Wayne Gore

Background

About Wayne Gore

Without ever planning to, we designed and built one of New Zealand’s most spectacular luxury lodges for weddings and corporate. In 1981, my mother, Da’Vella Gore, a well known painter, built “The Blessed House” and a painting studio using stone and wood from four abandoned stone churches on a hillside property facing Lake Hayes. I grew up on the property, obtained a bachelor of Commerce Degree in accounting from Otago University, became a Chartered Accountant, then worked in Auckland for ten years before returning to the property in 2001 with my wife Susanne to help my mother run the estate. We took bookings for the Bed and Breakfast for January 2002, even though building only began in August 2001. The gardens were finished the day before the first guests arrived but we did it! People wanted to get married in the chapel so I designed and built the 130 seat Hayes Room to be rustic, old, overstated and unique. It had to be strong enough to withstand medieval style banquets because frankly, people like to drink and get rowdy at a wedding! We still had wood and stone left over as well as hardwood and iron from two railway bridges I purchased so I designed “The Retreat” with Architect Amanda Taylor to be a unique and luxurious blend of the old and the new with a grand hall and massive windows to take in the spectacular views. I’ll be happy to chat with you about your event or wedding and how we can help make sure it is unforgettable. wayne@stoneridge.co.nz https://instagram.com/stoneridgeestate