the sandwiches and lunches for their boat trips each morning, the kids roped in to help.The Hutchins family, from left, Joceyln, Robynne, Bryan, Les, Olive, holding Graeme, and Shona. Olive sewed all the children's clothes. She was also very proud of all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Photo: SuppliedShe was very involved in Plunket and held ‘house church’ at their home, led by the industrial chaplain from the power project.Later she and Les were founding members of the Te Anau Presbyterian Church.Olive was also involved with Federated Farmers’ Women’s Division.Fiordland Travel's MV Explorer ferrying tourists to the Te Anau-au glow worm caves in 1975. Photo: Iain CampbellThe then dilapidated TSS Earnslaw steamship was due to be scrapped over in Queenstown in 1968, so Olive and Les bought her, painstakingly restoring her to her former glory.“Dad always said it took 11 years to turn a profit in Queenstown,” Robynne says.Les was always eyeing up new opportunities, Olive the steady influence.TSS Earnslaw. Photo: RealNZ“She always says she was the hand brake when it came to Dad’s big ideas,” Robynne smiles.The company continued to expand with their children now at the helm and Olive resigned from the board 30 years ago, still sharp and doing business into her 70s.She was as passionate as Les about the Save Manapouri Campaign in the early 1970s, making the odd television appearance in support of his fight. They became renowned for their local conservation efforts.Lady Olive Hutchins. Photo: SuppliedLabour had made a campaign promise not to raise Lake Manapouri for the planned hydro scheme, while National said they’d raise it. Robynne well recalls the celebration the night of her 21st birthday when Labour was elected government.Olive has always had a heart to help others and for many years has run her own charitable trust helping everyone from children who’ve lost parents to Christian schools.“Her faith has been a huge part of her life,” Robynne says.She also loved tramping, and they introduced their kids to a love of the outdoors, also travelling extensively once Les stepped back a bit from the business.‘The Shaylene’ their yacht decked out for Doubtful Sound was a favourite past-time. They even entertained former Prime Minister Helen Clark, and politicians like Trevor de Cleene, taking them to Dusky Sound for a week.Olive and Les also did the Auckland to Suva Yacht Race twice with friends.Lady Olive Hutchins (right) with her granddaughter Madeleine Peacock. Photo: SuppliedOlive was known for her cheeky wit: “We were flying from Queenstown to Wellington for the Wearable Arts when Mum was about 90 and she fluttered her eyelids at people in the queue, saying ‘I’m 90, you know’ and they’d let her through.”Unfortunately, her much-loved TSS Earnslaw won’t be able to sail the other Lady of the Lake to Walter Peak tomorrow, but Real NZ’s Spirit of Queenstown will do the honours.Prior to her arrival local scouts will have been busy planting 80 of 100 native plants going in at Walter Peak to mark her 100th birthday, leaving about 20 for those great grandchildren old enough to plant while Great Grandma looks on proudly.RealNZ's Walter Peak Station will play host to Lady Olive's 100th birthday celebration. Photo: RealNZ
