Society Insider: Real estate agent power couple’s big plans in Christchurch; Blues, Warriors, Auckland FC unite for Champions Day

Real Estate power couple Holly Jones and Ricky Cave.

After moving his burgeoning real estate career from Christchurch to Auckland in 2011, Cave credits his success to his mentor, real estate queen Megan Jaffe, who started two highly profitable Ray White franchises – Remuera in 2007 and Ōrākei in 2011 – before launching her own self-named brand within Ray White. Within a few years, Cave became one of the top Ray White salespeople internationally.

For more than a decade, Cave lived a hard-earned, high-rolling real estate lifestyle in Auckland, mixing with a Rich List set including Empire Capital’s Paula and Simon Herbert and the Owen family, and eventually becoming the director of Ray White Mission Bay.

Cave and Jones have known each other for 10 years and both have won numerous awards for Ray White internationally.

“I have been in real estate for 17 years and Holly for 15; combined, we have sold nearly $2b worth of real estate across all markets in New Zealand,” Cave tells Society Insider.

Holly Jones and Ricky Cave with her team at an awards dinner.

Their dual-city, four-year relationship led to Cave moving back to Christchurch at the end of 2024, after the couple became engaged in 2023.

“Workwise, we knew we could do well in either market, but it came down to where we wanted to bring up a family,” Cave says.

Ricky Cave and Holly Jones became engaged in 2023 at Lake Erskine.

“Our passions and goals are the same, and we are excited for our next journey, building our business and family together.”

They welcomed their first child, a daughter, Aspen Myra Cave, late last June.

“Aspen is a gorgeous wee girl and we absolutely love being parents,” Cave says. “Fatherhood has come at the best time in my life and has given me a new meaning and outlook on things.”

He says the change of pace to his lifestyle has been positive.

“She takes me back to my childhood, and I am enjoying being in the moment with her. It’s made me appreciate the small things and what really matters, which is family, friends and experiences.”

When he first moved back to Christchurch, Cave worked out of the Ray White New Brighton office, which has been owned for more than 25 years by Jones’ parents, Phil and Maxine. It is also where Jones manages her own team of agents.

Christchurch-based real estate power couple Holly Jones and Ricky Cave.

But the couple has big plans – last year they bought a building in the seaside suburb of Redcliffs, where they have lovingly decorated plush offices for their new venture, Monopoly Property Management.

“We wanted the Monopoly office to feel like an upmarket home, from where we are building a team to help investors buy the right investment property, with the best return and, most importantly, the best capital gain,” Cave says.

The Monopoly Property Management office in Redcliffs, Christchurch.

The Monopoly office features a putting green, kayaks and surfboards for ocean fun at lunch or after work, as well as a smart boardroom, offices, bar, outdoor barbecue area, a gallery of pop art, a piano and a pool table.

“We have created a lifestyle for our team, not just an office, somewhere they felt at home and a space where they could maximise their potential.”

Cave says he and Jones have the same skills, so working together is a breeze.

“We can both jump into any of each other’s meetings and handle it,” he says. “We love the chase of the deal, and because we are selling a home every 32 hours, there is always something exciting happening.”

Cave still owns his house in Auckland’s Mission Bay but sold his beach house in Pauanui in the Coromandel three years ago.

Holly Jones and Ricky Cave boating in Auckland.

He and Jones have replaced that getaway with a stunning property in Queenstown, Lake Erskine Retreat, which they named after the lake where they got engaged in 2023.

“Lake Erskine Retreat has been amazing. It started off as a holiday home for us,” Cave says. “We wanted to create a really cool Queenstown vibe holiday home that felt like you are at a wellness retreat.”

Ricky Cave and Holly Jones’ Lake Erskine Retreat.

The property is in Lake Hayes, where they have added a massive outdoor fire, sauna, spa and ice bath.

“It has been very popular on Airbnb; it has an old school library with a hidden door, heaps of cool art, and most of the furniture has been custom-made,” says Cave.

In May, the family will move to their new home, a lifestyle block in Christchurch on 8000sq m of land.

He says they want it to be a wellness space too, with a pool, spa, gym and tennis court also in the mix.

“We will grow all our own vegetables, we will have chickens, bees, and some other farm animals just as pets,” Cave says. “We want it to be a lifestyle for Aspen [as she grows up].

