Society Insider: Sally Ridge and John Darby’s Fijian escape; Wayne Leach’s Remuera mansion expected to sell for more than $25m

The couple, who have been together for two years, were aboard the Awanui Blue, Darby’s 50ft expedition motor yacht, with Ridge’s eldest son, Boston and his partner, graphic designer Tabitha Jessop. They were joined by Ridge’s good friends, celebrated artist Shane Cotton and his wife, artist and architect Luanne Bond.

Luanne Bond, John Darby, Sally and Boston Ridge with Tabitha Jessop and Shane Cotton onboard the Awanui Blue in Fiji. Photo / @SallyridgeSally Ridge and John Darby have been in Fiji on his 50ft expedition motor yacht. Photo / @Sallyridge

It’s been a turbulent time for Darby recently, with Amisfield’s world-renowned Kiwi celebrity chef, Vaughan Mabee, resigning after a series of formal complaints of bullying and lewd comments and behaviour to female staffers.

Amisfield is now closed for scheduled renovations, which are due to be finished in July.

Darby, 68, and Ridge, 55, attended the Starship Foundation’s Star Gala at the Auckland Town Hall on the Saturday before leaving for Fiji, joining a guest list of Rich Listers and prominent celebrities who raised $3.65 million for the foundation.

John Darby, Sally Ridge, Amelia Beder and Astin Parore at the Star Gala. Photo / Alisha Lovrich

The couple enjoyed the night with friends and family, including Ridge’s youngest son, grocery entrepreneur Astin Parore, and his long-term girlfriend, Amelia Beder.

The Fijian island cruise saw Ridge, Darby and their group visit various onshore five-star luxury resorts, including Turtle Island, near the famous Blue Lagoon, and Paradise Cove Resort on Naukacuvu Island, both of which are amongst the picturesque Yasawa Islands northwest of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu. They also enjoyed the more vibrant scene at the Outrigger Castaway Island on Qalito Island in the Mamanuca Islands.

John Darby, Sally Ridge, Luanne Bond and Shane Cotton. Photo / @SallyridgeBoston Ridge and Tabitha Jessop enjoy the beach in Fiji. Photo / @Tabitha_jessop

While they were in Fiji, Cotton and Bond’s daughters, New York-based top model Maia and her sister, Bay of Islands-based artist Mika, attended the Venice Biennale and then travelled to Cannes where Maia attended several events at The Cannes Film Festival.

Sisters Mika and Maia Cotton in Cannes. Photo / @Mika Cotton

Maia had her lavish wedding celebrations in Queenstown in January last year, with a pre-wedding function at Darby’s Amisfield in the lead-up to her big day.

As well as owning Amisfield and developing some of the country’s best golfing resorts, including Millbrook and Tara Iti, Darby has a passion for boats.

Queenstown-based, he was known to live on his boat at Westhaven Marina in the early days of the Tara Iti development north of Auckland more than a decade ago.

The Awanui Blue is ideal for long-range cruising. A Nordhavn N51 long-range trawler, the boat boasts two staterooms with en-suites, a well-equipped contemporary galley and saloon, and a flybridge for outdoor lounging, dining and navigation. When new, these boats can cost $2.5 to $3.8m.

It has a flexible cockpit with no fixed furniture, which configures for fishing, diving, water sports, or dockside entertaining, with Lazarette storage for dive gear, inflatable SUPs and fishing equipment.

Darby and Ridge spent time on the Awanui in the Bay of Islands over the summer.

The Fiji trip capped off a busy year of renovations for Ridge, who has been working on Darby’s Lake Hayes property, which is now for sale.

Darby owns multiple properties and investments across New Zealand through his business, Darby Partners.

The single-storey, four-bedroom stucco Lake Hayes home, set on 4000sq m, had been dated and rundown when Darby bought it in 2023.

Sally Ridge renovated her partner John Darby’s Lake Hayes home. Photo / oneroof.com

Purchasing it for $3.7 million, he is said to have budgeted more than $1m for Ridge’s renovation. She completely gutted the home’s interiors and transformed it into a lighter, more contemporary home.

It’s now back on the market for more than $5.32m.

