Celebrating Father's Day in the resort, the dads and their children took part in a complimentary breakfast at the Aspen Hotel on Fernhill, with guest speaker former All Black Norm Hewitt.
The event was organised by the Queenstown Lakes Family CentreMr Hewitt told the Queenstown Times it was his third trip to Queenstown, brought about by his relationship with QLFC.
"The first time I said, `I'll give you my time if you bring my family down and we'll call it even'."
Across New Zealand there were not many fathers who would engage in conversation about fatherhood, and encouraging men to share stories and experiences helped others learn valuable lessons, he said.
One father yesterday spoke about resilience - something he had learned first hand after his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
"He brought three kids up," Mr Hewitt said.
"He became mum and dad . . . that's what we do as human beings, we just get on with it."
However, Mr Hewitt said men talking about those experiences was all too often a rare thing and that was "a huge issue".
"It's right across generations - fathers talk about their fathers who weren't allowed to go into births. Times have changed.
"Dad used to come home from work and dinner was ready; times have changed."
Just as it was important for fathers to invest time in their children, it was also important for them to invest time in their relationships, Mr Hewitt said.
