If you’re looking for Queenstowner Peter Faul and his wife Jacquie in the next decade or so, expect to see them at sea.
The 63-year-old’s off to France next Thursday — followed by Jacquie in May — to take delivery of a catamaran which they’ll initially sail in the Mediterranean before circumnavigating the world.
It’s some sea change after 38 years in Queenstown, though they have an open invite to their friends to join them wherever they are.
Peter grew up in Invercargill, leaving James Hargest College at 16 to undertake a three-year, 8000-hour apprenticeship to be a mechanical engineer.
He joined building services family firm CH Faul which his grandfather set up in 1949.
In ’87, he came to Queenstown to work on mechanical services for the THC hotel (now Novotel), which was then under construction.
He commuted initially before shifting here — the same year he also married Jacquie.
Peter — who took over the firm with his brother — says the most enjoyable project was the Millennium Hotel build in the mid-’90s.
Remarkably, it took a year to build — he notes it’d now take two years due to the extra engineering needed after the Christchurch quakes.
He recalls workers only occasionally wore a hard hat.
"I think health and safety slows projects down immensely — for all the right reasons."
The business added plumbing by buying two local plumbing firms.
Peter and his brother later amicably parted ways, with Peter setting up Advantage Plumbing & Drainage, initially with Lindsay Walker, and even opening a Christchurch branch.
Meantime, he and Jacquie raised Rachel, who’s now 34, and Brad, who’s just turned 30.
Peter had 10 years’ involvement with the Events Centre, five years as a trustee, then, when it became a council-controlled organisation (CCO), four years as a director and one as chair.
"The highlight was the growth in patronage — when it became a CCO, we used to have 150,000 visits to the place a year, when we left five years later it was 750,000."
Due to the board’s success, he was disappointed when council brought it in-house.
He recalls heading the fundraising for the new Frankton kindy with Kim Wilkinson, raising about $500,000 by tapping people on the shoulder.
Another highlight was building and running a one-day equestrian event for the pony club, which even attracted star rider Mark Todd.
"Jacquie was president at the time, but our involvement went on for a good 10 years."
Peter also became Southland, then New Zealand, president of the Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ and, latterly, a director of plumbing collective NZPM.
Covid, obviously, was hard — "we lost a lot of people at the end of it" — yet, ironically, he had his busiest year after it.
He’s since sold Advantage and also their Malaghans Rd family home of 28 years as they prepare to go to sea.
As to why, Peter says he’s owned boats since he was 18 and competed in jet sprints and marathons.
In his early Queenstown days he was a relief driver for Neil Ross’ Glenorchy jetboat business, Dart River Safaris.
He’s had the idea of sailing around the world for about 30 years.
"I’ve been lucky enough to go under the wing of a very dear friend I’ve been to sea with, many times, in many difficult, trying situations.
"Jacquie’s been somewhat a reluctant sailor, but we did some bareboat charter work in the Whitsundays a few years ago and went through some pretty hairy weather conditions and she absolutely stood up."
Peter’s bought a 55-foot catamaran and recently had three weeks’ intensive training in Sydney to get his skipper’s tickets signed off.
They plan sailing the Med for about two years before circumnavigating the world — "that should take 10 to 15 years".
As to the attraction, "it’s the freedom, the challenge of being in adverse conditions, staying calm".
"If you ever have a leadership role in your business, a lot of those skills and attributes transfer quite well."
He reflects on an "incredible" Queenstown experience with just one gripe.
"I still don’t think we think far enough ahead as a community."
He’d four-lane the highway from Oraka (formerly Lakeside Estates) to the Arrowtown turnoff.
"I defy anybody to come up with a plan that says we can’t have growth any more — half the problem is too many people try to stop it instead of planning for it and preparing for it."
