The Mountain Club Podcast

What does it take to build a global business without a plan, and how do you know when you’re done? Host Clare Irons sits down with Mia Feasey, founder and former CEO of Siren Design, one of Australia’s leading commercial interior design firms. Mia started Siren at 26 with little formal training. She grew it into a business with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Singapore, London and New York...

Paddy Kluts sits down with Christina Grant, founder of New Zealand merino brand Perriam, who has just walked away from 10 years in Wanaka to put everything into Tarras and the merino shop her mother ran for more than 30 years. They talk about growing up on Bendigo Station, where her father co-founded the New Zealand Merino Company, and carrying on her mother’s legacy. Christina traces her path fro...

Please note: this episode contains strong language and discussion of drug use. Snow Machine has grown from a small-scale first edition in Japan to a festival now pulling over 6,000 Australians to Queenstown every year. This episode was recorded live as part of Mountain Club's VIP Snow Machine event, The Ultimate Alpine Experience. This installment of the Speaker Series saw host Danny Clayton, an A...

A very special 50th episode of the Mountain Club Podcast. Pete Fullerton-Smith, CEO, and Paddy Kluts, Co-Owner and Membership Manager of Mountain Club, sit down to reflect on the almost two years since they recorded the very first, origins episode, and everything Mountain Club has achieved since: the growth, the events, the connections, and the experiences. Pete and Paddy talk through the Mountain...

Paddy sits down with Nigel Hobbs, Managing Director of Tourism Innovation Group (TIG), for a conversation on betting on wellness tourism, scaling a group of touring brands, and stepping into his own era of Queenstown tourism. Nigel reflects on the mentors who've shaped his career, and talks through the old guard and the new guard. Why he now sees his generation as the ones taking control of what c...

Paddy sits down with Roger Sharp, founder and chair of Technology Queenstown and former chair of Webjet, who watched Queenstown's tourism-dependent economy buckle under COVID and decided a one-industry town wasn't good enough anymore. Roger explains how he convinced a university to launch a tech campus in Queenstown, why he bet on tourism itself as the way into a travel tech ecosystem, and what it...

Recorded live for New Zealand Fashion Week, Clare Irons sits down with four people shaping the future of the industry in Aotearoa: stylist Lou Heller, Mons Royale co-founder Hamish Acland, Perriam founder Christina Perriam, and Nat Newlands, designer behind NEWLANDS and Legacy Land. All four grew up on farms, and all four have built businesses at the intersection of creativity, sustainability, and...

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is coming to New Zealand. Paddy sits down with two Mountain Club members, Dr Pragati Gautama, a GP and rural hospital specialist with more than 30 years in medicine, and Grace Cooper, a former registered nurse and counsellor, for an illuminating conversation on the practice they are building following the country's approval of its first prescriber in June 2025. Pragati...

What happens when a family farm runs out of reasons to keep raising sheep, but the family refuses to give up the land? Host Paddy sits down with Annika Grant, co-founder of Country Lane, a working farm on the outskirts of Queenstown reimagined into a 28-tenant boutique village built from salvaged and relocated buildings, including the old Queenstown District High School and cabins rescued from the...

What begins as a walk often becomes something far greater. Clare sits down with Matt Claridge, Chief Executive of Te Araroa, New Zealand’s 3,000 kilometre pathway stretching from Cape Reinga to Bluff. More than a track, it weaves through cities, backcountry, and communities, offering a deeply personal journey for those who step onto it. Together, they explore the evolving role of the trail, from t...

Host Paddy Kluts sits down with Drew Knowles and Dr Simon McKenzie-Nickson, the duo behind the Augmented Human Series, for a conversation on burnout, busyness, and the biology underneath both. Drew brings three decades across behavioural consulting, stress physiology, and human performance. Simon brings a PhD in neuroscience and deep flow state research. Together they trace the exhaustion so many...

What happens when entrepreneurship shifts from starting businesses to acquiring and growing the ones already built? Paddy sits down with Pete Seligman to explore the growing momentum behind entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) across Australia and New Zealand, and why it is becoming an increasingly compelling path for operators, investors, and aspiring business owners. Together, they unpack...

