Junior Apolosi - A top bloke

He may not have taken out the official ‘Queenstown Top Bloke’ crown, but Junior Apolosi - one of the iconic contest’s most celebrated contestants, wins the unofficial title hands down, according to his mates.

Junior, who grew up in Auckland, the eldest in a large, loving Tongan family, arrived in Queenstown in 1996 and has been warming hearts with his beaming smile, and ‘do anything for you’ kindness for the past 30 years.

Wife of fifth-generation Wakatipu local Kerri (formerly Robertson) for almost 20 years, they met in 2000 after Kerri says she “chased him around the nightclubs” in pursuit of that winning smile.

Initially a chef at The Hog’s Breath in Queenstown, Junior also worked nights as a bouncer at The Edge Nightclub upstairs. “I fell in love watching him on the door. It’s always been the smile and his kindness. I’ve never met anyone more beautiful,” Kerri says.

That smile saw him married into one of Queenstown’s most renowned generational families – Kerri a great, great granddaughter of Queenstown’s first mayor, James Robertson (1866-1869) and daughter of local council building inspector Brian Robertson.

Born in Tonga on Christmas Day, 1971, Junior, moved to Auckland with his family around 1976. Junior was heavily involved in the Methodist Church as part of a strong Christian upbringing and always at the forefront of any Tongan performance. He’s always loved sport – rugby, touch, ping pong, and later golf.

To Junior’s amusement his four siblings nicknamed him ‘Princess’ as his happy, friendly, helpful nature made him standout favourite with Mum and Dad. “That was especially when we went to church,” laughs younger sister Nau. “The man could do no wrong, but it took the stress off us when he was around, and it was the only time we could have a few quiet ones at home,” she grins.

Junior went through school in Ponsonby, attending Seddon High, before working in an Auckland hotel then studying to be a chef.
A year after arriving in Queenstown he joined the Wakatipu Rugby Club, a Premier player for five out of his 10 years with the club, also playing for The Wanderers, still a go to guy for the club when anything needs done.

In the late 1990s Junior wowed the ladies in Eichardt’s publicans Ann and John Mann’s popular Winter Festival Top Bloke Contest, coming close to taking the top prize on several occasions. “Junior wasn’t only the most capped Queenstown Top Bloke in its 19-year run but the brand itself encapsulates everything that is Junior,” Ann says. “He’s the ultimate Top Bloke. Just ask his contest peers, who nominated him as the ‘Quintessential Top Bloke’.” A natural on stage, Junior became renowned for dancing in his Tongan tupenu.

In the building industry for many years, Junior first worked for Carters, then moved to Southern Lakes ITM before launching Hi-Ab Solutions, of which he’s a director with several other business partners, contracting to Placemakers. He’s renowned for cheerily supplying materials to building sites in his familiar, custom-designed truck, known locally as ‘The Tongan Torpedo’.

He’s also worked as a mobile aircraft refueller at Queenstown Airport and fuel tanker driver out of Christchurch.

A dad of five, two adult kids from his first marriage – Mele and Sii, then Lexi-Ray, 16, Pippa, 14 and Robbie, almost 8, Junior’s been heavily involved in the Wakatipu Waka Ama Club, Lexi-Ray and Pippa recently named at the New Zealand national championships to represent Tonga in the World U19 Sprints in Singapore in August.

Club founder and president Francie Piacun says Junior was hugely helpful with fundraising to take the juniors to the nationals and the Secondary Schools Nationals in the North Island. “He’s an incredible ‘Camp Dad’ too, providing amazing food for our four junior crews three times a day for a week, hugely supportive.”

Proud ‘Camp Dad’ had been all set to go to Singapore and help too.

Sadly, Junior and his family are still reeling from the devastating news just 12 days ago of his shock diagnosis with pancreatic cancer, a Givealittle page set up to support his family outstripping all expectations. Launched last Monday (4 May) the page had been swamped with $60,000 in donations in just a few days – believed to be an unprecedented response, testament to a man who’s touched the heart of his community. “Junior is the guy in Queenstown who everyone knows – a pillar of the community,” sister-in-law Cheryl Robertson says. “This news has absolutely rocked so many people.”

Queenstown truckies have organised a convoy procession past Junior’s home on Saturday (16 May) with more than 50 trucks already confirmed in a “moving gesture of love and support”.

A community fundraising auction is also being held on Friday, 5 June, at the Arrowtown Rugby Clubrooms.

Spud Murphy, who’s coached and played Wakatipu Premier Rugby with Junior, a mate for 30 years, sums him up best: “He’s an absolute superstar, a super top bloke who’d do anything for you. You never see him without a smile on his face. He’s so positive.”

Heartened by the outpouring of love from the community as he embarks on this serious cancer battle, Junior’s hoping to muster up just a little of that positivity moving forward.

To help Junior and his family see: givealittle.co.nz/cause/standing-by-junior