Justine and Geoff Ross are experts in thinking differently. In 1999 – when there were few New Zealand spirits on the market – they created premium vodka brand 42 Below from Geoff’s garage.
The idea was such a success, the company was bought by drinks giant Bacardi in 2006 for $132 million. So, in 2017, when Geoff, 55, mentioned he was keen on buying a 6500-hectare farm in the Southern Alps that the pair had casually looked at, Justine says she should have known it wasn’t just a vague concept.
“Geoff has this wonderful ability to lull me into thinking something’s not going to happen, while all the while determining that it will – and I always believe him!” laughs Justine, 54, who says she felt like a “Stepford wife” when she realised her husband was serious about leaving their comfortable Auckland home, relocating the family – including their two boys, Finn, then 18, and Gabriel, 14 – to the remote mountains of the South Island.
The entrepreneurs had been fighting a desire to change their Auckland lifestyle for a while.
This story is from the November 20, 2023 edition of New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
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This story is from the November 20, 2023 edition of New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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