“This farm that we are going to create is going to be all about Aspen. We have some incredible plans for this place, and we can’t wait to move in.”

Footy codes come together for Champions Day

This weekend is a big one for sports fans, with the Blues, Warriors and Auckland FC all playing at home in Auckland for what’s been dubbed Footy, Fillies and Fans.

And while the players will be hoping to win their games on the field, they’ll also be keeping an eye on events on the racetrack on Saturday. At Champions Day, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing’s biggest and most glamorous race day, the teams all have a stake in racehorse La Dorada, with a share of $4 million up for grabs in the filly’s race.

La Dorada and from left Warriors players Luke Metcalf, Kurt Capewell, and Wayde Egan, Blues players Corey Evans, Sam Darry and James Mullan, and Auckland FC players Marlee Francois, Sam Cosgrove and Logan Rogerson.

Some 10,000 people are expected trackside at Ellerslie on Saturday where La Dorada (The Golden One) will be racing in NZ’s richest race, the NZB Kiwi. The Blues, Auckland FC and the Warriors each have one stake in the filly. The remaining nine stakes went to members of the public who won ATR’s golden ticket competition. They own the horse for this race only.

Champions Day at Ellerslie Racecourse is expected to attract 10,000 spectators.

Trained by Te Akau Racing, La Dorada established herself as the country’s premier juvenile last season, winning the $1m TAB Karaka Millions.

If the filly wins the New Zealand Bloodstock-sponsored race on Saturday, she will take $1.2m – $100,000 per stakeholder.

Blues CEO Karl Budge says all the clubs are united in their temporary ownership and are all hoping La Dorada comes through with the goods.

“Any winnings will go straight back into fan experiences at our clubs,” says Budge.

All Black and Blues star Sam Darry tells Society Insider it’s great for the Blues to have a stake in New Zealand’s richest race.

“I love a day at the races, the social scene and race action, and would probably be there for celebrations, if it weren’t for our game against the Crusaders that evening at Eden Park,” says Darry.

Blues players Beauden Barrett and Sam Darry.

The coming together of the clubs reflects Auckland’s Big Weekend of Sport. As well as the Blues v Crusaders, the Warriors’ 2026 NRL campaign gets underway against the Sydney Roosters at Go Media Stadium on Friday, and Auckland FC hosts Perth Glory at Go Media Stadium on Sunday.

Last year, when it was announced the 2026 Champions’ Day would fall on Saturday, March 7, Warriors CEO Cameron George, a former CEO at ATR, approached the NRL with the opportunity to have a fixture in Auckland the night before.

“As Auckland FC and the Blues draws were announced, I approached ATR CEO Paul Wilcox, Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker and the Blues CEO Karl Budge about a cross-coded sporting weekend,” George tells Society Insider.

Sporting CEOs Nick Becker, Karl Budge and Cameron George.

George is also the former chairman of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, where he built the building blocks of the NZB Kiwi race with Australia’s Entain, which has a strategic partnership with New Zealand’s TAB.

“It’s the first time we’ve come together for the same cause… it’s really exciting,” says George.

Becker says Footy, Fillies and Fans is a great example of what happens when the codes work together for the benefit of all, and they would like to do it again.

“We all want to see Auckland succeed as a city, so this is certainly something we’ll look to do again should it go well,” says Becker.

Saturday will mark the second year of Champions Day, after ATR transformed Auckland Cup Week into one day.

Wilcox tells Society Insider that having three Group 1 races on the card – the NZ Derby, Auckland Cup and the NZB Kiwi – has made it the club’s biggest day of the year, with a total stake of $8.55m across the card.

Cameron George and Paul Wilcox. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

A range of racing royalty will be trackside to celebrate, including New Zealand Bloodstock’s Sir Peter and Lady Pam Vela, with their daughters Petrea and Victoria, and Cambridge Stud owners Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay.

Other big equestrian names attending include Te Akau Racing owners David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis; Waikato Stud owners Mark and Pippa Chittick, and former jockey and legendary trainer Lance O’Sullivan and his wife Bridgette.

