Reflections on Two Rivers

It's nearly three months since Ula and I purchased Two Rivers, and we love it! We may have been naïve in taking on such a venture and we had no idea of the impact that it would have on our lives. But, in saying all of that we wouldn't change it for the world. Given what we've learnt and experienced we thought we should share some early reflections on Two Rivers.

With our son off to Victoria University we were suddenly empty nesters, not enjoying where we lived, but in love with the town of Ohakune and all it has to offer. It was a big move, especially for Ula who was making a sacrifice in terms of friends and social life.

Moving house and two existing IT businesses was tough, but acquiring a Bed and Breakfast was more involved than we could have planned for. We loved the house and its surroundings, and that was the immediate draw. The river location, the rural aspect and the mesmerising views of the mountain - what was not to like?

We knew we had big shoes to fill. With a booking.com score of 9.3, which is incredibly high, Chris and Mairi had done an amazing job on growing Two Rivers, literally, out of the ground. Our biggest fear was that we would mess it up and lose that score. We listened to all the advice, worked closely with Chris and our housekeeping partner (Sana) who is amazing, and pushed forward with a few changes to make it ours, and put our spin on it.

We're increasingly in love with everything about Two Rivers.

The type of people that come through Two Rivers is special, we've had quality conversations, advice and encouragement. We've listened to it all and we're responding! We can't do everything, but all I can say is watch this space.

So, what has been the biggest benefit for owning Two Rivers???? It's actually conversation and relationship. Scott had worked for a major IT company for several years until 2019 when he launched out as a sole trader. He'd gone from the dynamics and busyness of an open plan office, down to working remotely. While he was busy on consulting via MS Teams meetings, the person-to-person aspect was missing.

The regular knock at the door and welcoming people to Ohakune, and the conversation that was spawned, was an unexpected benefit. A little bit of time and kindness given to guests on their arrival has led to some emerging friendships, contact via social media, interest in coming back, and repeat visits.

The relationship aspect of Two Rivers has been worth everything, and we love our new lives.

Find out more about Two Rivers Ohakune.