Wānaka snow sports stalwart Mary Lee has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to snow sports and tourism in this year’s King’s Honours List.

Mary and her husband John Lee developed Cardrona Ski Field, Snow Park, the beginnings of the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground, and the Snow Farm - New Zealand’s only dedicated

Nordic/cross-country ski area.

Mary told the Wānaka App she was proud to be involved in the foundation of the ski areas and Nordic sports in New Zealand and was honoured to be recognised.

“It has been and still is a very rewarding journey,” she said.

The honour had “rekindled a truck load of wonderful memories” from the partners who helped Mary and John realise their dreams to “all the wonderful people we have met”. There had been plenty of challenges along the way too, but Mary said those were “a distant memory”.

Mary Lee in action during the Snow Farm’s annual Merino Muster. PHOTO: Garrick Cameron

While Mary credits the support of family, friends, and the Nordic skiing community in the success of the Snow Farm, she (who embodies ‘perpetual motion’) may have been the perfect person to help develop and introduce the sport of Nordic skiing to New Zealand. 

A keen alpine skier from a young age, she was inspired to become a physiotherapist as a teenager by her volunteer work with disabled children.

She told the Wānaka App she had never tried Nordic skiing until John began developing the Pisa area.

“It’s a special sport,” Mary said, recalling an afternoon in those early days on what is now The Snow Farm. She stopped skiing and looked at the view, and thought: “This is such a mind-blowing, relaxing mental health day.”

It was a learning experience developing the Snow Farm, Mary said, and while the international Nordic instructors were expert skiers, their approach of taking beginner skiers to the top of the Pisa on the first day often meant it was also their last day of Nordic skiing.

“This is where my physio training kicked in and with John, we tackled the challenge of getting return visits,” Mary said.

Nordic skiing took “a lot longer” to be accepted as a sport than the couple had anticipated. A youth trip Mary organised to Australia’s World Loppet ski race helped grow awareness and was the foundation for the Waiorau Nordic Sports club and subsequently the Nordic Youth Development group. The Lees also founded Biathlon NZ and the Wānaka Biathlon club. 

Building the lodge at the Snow Farm was a huge achievement, Mary said, and it attracted international athletes (who still come to the Snow Farm to train each winter). Mary also worked hard to have the Snow Farm’s Merino Muster race (established in 1995) accepted by the traditional Nordic countries, and it is now one of 20 Worldloppet races in the world.

From 1987 to 2008, Mary managed and developed Snow Farm, and she continues to take on voluntary roles. Her efforts have provided employment opportunities and attracted national and international ski tourists, with trails providing off season business. 

Mary said she always saw her role as “behind the scenes”, but she developed something of John’s visionary perspective over the years working beside him.

The Lees sold Snow Farm in 2008 and formed the Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust to ensure it remained a recreational area in perpetuity. 

Mary remains New Zealand representative for the Worldloppet Ski Federation, and director and secretary of the Merino Muster. She founded Snow Girls, a cross country skiing and social network for women of all ages. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020 the Snow Farm was left without international ski instructors and Mary was asked to mentor members of the Snow Girls as instructors, which enabled her to implement her own ideas to promote skiing with the local women. In 2022 Mary was the first person to receive the NZQA Snowsports Instructor Award – Cross Country Skiing Level 4. 

Mary continues to be motivated by the young skiers in the Snow Farm youth programme. She said a big challenge is promoting the sport (which has a low injury rate compared to other winter activities) for the younger generation. 

“Nordic sports are not just for retired alpine skiers,” she said.

Mary also volunteers with SeniorNet and the Cardrona Heritage Trust, and recently completed a marathon (throughout May) with her two-year-old grandson Archie, to raise funds for the Heart Foundation.

John Lee was appointed a Companion to the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business and Tourism, in 2016. In 2021 Mary received the John Fitzharris Award for Service to Sports. 

Mary said the honours complete the circle for their family legacy, giving the couple’s grandchildren “a greater understanding of the partnership John and I had to establish the ski areas and other projects”.