Clare sits down with Mat Woods, Chief Executive of Destination Queenstown, and Mike Casey, CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa and Central Otago's electric cherry orchardist, for a live episode recorded for Electrify Queenstown. Together they unpack what it really means to lead the world on electrification, and why Queenstown is uniquely placed to do it. The conversation moves from the economics of running a...

What does it mean to truly capture a place in a bottle of wine? Clare sits down with Anika Willner, winemaker at Coalpit Vineyard, to explore the philosophy behind organic viticulture and the deep connection between land, people, and wine. From her early years in Ohio to working vintages across Europe, Australia, and the United States, Anika shares the journey that led her to Central Otago, and to...

A conversation shaped by perspective, place, and the pursuit of something deeper. Stuart Robertson, artist, photographer, and the force behind Peace in 10,000 Hands , shares how his work has taken him from Queenstown to some of the most remote and confronting corners of the world. Through experiences in places like Ukraine and Antarctica, Stu reflects on what it means to document humanity, capturi...

Please note: this episode includes discussion of mental health and suicide. If this feels close to home, take care while listening. Support is available via 1737 (NZ), free to call or text, anytime. A raw and grounded conversation on mental health, leadership, and why mental health education needs to start early. Sir John Kirwan, one of New Zealand’s greatest rugby players, shares how his own live...

In a town known for its history and landscapes, Rosie Bristed is helping shape New Zealand’s creative future. Rosie, founder of Astor Bristed Gallery in Arrowtown joins us for a conversation about art, place, and building something meaningful in a small but vibrant creative community. Rosie shares her journey into the art world and what it really takes to run a contemporary gallery. From discoveri...

A thoughtful conversation on health, performance, and finding clarity in a fast-moving world. Damian Chaparro, founder of Aro Hā , an award winning wellness retreat centre shares the journey of building his business and how he has build the brand philosophy into the core of the business. The retreat has championed regenerative tourism practices, from the way the retreat is built, to the immersive...

In this episode, host Clare Irons sits down with Nadia Lim; TV Chef, Entrepreneur, and beloved New Zealand food personality. Together, they dive into Nadia’s journey from winning MasterChef at age 24, to co-founding My Food Bag, and to her current life on Royalburn Station, where she’s embraced farming, sustainable food production, and the balancing act of running multiple businesses alongside fam...

In this episode, host Paddy sits down with Ali Meredith, one of the club’s longstanding and most dynamic members. Together, they explore Ali’s unique journey from studying law and working in legal tech startups around the globe, to finding inspiration, adventure, and community in Queenstown. You’ll hear how Ali has woven together a life of professional growth and outdoor adventure, building a care...

In this episode, host Paddy sits down with Ross Copland - an engineer, infrastructure leader, and passionate local - to explore the unique challenges and opportunities that come with Queenstown’s rapid growth. Together, they dive into Ross Copland’s journey from a Southland farm to the helm of Southern Infrastructure Limited, discussing why Queenstown is such a special place and what it takes to k...

In this episode, Paddy sits down with Sam Stubbs, the founder of Simplicity, for an insightful conversation about creating connection, community, and impact - both in business and everyday life. Together, they explore the origins and growth of Mountain Club, the flourishing Queenstown community, and the role of shared passions like mountain biking in breaking down social barriers. Sam Stubbs share...

In this special "Christmas Wrap" episode, host Clare looks back on an incredible year of connection, growth, and adventure in the Queenstown Lakes region. From unforgettable heli-skiing powder days with family and friends, to mountain biking, adventure races, and insightful conversations with inspiring guests, Clare and the Mountain Club community have plenty to celebrate. This episode dives deep...

In this episode, host Clare Irons sits down with Benje Patterson - economist, strategist, storyteller, and local community leader - to unravel the fast-changing landscape of Queenstown and the surrounding region. Benje Patterson, who serves on the boards of both the Arrowtown Promotion and Business Association and the Queenstown Trails Trust, shares his unique perspective on what it means to belon...

This episode is a deep dive into journeys - geographical, entrepreneurial, and personal wellbeing. Paddy sits down with Matt Chapman, a globetrotter turned Wanaka local, whose story stretches from a small town in Australia, through the bustling streets of Singapore, and finally, to the stunning landscapes of the Queenstown Lakes region. Matt shares his path from a highly scheduled, high-performing...