Cam Winter, the managing director of luxury real estate firm Oliver Road, is selling the house, and tells Society Insider that Ridge has given the 1998 M J Wyatt architectural pavilion home a serious 2026 glow-up.

“It’s the real estate equivalent of a 90s supermodel who found a miracle dermatologist – flawless original bone structure, but with fabulous, very expensive new skin,” says Winter.

Ridge included a bespoke Format kitchen in charcoal timber with Corian benchtops and one of her favourite lighting touches, a bird cage creation by Mathieu Challieres called Voliere Demi-Grande Pendant. The lights retail for $1510 at Auckland design store ECC. Ridge and Darby also have the light in their Herne Bay home.

The bird light at Sally Ridge’s Herne Bay home. Photo / @sallyridgeThe new kitchen at John Darby’s Lake Hayes home. Photo / oneroof.com

The Lake Hayes’ home’s new interiors, which were mostly finished by the end of last year, include HARO engineered oak flooring through the living wing, glass and steel doors that separate the living and bedrooms and a full suite of new bathrooms throughout.

The living room last year before Sally Ridge renovated John Darby’s Lake Hayes home. Photo / @the_sally-ridge-renoThe new living area at John Darby’s Lake Hayes home. Photo / oneroof.com

Ridge added a 10m x 4m sprayed concrete pool to the front of the house, finished with glass and steel fencing, sandstone paving, and new planting that integrates with established trees and the existing fruit orchard, which looks out to The Remarkables and beyond. The back of the house looks out to Lake Hayes.

The new pool at John Darby’s Lake Hayes home. Photo / oneroof.com

Ridge has completed several other notable renovations, most recently at her home on Herne Bay’s Hamilton Rd. After an extensive two years of work, Ridge is said to have doubled her property’s value.

Darby bought into the house in late 2024, after the pair had been dating for around six months. Ridge initially bought the house for nearly $5m with her former boyfriend, Scott Fitchett, the founder and managing director of AA Smartfuel, in late 2022.

Ridge has announced she is starting a new project but did not respond to Society Insider’s inquiry asking if she is involved in the current Amisfield renovation.

The restaurant was designed by Warren and Mahoney in 2002, and is famous for its schist walls, and distinct stone and copper structure.

Motoring Rich Lister’s modernist mansion for sale

Motoring Rich Lister Wayne Leach and his wife, Amanda, are selling their multimillion-dollar Remuera mansion.

Motoring Rich Listers Wayne and Amanda Leach are selling their award-winning Remuera mansion. Photo / @Amanda.leach

Wall Real Estate’s Graham Wall is selling the award-winning, six-bedroom, multi-living area modern architectural home and told Society Insider that, on this occasion, his clients had no comment.

Motoring Rich Listers Wayne and Amanda Leach are selling their ultra-modern Remuera home. Photo / oneroof.com

Society Insider’s sources speculate the couple may be downsizing now that their three children are all adults.

The Leachs bought the Arney Rd property in 2022 for $22m, and it’s now expected to sell for more than $25m.

Wayne has owned and operated Winger Group – one of the country’s largest car dealer networks, with 17 dealerships nationwide – for more than 30 years.

He is estimated to be worth more than $100m.

Motoring Rich Listers Wayne and Amanda Leach at a Black Tie Partridge Jewellers Gala. Photo / @Amanda.leach

Wall Real Estate describes the Arney Rd home “as an opportunity for the next discerning custodian” to buy “on one of Remuera’s most valuable streets”.

Arney Rd is home to numerous Rich Listers, including Samson Corporation billionaire Daniel Friedlander and his philanthropist wife, Jillian, and one of New Zealand’s wealthiest women, Lynette Erceg, whose three properties cover more than 8000sq m and have an estimated combined RV of $47m.

Amanda and Wayne Leach at a Partridge Jewellers event. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

The Leachs’ home was formerly owned by Monaco-based Kiwi Rich Lister Ben Cook, who sold the house in 2010 for $10m.

Originally designed by Ron Sang in 1973, the house was later upgraded by Fearon Hay and recognised with the NZIA Supreme Award for Architecture 2007.

As well as a four-car garage, the concrete and steel-framed 650sq m house is on a 2000sq m section, with architectural gardens, a pool and views over Remuera’s northern slopes.

