Beach Bay is often described as the place Queenstown should have been built, a unique microclimate that basks in sunlight throughout the year. Instead, the town grew on the eastern shores of Lake Whakatipu, leaving Beach Bay to become Walter Peak High Country Farm, a fortunate outcome. The area has been shaped by Māori, early European settlement, high-country hardship, and enduring stewardship.

From Nicholas Von Tunzelmann’s arrival to the Mackenzie family’s long tenure, and into its modern chapter under RealNZ, this book traces the history of a farm defined by resilience and change. This is the story of a place where farming and tourism meet and where the past continues to shape the future.

To truly appreciate a place, one must first understand how she came to be.