Queenstown

Welcome to Sidekick Queenstown – your trusted local accounting team, combining the power of Xero cloud technology with a deep understanding of the Southern Lakes business environment. As proud Xero Platinum Partners, we help Queenstown businesses thrive with proactive, forward-thinking accounting solutions that focus on where you're going – not just where you've been. 

Whether you're a tourism operator in the heart of Queenstown, a builder in Frankton, or a hospitality business in Arrowtown, our team is right here in your community – ready to support your growth with real-time insights, tailored software tools, and practical advice that fits your goals. 

At Sidekick Queenstown, we speak your language, understand your challenges, and work alongside you to make business easier. If you're looking for a modern, approachable team of Queenstown accountants who genuinely care, let's chat – and discover the Sidekick you need. 

We invite you to book an appointment, pick up the phone, shoot us an email or drop by for a chat if you’re in Queenstown. Or, you can just fill in the form below to send us a message directly.

Postal address:
PO Box 2112, Wakatipu, Queenstown 9349

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News & updates

  • NZ doesn’t have a cost of living crisis. It has an income and productivity crisis.

Jandal-nomics on tour: New Zealand is not one economy

November 5th, 2026|

A message from our CEO: What we learned travelling New Zealand with economist Cameron Bagrie. Over recent months, we've had the privilege of travelling around the country with independent economist Cameron Bagrie, bringing business ..

  • 32 years in Southland: Flintoffs Chartered Accountants joins Sidekick

Sidekick is growing: Welcome Sidekick Flintoffs

October 1st, 2026|

Welcome to Sidekick Flintoffs: Supporting Southland businesses to grow We’re excited to welcome Flintoffs Chartered Accountants in Invercargill to the Sidekick family. Established in 1994, Flintoffs has spent more than 30 years working alongside Southland ..

  • Director Jo Thomson, and Associate Olivia Lee, join Brett Wooffindin and Richard Wheeler to grow the Sidekick Rural team into Southland

Backing Southland farmers: Flintoffs joins Sidekick Rural!

October 1st, 2026|

Sidekick Rural is now in Southland. Southland has a strong agricultural heart, and we’re excited to bring Sidekick Rural to the region. As part of Sidekick’s arrival in Invercargill, the team at Sidekick Flintoffs ..

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    Meet the Queenstown Team

    Lisa Lines is the Director and Chartered Accountant of Sidekick Accountants in Queenstown
    Director

    Lisa Lines
    Thijs Hubber is an Associate Director at Sidekick Queenstown
    Associate Director

    Thijs Hubber
    Joy Mulrey Accountant at Sidekick Queenstown
    Accountant

    Joy Mulrey
    Linda Owen is the Client Services Assistant at Sidekick Queenstown Accountants
    Client Services Assistant

    Linda Owen
    James Swaney Director at Sidekick Timaru Accountants
    Director

    James Swaney
    Ric Thorpe is the CEO of Sidekick Holdings
    CEO

    Ric Thorpe
    Brand Manager

    Steph Holt
    General Administrator

    Manoli De Silva
    Project Coordinator

    Helen Pauley
    Director

    Lisa Lines

    Lisa is a Director at Sidekick Queenstown, helping small to medium business owners understand their numbers, improve cashflow and make confident decisions about what comes next.
     
    With a long-standing career in accounting and business advisory, Lisa brings deep experience, steady guidance and practical insight to the clients she works with. She joined Sidekick in 2018 when the Queenstown office was established, and works closely with tradies, property clients, property management businesses, Airbnb operators and small to medium businesses. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Commerce, is a Chartered Accountant and a Certified Public Practitioner.
     
    Clients often come to Lisa for advisory support, forecasts, budgets and regular quarterly meetings. She helps business owners work through the real questions behind their numbers, from funding a new purchase and understanding poor cashflow, to planning for tax, improving profitability or deciding whether to take the next step.
     
    Lisa’s style is friendly, approachable and supportive, with a practical ability to explain where the cashflow has gone and which levers can be pulled to improve business performance. She enjoys conversations that help clients define what success looks like for them, then work towards it with clear advice, regular communication and a strong sense that Sidekick is in their corner.
     
    Outside work, Lisa enjoys Pilates, strength training, travelling with her family and eating the cakes her daughter makes.

    :BCom, CA, CPP

    Associate Director

    Thijs Hubber

    Thijs is part of the Sidekick Queenstown team, helping business owners make sense of the numbers behind big decisions and plan their next steps with confidence.

    Thijs has 15 years’ experience in accounting, beginning his career with Findex New Zealand before spending 10 years with McClean & Co Chartered Accountants. He joined Sidekick Queenstown in October 2026. Thijs works with a broad mix of clients, including sole traders, small and medium businesses, trusts, property investors and businesses across construction, labour hire, tourism and hospitality. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Canterbury, with a double major in Management and Accounting Information Systems, and has been a member of CPA Australia since 2010.

    Clients often come to Thijs when they are working through financial decisions where the numbers really matter, such as buying a property or asset, structuring a business, planning cashflow, or deciding whether a business purchase or sale stacks up. He is especially good at turning forecasts, budgets and cashflow into a clear picture of where a business is heading and what needs to happen next.

