For QRC Adventure Tourism Management graduate Rique Brown, building a career was never about following a perfectly planned path. It was about being willing to try something new, back herself, and keep learning along the way.
Originally from Ōpōtiki in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Rique is now based in Ōhope, where she and her partner run three growing businesses: Salt Spray Surf School, Dream Bean Coffee and Roastery, and Takutai Adventures.
Together, the businesses employ around 20 staff and have allowed Rique to build a lifestyle combining adventure, community, travel and entrepreneurship.
Building the Foundations at QRC
Adventure tourism wasn’t always Rique’s original plan.
Before QRC, she had completed a year of Podiatry at AUT before quickly realising that a career spent indoors wasn’t for her.
I realised I didn’t like being indoors, and I didn’t like feet that much either.
That realisation led Rique overseas to Camp America, where she worked as a waterski instructor in Portland, Maine. Teaching children a new skill gave her an early taste of how rewarding a career centred around adventure and people could be.
After returning to New Zealand, Rique began working as a tour guide on Whakaari / White Island. When COVID-19 disrupted the tourism industry, it gave her the opportunity to reassess what she wanted from her career.
That’s when I decided to make the move to Queenstown to study what I enjoyed doing.
For Rique, some of the best memories from QRC came from the people she studied alongside.
She describes her intake as a group of down-to-earth people who made the experience memorable, while subjects including law, operations and risk management, and event planning became particularly valuable as her career developed.
Those lessons would take on even greater significance when she eventually began running businesses of her own.
From understanding booking systems and safety management systems to developing terms and conditions and writing waivers and disclaimers, Rique says having that foundation before needing to apply it in the real world proved extremely useful.
Taking the Leap into Industry
Rique completed her 9-month internship with Taupō Tandem Skydiving, working across ground crew, manifest and administration.
Aviation was completely new territory, but the experience taught her an important lesson, your job title doesn’t have to define everything you learn.
Moving away from Queenstown for internship also pushed Rique outside her comfort zone and reinforced the value of being willing to try something unfamiliar.
Even though you have a certain role, you can take on a lot and learn new skills. I learnt not to be afraid to move to a new place and give things a try.
Turning Adventure into Business
Today, Rique is officially Co-Director of Takutai Adventure Company Limited, although her day-to-day responsibilities extend far beyond a single title.
On any given day she could be instructing, working as a barista, managing the office, looking after accounting or handling HR.
I wear many hats in my role, so no day is ever the same.
Under the wider company, Rique and her partner operate three businesses.
Salt Spray Surf School introduces people to surfing and life in the ocean. Takutai Adventures delivers stand-up paddleboarding, e-bike hire, school programmes and team-bonding experiences. Alongside the adventure businesses, Dream Bean Coffee and Roastery has grown from a single coffee truck to two trucks, with the team now roasting its own beans and supplying local cafés.
The businesses operate primarily from October through to April, allowing the winter months to be used for business development, travel and new opportunities. Every summer, the focus is on improving what already exists while continuing to introduce new experiences.
Building Something to Be Proud Of
Building businesses from the ground up has brought plenty of moments Rique is proud of.
One of the biggest came when she and her partner took home three business awards, including recognition for Emerging Business, Young Entrepreneur and Business Leader.
But for Rique, some of the most rewarding achievements have come from seeing just how far each business has grown. Dream Bean began with a single coffee truck and has since expanded to two trucks, with Rique and her partner now roasting their own coffee and supplying local cafés.
Takutai Adventures has also grown from the ground up, developing a range of experiences including school programmes, stand-up paddleboarding, team-building activities and e-bike hire.
Each of these milestones is a reflection of the hard work, creativity and commitment that has gone into building the businesses, and a reminder that sometimes the biggest wins are found in seeing an idea grow into something bigger than you first imagined. For Rique, being able to look back at where they started and see what they have built today is an achievement worth celebrating.
Creating Impact Beyond the Business
Despite everything involved in running multiple businesses, Rique’s favourite parts of the industry remain incredibly simple.
Whether it is teaching someone to surf or stand-up paddleboard for the first time, Rique still loves watching people achieve something they weren’t sure they could do.
That smile on their face never gets old.
That impact extends into the local community too. Through their programmes, the team works with schools to help young people become more confident around the ocean and harbour and develop knowledge that could help them if they ever found themselves in trouble.
Their adaptive days are another highlight, creating opportunities for people with physical disabilities to participate in activities they may never have thought possible.
Backing Yourself and Giving It a Go
Looking back, Rique is glad she followed a completely different path from the one she originally imagined.
Her advice to prospective students is simple:
Do it. Living in Queenstown was one of my most memorable experiences. I made some awesome friends, met some cool people in the industry, and I’m so glad I went down.
And for students already studying at QRC, her message reflects the approach that has shaped her own journey:
“Don’t be afraid to just try it. You will never know if it’s going to work or not until you give it a go.”
From changing study direction to building three businesses of her own, Rique’s journey shows just how far being willing to give something a go can take you.