What a rock star.
Over the past year, over 1000 hidden gems — painted rocks — have been secreted around Queenstown Gardens, hidden by one stealth visitor to the resort.
Helene Walton, of Upper Hutt, has been responsible for every single one of them.
Helene and her husband, Michael, are regular visitors to Queenstown, often coming for a couple of weeks in July and then again at the end of August.
Last year, her daughter and two grandchildren, who live in Auckland, were planning to visit as well, so she decided to bring some paint
with her, intending to do rock painting with the grandies.
But when New Zealand went into its second lockdown, that plan was scuppered — and the Waltons found themselves stuck here for seven weeks.
Wondering what she’d do to keep herself occupied, Helene was on a walk through the Gardens and noted how many families were walking in the area because ‘‘that’s all a lot of people could do’’.
‘‘I thought, ‘I know, I’m going to pick up some rocks and I’m going to paint them and hide them in the Gardens for the children’.’’
First Googling ‘how to paint rocks’, Helene got crafty at the Blue Peaks Lodge, before going back to the Gardens to hide the finished products, and collect more to paint.
‘‘People can find them and keep them, or leave them, or hide them again in a new place for someone else to find.
‘‘It just brings a smile to people’s faces.
‘‘By the time we left here, I think it was over 300 rocks I’d painted.’’
While on their extended holiday, Helene says she and Michael decided they’d return for six weeks this year, and before leaving their
home she made sure to pack her paints.
She started painting during her first week, this year staying at Hurley’s of Queenstown, and, by the time they left, another 720 rocks had been hidden in the Gardens.
Each one has #lienrocks on the back, so people who find them can leave her messages on social media — some have been taken to Australia, while others will be appearing under Christmas trees this year.
While Michael’s been busy skiing, Helene, who turns 60 next year, has fitted in a host of workshops around her painting — from pottery at Te Atamira, to perfume-making at Miller Road Fragrances, jewellery-making at Hansen Road and soap and candle classes, ‘‘I’ve had a busy time’’, she laughs.
Next year the couple plans to spend three months in Queenstown, where she intends to pick up some casual work, but is adamant
more rocks will be added to the Gardens collection.
‘‘It’s my holiday activity … it’s a tradition now.’’
