Cromwell local Emily Rutherford is “stoked” to make the finals of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 competition for her role as managing director and co-owner of the Kiwi Water Park.

Emily spoke to the Central App from London about being chosen as a finalist, after being encouraged to enter by family, friends, and customers. 

The winner will be announced on November 15 at an awards ceremony.

“I was really, really excited, super stoked - I didn’t think I would get picked,” Emily said. 

“You have to submit the last few years of your accounts, so much information, and then there were a few interviews before the finalists were announced.”

Emily had been living in the United Kingdom and running her own entertainment business when every event was cancelled because of Covid-19. She returned home to Cromwell and wrote a business plan to open the country’s largest inflatable water park on Lake Dunstan.

Being chosen as a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 justified Emily Rutherford’s faith in her business. 

Being chosen as a finalist justified her faith in the business, Emily said. 

The park opened over the summer 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons but was in danger of not getting a permit for summer 2022-23 because of traffic safety concerns at the turnoff from State Highway to Lowburn Harbour.

The area is also a popular boating and freedom camping site and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency had raised concerns after a serious crash at the entrance. It was agreed that a right-turn bay was needed to the parking area but there was initial disagreement about who would pay, with a last-minute decision from Land Information New Zealand meaning the right-turn bay was installed and the water park allowed to open.

“We got threatened with having to close and we had phenomenal public support,” Emily said. 

That support continued throughout the season, with “tens of thousands” of people enjoying the park, she said.

“Most of the other finalists are in tech industries so it’s nice to have a fun activity recognised.” 

Emily and her mother Janet, who is her co-owner in the business, have been in discussions to open a second park in the North Island but Emily said weather and security conditions made that possibility more risky.

“Everything is a little up in the air right now because every time I go to the North Island, there’s been torrential rain,” she said. “It’s taking a bit of a risk to move to a location with a lot more rain and more crime risks.”

Whether she decides to go ahead with a second park or not, the Cromwell park would remain, Emily said.

“We will be adding new inflatables to the Cromwell park to make it even more exciting.”