Karen Pettit

What is your role at Latitude South and what do you do?

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I am one of the owners of Latitude South, alongside Alaina Potter, and I function as the company director and Luxury Travel Curator, working closely with Claire Pendlebury.

Where were you born?

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I was born in Dunedin, New Zealand. Dunedin is the second most major southern city in New Zealand’s South Island, behind Invercargill.

What is your favourite part of Australia & New Zealand, respectively?

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I tend to gravitate towards quiet, jaw-droppingly spectacular locations, and for this reason Glenorchy — at the head of Lake Wakatipu, a 45-minute drive from Queenstown — is my favourite place in New Zealand.

Glenorchy is a place of soaring peaks and braided rivers, and the hiking opportunities are almost endless.

What are your hobbies?

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I have been a horse rider for most of my life, and this is my ultimate happy place. I am also content when elbow-deep in flour and have spent a good part of my adult life becoming an avid home baker.

In addition, I love the hill hikes around the Nelson Tasman District, where Latitude South is based and where we live. Nature is my temple, and it is within the forests, trees, and ferns of New Zealand that I feel restored and invigorated.

If there was one piece of advice you were going to give someone travelling to New Zealand or Australia, what would it be?

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Slow down. Australia and New Zealand are incredibly diverse, interesting, and exciting countries, and for many of our guests this is likely one of very few — or indeed the only — journey they will ever take to this part of the world.

It is easy to try to visit as many places as possible, but while this may look good on paper, it is only through living the journey that the balance between movement and meaningful time in place truly becomes clear.

We carefully design each journey around a guest’s interests and aspirations, with a strong focus on quality time in place and a sensible, rewarding pace of travel.

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