Jane Scheib - From remote Skippers to heat in Crete

Jane Scheib epitomises ‘Kiwi can do’ – the girl power kind. You have to when you want to fund life in the Greek Islands for four months of the year.

Born and bred in Queenstown, when Frankton and Arrowtown were “a universe away” - a day trip for family picnics, Jane lived in the remote Skippers Canyon for 28 years. She spent five years teaching her two boys through Correspondence School, then drove them 35 minutes into Queenstown schools and back, via the rugged, narrow Skippers Road. They spent most winters in Queenstown.

No problem to Jane, school bus driving is in the blood. Dad Bill Anderson – an NZ Railways bus driver, did the local school run in his retirement. Cheeky misbehavers were immediately ordered off the bus and left to walk home. Dad to three daughters and a son, two of Bill’s future son in laws – Jane’s ex-husband Laurie Scheib and Brian Dagg among those dropped off.

Jane grew up in Hay Street above Earnslaw Wharf. School swimming lessons were across Queenstown Bay – October to April, chilled kids changing in the basement of the old stone Buckham’s Brewery.

A strong sportswoman, Jane played basketball, tennis, hockey – an Otago rep, skated and skied.

At 14 she scored her first after school job sewing up coloured rabbit skin purses for Don Mahon at the Fur and Wood Shop.

Les Riddell’s dairy was next, beside Robins Bakery “where they made the best, real peppery pork pies and Boston buns.”

Babysitting from 12, she was given a car at 16 to take kids skiing.

A first year Form 6 student at Queenstown District High Jane was the only one in her shorthand typing class, even recruited to work in the school office, leaving as a qualified secretary.

Her first boss and manager at Skyline, Nancy Williams, was her new entrant teacher and later deputy mayor. “She married Laurie and I years later at our Skippers home.”

A culture shock move to Auckland at 18 saw her working as a motel receptionist then for an ad agency: “One of our clients was Greek cruise company Chandris Lines so three friends and I headed off on a three-week party from Auckland to Southampton, via Tahiti and Panama Canal, upgraded to the top deck.”

Here a love of Greece was born and after celebrating her 21st in London and working on oil rigs in Scotland Jane discovered the heat in Crete. “I stayed there four years.”

Back home after marrying Laurie, they started Shotover Stables Horse Trekking at Arthur’s Point – Jane on “baking and the books”, before they sold to friends, taking just seven horses for trekking on their move into Skippers in 1991 with their young family underway.

Renowned for her enterprising spirit, Jane even ran a trailer ‘shop’ at Deep Creek for four years feeding rafters and passengers on the beach of the Shotover River. “It was in the days of the Awesome Foursome packages – four rafting operators supported the $5 menu to supply a filled roll or hotdog, and drink.”

Her home was later likely to be the only Airbnb on offer in the remote but beautiful canyon before selling in 2019.

Jane’s negotiated her way home to Skippers in the dark using her blinker for light, “so I wouldn’t go over the edge when the car lights went out”. Another night, Branches runholder Arthur Borrell’s huge stallion surprised her in the middle of the road.

You’ve got to be resourceful when you want to live in Europe – mainly Greece, for four months every year. Jane saw an opportunity for an After School Care Programme at Queenstown Primary School with full backing from then principal Mel Gazzard. “Belinda Robertson was in Form 7 and together we started it until she left for uni then I employed a raft of people.” The programme was moved to the old Stanley Street high school building before opening at Remarkables School and St Joseph’s.

Then, keen to get back to Greece after a 16-year hiatus, Jane devised another cunning scheme, launching ‘Getaway To Greece’ private tours of up to 12 people for three weeks sharing her love of this land with locals. “I was good at organising and initially took women only. Some winters I’d get two trips in. Pat Topliss, who volunteered with me at the CAB, travelled with me five times.”

Jane’s also volunteered for many years at the Salvation Army Op Shop and was a strong community advocate on watchdog group Queenstown Community Network with the likes of ‘Mrs T’ (Margaret Templeton) and Karen Boulay.

Jane can turn her hand to anything, starting as gardener and home help for Amanda Gatward-Ferguson initially at Outback, working her way up to office marketing for Nomad Safaris. She’s also been a popular relief manager for local moteliers.

A move to Christchurch just before Covid lockdowns left her stuck for seven months but happily exploring the isolated city streets on her electric bike.

She then toured New Zealand in a campervan for two years before establishing her tiny house at Leithfield Beach in North Canterbury where she’s helped establish a startup community garden, something she enjoys… when she’s not exploring Greece, of course.