Flyinn Team

We have put together a highly experienced team to run Flyinn and our farming operation at Geordie Hill. You have the full attention and capabilities of this team at your service during your NZ adventure with us. This is a huge benefit to you, and ensures that you get the best possible vacation and value from your time in NZ.

Matt and Jo

Owners of Flyinn, and have been farming Merino sheep at Geordie Hill since the early 80′s. Matt has been flying in the area since 1979 and has got a great appreciation of what makes for the best flying enjoyment for guests, having guided them here for the last 12 years. We have a wide knowledge of aviation, and of NZ in general. This combined with our long experience running Flyinn has enabled us to design the best itineraries for you taking care to make them equally interesting for non-pilots. Jo has a great ability as a host, and as our wine and cuisine expert. She takes great pride in making wonderful dinners for guests using the best fresh local produce. Their children Heather and James are also sometimes around to help out when they are home.

Peter

Peter runs his own business at Wanaka ‘Classic Flights’, which operate vintage Tiger Moth aircraft and flight training. Peter is a senior NZ instructor and check pilot and has been flying in the Wanaka area in recent years. Peter helps us with check rides and also at times with hosting and flying with our guests. Occasionally we talk him into bringing the Tiger over to Geordie Hill – a new challenge and adventure for our guests.

Sue

Sue has been flying Fiordland and Southern Lakes commercially for many years. She is a capable pilot with significant mountain flying experience. She has instructing, turbine and multi instrument experience. Sue has worked in the travel and tourism industry most of her working life and knows how to look after and entertain guests. She is also very good at passing on her vast mountain flying knowledge. Sue and her husband also operate a hunting and fishing business based in Wanaka, so you can ask her for a few fly fishing tips as well.

Megan

Megan grew up on a farm in Mid Canterbury – spending all family holidays in Wanaka from an early age. Always keen on travel after university she spent 6 years working on privately owned yachts around the States, Caribbean and the Med – sailed home to NZ for the 2000 Americas Cup. For a change of scene she did her PPL in Queenstown that year, and after a few more years on yachts in the tropics, returned to complete her CPL and flew full time for a Wanaka flight company into Milford Sound.

Since 2006 she has worked in Flight Service at Queenstown and Milford towers, and flies part time as a guide for Flyinn. She says she has the perfect life – living in Wanaka with her partner, flying around the Southern Alps and beyond as much as possible over summer, and skiing the local mountains in winter.

 

Lynne

Lynne is our Geordie Hill base superwoman. She can do almost anything and her tasks range from operating heavy earthmoving machinery, servicing the guest cottages, preparing dinner, tending the vegetable garden, and occaisionally hosting guests on a historic and wine tour in the Cromwell area. She ensures all the details of our base operation run smoothly. Lynne is also a capable rodeo rider competing in team roping and barrel racing.

Neville

Neville is senior shepherd and stock manager at Geordie Hill. He looks after the daily care and grazing of the 7500 merino sheep and 250 beef cattle. Helped by his team of well trained sheep dogs he will often be seen moving mobs of 1000 or more sheep between pastures. One of the highlights for guests is to spend some time out on the farm with Nev seeing the dogs work and learning a little about the farm operation. Nev is also a keen hunter and often provides Jo with some venison from the local area which guests really enjoy.

 Chris

Chris has worked part time at Geordie Hill since the 90′s. He is a shepherd and also does a fair amount of fencing – a vital thing for sheep farming here. Chris is also a photographer and has taken built up a great collection of landscape photo’s from Geordie Hill and the Wanaka area. We have complimentary books of Chris’s photo’s featuring Geordie Hill available for guests.

Our wonderful hosts

When we travel to the airshows in UK and in the US we have two great couples who we stay with and who give us great support – at the Flyinn North Office in Oshkosh USA are Dave and Sally who have made their place like our second home. In the UK we have Jenny and Colin, who we sometimes help out with their small herd of Alpacas and Sheep, but best of all they have a little country Oasis for us to hide away at.