Business Beat: Driver for hire widens his radius

Besides working as a professional photographer and an Uber driver, Blenheim’s Anthony Phelps has launched a new business, Anthony the Driver, providing personalized transport options around Marlborough and even as far afield as Nelson and Christchurch.

At the wheel of his electric Nissan Leaf, Phelps is available for trips ranging from shopping around town to airport and ferry transfers, or from vineyard visits to nights out when people prefer to leave their vehicles safely at home.

Phelps said the Uber work is particularly seasonal – very busy with tourists around in the summer but much quieter in winter – which was one reason he branched out on his own, gaining more local work and repeat customers.

He thinks among the things that appeal to those customers are his reliability and punctuality.

Raupō Cafe for sale
Raupō Café, located on a plum riverside site in Blenheim Central, has attracted plenty of interest since it was listed for sale almost three months ago.

Wade Cornelius, sales manager at Bayleys, reports a broad range of enquiries, notably from the Tauranga, Auckland and Waikato areas, with the out-of-town interest coming from a mix of investors and potential owner/operators.

Although the business sits on council reserve land, a guaranteed right of renewal means the lease is secure until at least 2073. Cornelius believes this property – which had a ratable valuation of almost $1.8 million in 2023, with new valuations due out this year -- will be further enhanced when the new Alfred Hotel opens just along the riverbank.

Rapaura Road property repurposed
A Rapaura Road property once home to Giesen Wines, and more recently Boom Town Brewing, has been refurbished and repurposed as boutique guest accommodation by the latest owners, Annie Howe and Al Turner.

The couple were living in the Waihopai Valley when they found this home, which came with a hectare of organic Syrah grapes that they now harvest and sell to a local winemaker.

Putting Turner’s professional building skills to good use, they have also created their homestay, “El Grouso”, which features two guest rooms off an existing Mediterranean-style courtyard.

Besides running the accommodation, Annie works part time at Spy Valley’s cellar door and with Harley Davidson, helping to organize that company’s summer events in this country and import merchandise for New Zealand dealerships.

Working globally for HamiltonJet from Blenheim
Since 2015, Blenheim’s Ben Morgan has worked in the sales and marketing team of Christchurch-based HamiltonJet as an area support manager … but what an area!

“I currently cover the USA, Mexico and the Caribbean,” he says. “Previously I covered Europe, Middle East and Africa.”

HamiltonJet manufactures waterjets, propulsion systems specifically designed for high-performance boats combining high speed and manoeuvrability.

Jet boats are one well-known example, but Morgan has worked with a wide variety of customers around the world, including ones servicing the oil and gas industry, offshore wind farms, fire, search and rescue boats, fast ferries and coast guard patrols.

Specific examples of projects he’s managed include 188 boats for the Turkish coast guard, police and customs; seagoing ferries for Germany and the Netherlands; and, more recently in the US, catamaran ferries for San Francisco Bay and a police patrol boat for the Seattle area.

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