The Leachs’ Remuera home. Photo / oneroof.com The dining area of Wayne and Amanda Leach’s ultra-modern Remuera home. Photo / oneroof.comThe stunning pool and garden at the Leachs’ home. Photo / oneroof.com

The Leachs also own an adjoining $3m property and home, on parallel street Bell Rd. However, it has not been listed for sale.

The couple has numerous property investments throughout New Zealand, including a bach in Whangamatā and a multimillion-dollar house in Queenstown.

Amanda and Wayne Leach. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

They previously owned one of Remuera’s most glamorous homes, an expansive Victoria Ave mansion which was once the home of one of New Zealand’s wealthiest men, the late Sir Douglas Myers. They sold it for $14m in 2015, also through Graham Wall.

The Leachs are very good friends with fellow motoring Rich Lister Grant Baker and his wife, Donna.

Wayne and Grant share a love of Ferraris, with both owning large collections worth tens of millions of dollars.

Motoring Rich Listers Amanda and Wayne Leach at The Ferrari Cavalcade in Europe. Photo / @Amanda.leach

The couples travel to Europe together annually, where they take part in The Ferrari Cavalcade, an official, highly exclusive invitation-only, factory-organised, multi-day rally. Driving day and night, the Cavalcade also features themed or black-tie parties.

Motoring Rich Listers Wayne and Amanda Leach at The Ferrari Cavalcade in Europe. Photo / @Amanda.leachGrant and Donna Baker with Wayne Leach at The Ferrari Cavalcade in Europe. Photo / @Amanda.leach

Next month’s rally starts at the canals of Venice, Italy, and concludes with a grand finale gala dinner in Athens, Greece.

Wayne and Grant are also involved in F1, with both Winger Group and Grant prominently sponsoring Kiwi race star Liam Lawson.

Amanda Leach and Liam Lawson after doing some laps in Auckland earlier this year. Photo / @Amanda.leach

Leach likes to race too; he has been known to compete in the annual GT New Zealand Championship, a GT4 Class race featuring globally renowned marques such as Porsche and Maserati.

In 2019, Leach purchased a building in Auckland to house his fleet of Ferraris, as well as pieces from his art collection, which includes the likes of Max Gimblett and Dale Frank.

Society Insider is told it would make a fabulous, modernist place to live.

Built in 1963, it operated as a petrol station before it was converted into a classic car museum and café in the 1990s.

When the Leachs aren’t travelling, they enjoy playing golf at some of New Zealand’s best golf clubs, including Cape Kidnappers, Te Arai and Millbrook in Queenstown.

Amanda and Wayne Leach at a fundraiser on Paritai Drive last year. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

Party people of the week

Fashion Fiesta on the water

Former New Zealand Fashion Week brand manager Myken Stewart debuted her new event, Fashion Fiesta, last Wednesday at the soon-to-close Harbourside Ocean Bar Grill on Quay St.

The afternoon of fashion and music included food, champagne and a runway event, as well as music from DJs Mia Kober and Miss B.

The runway show featured in-store fashion from Trelise Cooper, Adrian Hailwood and Caitlin Crisp, modelled by Red11 models, including Lorraine Downes.

Lorraine Downes models at Fashion Fiesta. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

Guests included man about town Colin Mathura-Jeffree, electronic musician Ardon England, DJ Gabriella Gonzalez, Red11 Model Management owner Mandy Jacobson, and fashion stylists Lulu Wilcox and Michiko Hylands.

The next Fashion Fiestas are being planned to take place at the Viaduct and Waiheke Island.

Angelique Fris-Taylor, Mandy Jacobsen and Colin Mathura-Jeffree. Photo / Norrie Montgomery Tamawera Owens and Lulu Wilcox. Photo / Norrie MontgomeryKarin Horen, Carolyn Enting and Michiko Hylands. Photo /Norrie Montgomery Sam Elvy and Hannah Rose at Fashion Fiesta at Harbourside. Photo / Norrie Montgomery Red 11 models Christie Campion, Sophie Lincoln and Amy Tomlinson. Photo / Norrie Montgomery Rowena Roberts and Donna Fyfe. Photo / Norrie Montgomery Lisa Godwin and Hamish Klein. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

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.