Power to the people

The owner of a multi award-winning sustainable tour company believes its focus on relationships is key to its success.
As a direct descendent of eminent Maori chief Patuone, aka ‘The Peacemaker’ and one of the first signatories of the Treaty of Waitangi, it seems fitting that Ceillhe Sperath works as an ambassador for her country and Maori culture.
She and husband Néill, who has Irish and German heritage and is a proud new New Zealander, are the co-founders of TIME Unlimited Tours, an Auckland-based company which has just scooped some major international awards for its personalised eco and cultural tours.
TIME (which stands for To Integrate Maori Experiences) embraces the three pou (pillars) of Maori culture: manaakitanga (hospitality), whakawhanaungatanga (relationships) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship). Ceillhe explains this translates to treating guests as old friends – sharing stories and ideas with them, finding common ground and occasionally even inviting them in to their own homes. It also means caring for the environments and communities through which they pass.
“We’re very aware that our company’s long-term success depends upon the attractiveness of the environment in which we live. We adopt sustainable practices in all aspects of our business and support projects, which make a positive difference to the people we work with and the local environment.”
TIME has received a Qualmark Enviro Gold Award for its sustainable practices – an accolade bestowed on just 120 of New Zealand’s some 16,000 tourism companies.
In terms of sustainability, the self-described “mum-and-dad company” are truly world-class. In March, TIME won the popular vote section of the Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award – a prestigious prize presented by the United Nations and responsible travel website Planeta.com which attracted entries from 10 countries.
Ceillhe believes her strong sense of cultural identity is intrinsic to the company’s success. Born in the small Northland marae community of Whakapara to a Maori mother and Irish father, she grew up heavily influenced by both cultures.
While you imagine she must have been something of a curiosity on the marae as a child, juggling Irish dancing practices with kapa haka and weaving, she says she’s always been staunchly proud of her mixed heritage.
“My identity is something I safeguard as it links me to my Ngapuhi iwi and hapu of Ngati Hau as well as my dad’s family in Dublin. Ceillhe says she takes great care to honour guests’ cultures as well, adding that the experiences the company offers are more about people than “places and promises”.
Graduating from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Management Studies in 1993, Ceillhe worked as a management consultant and then national quality assurance and risk manager for Ernst & Young and set up her own business consulting and events company, Business Co-ordinates. Heading to Europe in 2001, she continued her work with Business Co-ordinates in Dublin but, missing her family, friends and beloved homeland immeasurably, returned to New Zealand at the end of 2002.
Re-establishing the business in Auckland, she took on consultancy projects with corporate clients in New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.
Her well considered life plan came undone in 2005, however, when she met Néill. Discovering they shared a passion for authentic and adrenaline-filled travel experiences in the great outdoors as well as each other, they decided to set up a company which offered just that. TIME was conceived a short while later that same year.
Wary of limiting themselves to the tourism sector, they decided to also act as international management and event consultants, both of which are still a core part of their business. TIME is in fact also an acronym for Tourism, International Management consultancy and Events.
“It’s important for us to have a business model that will sustain us in leaner times and enable us to seek out and develop opportunities to grow and innovate,” Ceillhe explains.
Both are enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guides, leading guests on adventures which include kayaking and fishing expeditions, a world-first kite fishing experience, treks and marae sleepovers. The ‘hosted Kiwi dinners’ are a standout – guests enjoy an evening of gastronomic indulgence in the couple’s North Shore home, feasting on traditional kai with matching wines from Maori-owned vineyards.
The couple keep group sizes to six people or fewer so they can tailor itineraries to guests’ preferences. “We want them to feel like they’re being shown around by a family friend,” she says.
“We’re consistent in our approach, whether we’re dealing with guests, industry associations, competitors or other stakeholders. We’re in the business of tourism but we’re also in the business of relationships.”
Ceillhe also takes care to walk the talk on sustainability.
“Anyone can say they’re an eco company, which is why we’ve submitted our policies and practices for third party assessment. It’s important from an accountability perspective, and we have a vested interest in ensuring we play our part in preserving our business backyard for our baby girl Danica Matariki’s future.”
For Ceillhe, the best thing about running the business is that she’s able to work with Néill toward a common goal. Their dream? To become an iconic Kiwi business renowned for providing unique interactive experiences which showcase what they believe are our best natural assets – our culture and stunning scenery.
Their biggest challenge, she says, is to generate enough income to realise their ideas. “It’s a constant battle which does make maintaining a work-life balance hard.”
Their secret weapon, she believes, is their focus on what Maoridom states as “te mea nui o te Ao” (the greatest thing of all).
“He tangata, he tangata, he tangata – it’s people, people, people. I firmly believe that if we honour the differences and similarities among everyone with whom we come in contact, we will do well,” she says. comments powered by Disqus