Before he built one of Queenstown's premium tour companies, sharing the beauty of New Zealand's South Island, Lee Saunders already had a deep connection to the town and Aotearoa’s natural environment.

Raised on a sheep and deer farm in Southland, his family moved to Queenstown in the mid-1980s, when his father began working on the construction of the Clyde Dam. He spent his youth exploring the outdoors around the Whakatipu Basin, before schooling in Dunedin and then working around New Zealand and later Australia.

The mountains called him home, and Alpine Luxury Tours was born with the aim of combining rich local knowledge with exceptional service to create unforgettable experiences for customers.

Today, the family-owned and operated business employs 21 staff across Queenstown and Christchurch, with a multilingual team and a fleet of luxury European vehicles supporting everything from private transfers, private touring, wine tours, heli-hikes, winter ski days, incentives and multi-day South Island driver/guide touring.

The company has recently stepped up to become a Love Queenstown Impact Partner, donating 1% of their proceeds each year in support of grassroots conservation projects that protect the landscapes, waterways, and wildlife that make Queenstown so unique.

"We want to make a contribution that goes beyond running a successful business," Lee says. “If you know the land and you love the land, you want to look after it.”

Getting hands-on

Environmental stewardship has quietly been part of the company’s DNA for years.

Lee and his staff spend one day a year up near Ben Lomond saddle, tackling invasive wilding pines and seedlings through Whakatipu Wilding Conifer Control Group's Adopt a Plot scheme. On some days, they've removed more than 400 seedlings.

Alpine Luxury Tours is also proud to be a Greenstone Kea Sponsor and support the Kea Conservation Trust. During the pandemic, Lee was the operations manager for his late brother Amon’s wilding pine control business, removing wilding pines throughout the Whakatipu and Central Otago region.

The company has also supported local groups such as Mana Tāhuna, joining planting days and donating to the cause, along with backing community projects like Arrowtown Primary School’s sunflower fundraiser with Nadia Lim.

“We donated the transport and our time, and they raised over $900 for the school,” Lee says. “It was a small thing for us, but it made a difference.”

He's also keen to get his team more involved with Love Queenstown's annual planting days.

"Being a bigger partner now, we’ll do more of that – dedicating days or half-days wherever Love Queenstown needs us. The team enjoy it, and it’s a good reminder that the place we work in everyday needs care."

With travellers increasingly seeking meaningful, place-based experiences, Lee sees an opportunity to weave environmental impact into their journey. He hopes to one day build a dedicated tour that connects guests directly to local restoration projects.

“I don’t know what it looks like yet, but it’s something we want to create,” he says. "Giving back to the community, as well as protecting and restoring the land for future generations is really important to us” says Lee.

Love Queenstown and Love Wānaka exist to ensure the places we love today remain thriving long into the future – connecting the visitor economy directly to environmental outcomes that can be seen and felt for years to come. Every dollar and every volunteer hour helps restore native biodiversity, protect our lakes and rivers, and build greater resilience into this landscape we all depend on.

Since launching in 2023, the funds have distributed more than $145,000 in grants, planted over 8,500 native trees, and supported freshwater protection, biodiversity projects, and zero waste campaigns – with 20% of contributions invested into an endowment fund to secure long-term impact. But we’re only just getting started. The more businesses that join this movement, the greater the legacy we can create for future generations.

If you’re a tourism operator, business, or local organisation wanting to be part of Queenstown’s regenerative future, we’d love to welcome you. Become an Impact Partner, roll up your sleeves at the next planting day, or find a way to give that fits your business – because together, we can protect the heart of this place we call home.