Te Akau Racing owners David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

The O’Sullivans’ daughter Caitlin is an ATR ambassador and will be there with her husband, commercial real estate agent Tom Doyle. Her fellow ATR ambassadors, fashionista Carena West and real estate agent Ryan Teece, are also expected, with Teece set to be joined by his husband, The Hits radio host Matty McLean.

ATR ambassadors Caitlin O’Sullivan, Carena West, Ryan Teece and Hannah Marinkovich.

The newly launched Moet & Chandon Lounge is the most premium offering of the day with full table service and free-flowing glasses of Moet at the ring of a bell.

The Ned Prix de Fashion takes centre stage as the national final of racewear style, where New Zealand’s best dressed female racegoers compete for glory and the coveted sash.

Last year’s Prix de Fashion winner Danni Alfeld (centre) with runners-up Sarah Morris (left), Sheree Sheehan, Eleanor Campbell and Kylie Hayes.

There’ll also be live DJs at the Birdcage Bash afterparty in association with The Grand Tour, including a performance by Kiwi hip-hop artist Savage and Kiwi DJ and ZM radio host Clint Roberts.

A Good Week for…Franky March and Adam Lourie

Adam Lourie and Franky March at their Waiheke wedding.

Former Survivor NZ contestant Franky March and her partner, Adam Lourie, had the society wedding to end the summer last weekend on Waiheke Island.

March, a marketing lead for PH Digital, and Lourie, the director of ACL Buildgroup, met each other at a party in 2023, a few weeks before March was due to fly back to London, where she was living at the time.

She stayed in Auckland and the pair have been inseparable since. Lourie proposed to March in May last year in Fiji, presenting her with a large solitaire diamond from Partridge Jewellers.

Adam Lourie and Franky March when they got engaged in Fiji last May.

Guests arrived on the island last Thursday for the build-up to the couple’s big day, including Sleepyhead heiress Cameo Turner, who, along with fashion influencer Jaime Ridge, flew in from Los Angeles for the occasion. Ridge’s mother, Sally, was in attendance, too.

Jaime and Sally Ridge at Adam Lourie and Franky March’s wedding.

Also flying in from the US was New York-based Kiwi heiress Ali Wertheimer, who married her husband, billionaire Chanel heir Raphael, in Venice last October, which March and Lourie attended.

Ali Wertheimer and Cameo Turner at Adam Lourie and Franky March’s wedding.

Rich List couple Centuria NZ CEO Mark Francis and his wife Dominique were also in attendance, as were Auckland socialites Arabella Nelson, Kate Mcrobie, Sophie Wrightson and Anna Southwell.

Hospitality guests included First Mates, Last Laugh brand manager Jack Tabron and Namu Hospitality Group director of operations Albert Cho.

Wedding festivities have been kept on the down low, with March and Lourie’s nuptials said to have taken place at Tantalus Estate Vineyard and Restaurant on Friday, where the bride looked stunning in a wedding gown by Monique Lhuillier.

Adam Lourie and Franky March at their Waiheke wedding.

Party People of the Week

Lexus Urban Polo launch

The Lexus Urban Polo held its launch last Wednesday at members-only luxury car storage facility Matchbox in Penrose.

Matchbox owners Mark Francis and Zlatko Filipchich brought in polo horses, Smooch and Aria, with polo players Sam Sullivan and Sam Murphy as guests of honour, alongside the invited guests of media and sponsors.

Sam Sullivan riding Smooch and Sam Murphy riding Aria join Mark Francis and Zlatko Filipchich at Matchbox. Photo / Paddy FossMatthew Butt and John Courteney take time to pose with polo players Sam Sullivan and Sam Murphy at Matchbox. Photo / Paddy Foss

Urban Polo’s managing director Simon Wilson hosted the launch before the event at Auckland Domain this Saturday.

Wilson had his son in tow, up-and-coming polo player Finn, and was buoyed by the success of the recent Urban Polo tournaments in Christchurch, Melbourne and Sydney.

Finn Wilson and Hugo Thomson. Photo / Paddy Foss

Guests enjoyed food and wine supplied by brother and sister polo players Zoe and Ash Reader from Karaka Estate, while DJ Murry Sweetpants provided the music.

Ash Reader, Zoe Reader and Liese Reader. Photo / Paddy Foss

With Veuve Clicquot Champagne and Peroni beers, guests enjoyed the Karaka Estate Marlborough Rosé and sauvignon blanc with Karaka Estate-sourced fresh crayfish and oysters.

