A Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Dr Gerry McSweeney and Anne Saunders established their Wilderness Lodges in 1989 (Lake Moeraki) and 1996 (Arthur’s Pass) to show that conservation is everyone’s business and can make a major contribution to the economy.
Hāwea holiday-maker Dr Gerry McSweeney has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to conservation as part of the 2021 New Year s Honours.
The environmentalist runs the Wilderness Lodges at Lake Moeraki (30 km north of Haast) and Arthur’s Pass with wife Anne Saunders, with whom he hopes to one day retire to his family home in Hāwea.