Francis, who is a shareholder in Urban Polo, was there with his wife, Redroom Wellness founder Dominique, and his daughters Charlie and Jaime, as well as model and musician Gregory Hunter, DJ Arii Jade and influencers Cam Leishman and Jordyn Grace.

Sam Murphy with Mark and Dominique Francis and Simon Wilson at Matchbox. Photo / Paddy FossCharlie Francis, Sam Murphy and Jaime Francis. Photo / Paddy FossGregory Hunter, Cam Leishman, Jordyn Grace and Arii Jade. Photo / Paddy Foss

Sponsors in attendance included Lexus New Zealand manager sales and operations Craig Burton, and Moët Hennessy’s general manager Lisa Mackenzie and marketing and sales co-ordinator Zoe Atkinson, who are expecting hundreds of guests on Saturday at the Veuve Clicquot Solaire hospitality marquee.

Craig Burton and Simon Wilson. Photo / Paddy FossZoe Atkinson, Zoe Reader and Lisa Mackenzie. Photo / Paddy Foss Lisa Mackenzie, Gregory Hunter and Zoe Atkinson. Photo / Paddy Foss

Bravo, Cracker Bay opens

More than 300 guests gathered at Auckland’s Westhaven on Thursday evening to celebrate the opening of the new waterfront restaurant, Bravo, Cracker Bay.

Guests got to try the restaurant’s new signature cocktails, the Bravo Spritz (Aperol, strawberry soju, prosecco and lemon), and the Rosebud (vodka, vanilla liqueur, passionfruit, lemon, cranberry and pineapple) poured on tap, as well as espresso martinis, flutes of Veuve Clicquot and wines from Bravo’s sister venue, Queenstown’s Ayrburn.

A live oyster shucking station proved a guest favourite, while canapes offered a preview of the menu, including sesame prawn toast, prawn cocktails and mini smashed beef sliders, followed by ice cream sundaes.

Multimillionaire property developer Chris Meehan officially opened the evening, thanking his wife Michaela and the team behind the project, including designer Alex Watts and Ctrl Space.

Michaela and Chris Meehan at the opening of Bravo. Photo / Simon Devitt

Guests included Wall Real Estate’s Graham Wall, whom Meehan credited with helping him name the restaurant; Wall’s son Ollie, with his wife Someday Studios’ Milly Hewat-Wall; Ladstone Group’s Ross and Dallas Pendergrast, with daughter Charlotte Vickers and her husband Tim; Richard and Angela Seton; Empire Capital’s Paula and Simon Herbert; Steve Owen and his son Matt; Lady Sarah Fay; Ecostore and Chantal Organics CEO Pablo Kraus; Urban Collective developer Kelly McEwan and his wife, interior designer Frances Lynch. Restaurateurs included Gilt and Onslow’s Helen Emett, Judith Tabron from First Mates, and Last Laugh and Soul Bar & Bistro’s current general manager, Olivia Carter, who is leaving her role in April.

Graham Wall, Tatum Savage and Ross Munro . Photo / Simon DevittDallas Pendergrast, Charlotte and Tim Vickers and Lady Sarah Fay. Photo / Simon Devitt Caitlin Crisp and Iyia Liu. Photo / Simon Devitt
Mike Bruce, Ngahuia Williams and Steve Dunstan. Photo / Simon Devitt Olivia Lefebre and Sakura Matches. Photo / Simon Devitt Sarah Murray, Beck Wadworth and Wilhelmina O’Keeffe. Photo / Simon DevittScott Lai, Simon Ash, Posey Wall and Harriet Lai. Photo / Simon DevittHercules Noble, Vicky Lourens and Fiona Hugues. Photo / Simon Devitt Tabitha Jessop, Amelia Donovan and Edna Swart. Photo / Simon Devitt Joseph Mettrick, Bex West and Carl Thompson. Photo / Simon DevittLuke Foley-Martin and Mind Thatathoma. Photo / Simon Devitt

Ricardo Simich has been with the Herald since 2008 where he contributed to The Business Insider. In 2012 he took over Spy at the Herald on Sunday, which has since evolved into Society Insider. The weekly column gives a glimpse into the worlds of the rich and famous.