    Thijs’ style is calm, practical, realistic and detailed. He is thoughtful, systematic and genuinely cares about building long-term relationships with clients based on trust, honesty and integrity. For Thijs, good advice is about more than compliance. It is about proactive conversations, useful planning and helping clients feel clear on where they stand, confident in their next steps and supported by someone who genuinely cares how they get on.

    Outside work, Thijs keeps active through triathlon, swimming, running, mountain biking, strength and conditioning, Hyrox, hiking, climbing, snowboarding and surfing. He also enjoys reading, research and home improvement projects. In Queenstown, he co-runs RunZQN, a local run group, and partners with The Mill gym in Frankton on a marathon programme.

    Accountant

    Joy Mulrey

    Meet Joy, our brilliant accountant who keeps our finances in top shape. With experience at Fergburger and MedRecruit, plus running her own bookkeeping business, she brings a wealth of knowledge to our team. Joy holds a Law Degree (LLB) and is currently pursuing her Chartered Accountant (CA) qualification. When she’s not crunching numbers, you can find her on the netball court, exploring new travel destinations, or soaking up the beauty of Queenstown, which she proudly calls home.

    :LLB

    Client Services Assistant

    Linda Owen

    Meet Linda – our Client Services Assistant at Sidekick Queenstown. Linda brings over ten years of experience in the fitness industry, having worked as an Operations Manager and Boxing Coach at Industrial Fitness in Queenstown. More recently, she’s been supporting the team while on maternity leave.

    Before that, Linda worked in administration at Lifetime Insurance and managed at Peter Alexander. At Sidekick, she’s the friendly face helping keep things ticking behind the scenes.

    Outside of work, you’ll find Linda keeping fit with boxing, or being lovingly bossed around by her four-year-old daughter and one-year-old son!

    Director

    James Swaney

    James is a Director at Sidekick Timaru, helping business owners build a clear roadmap from where they are now to where they want to be.
    James’ career started with a gap year that turned into four years at South Canterbury Toyota, where he worked across administration, sales support, finance and insurance. That early commercial experience gave him a practical understanding of how businesses operate beyond the numbers. He went on to complete a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting, Finance and Information Systems, worked in audit in Christchurch and became a Chartered Accountant with a Certificate of Public Practice.
    James returned to Timaru to start a family and, in 2017, started Sidekick Timaru from scratch. With no clients, a one-year-old at home and plenty of nerves, he built the business with a clear focus on being more than a traditional accounting firm. Today, James is also a Director of Sidekick Rural, Sidekick Wānaka and Sidekick Queenstown.
    James works mainly with commercial businesses that see the value in business advisory, with particular experience in the motor vehicle industry and trades. Clients often come to him for business advice, planning and a sounding board for the decisions that shape their future. He helps business owners understand their numbers, work through their goals and build a practical plan that turns long-term vision into achievable short-term steps.
    His style is calm, practical and strategic, with a strong focus on the bigger picture. James enjoys the conversations where clients are excited because something has clicked, a goal has been reached or the plan they have worked towards is starting to pay off. For him, Sidekick is about being alongside business owners through the whole journey, not just checking in once a year.
    Outside work, James enjoys spending time with his wife and two boys, going to the gym and motor racing. He and his father both have race cars and compete in the SS Cup South Island series. James is also involved in the South Canterbury community through board roles with local non-profit organisations, including Hospice South Canterbury and the St John Financial Control Board, and Sidekick Timaru sponsors a number of local sporting clubs each year.

    :BCom, CA, CPP

    CEO

    Ric Thorpe

    Ric is CEO of Sidekick Holdings, helping grow the Sidekick group while supporting our offices, people and clients to be more successful.

    Ric has been involved with Sidekick since 2010 and became CEO in early 2025. His background sits across business growth, marketing, sales, strategy, technology and client experience rather than traditional accounting. This gives Ric a different lens within the accounting world, with a focus on helping business owners make better decisions, understand where they are heading and connect the right advice, people and systems around them.

    Ric works closely with ambitious business owners, growing SMEs, regional businesses and people who are trying to build something bigger or better. He also spends a lot of time with accounting firm owners, partners and leaders who are thinking about growth, succession, joining Sidekick or building a stronger future for their team and clients.

    Clients often come to Ric for clarity, growth ideas, a fresh perspective and honest conversations about what needs to change. He helps people work through growth decisions, marketing and sales opportunities, technology, AI and automation, leadership, succession and turning loose ideas into practical plans. Ric is especially good at joining the dots between marketing, sales, systems, people and numbers, helping business owners focus on the things that will really move the dial.

    His style is straight-talking, energetic and practical. Ric likes big-picture thinking, but he is always focused on turning ideas into action. For him, good advice should make business feel clearer, less lonely and more manageable. He believes business owners do not need more noise – they need clarity, confidence and practical help from people who genuinely want them to win.

    Outside work, Ric enjoys spending time with family, cars and motorbikes, travel, good food, coffee and finding interesting places. He is naturally curious and enjoys learning about new ideas, technology, business models and people. Ric has also been involved in community and charity activities, including running 50km for Life Education Trust Canterbury, and is interested in supporting young people, business owners and regional communities where Sidekick can make a positive difference.

    Brand Manager

    Steph Holt

    Steph is the creative mind behind Sidekick’s brand – making sure everything from marketing campaigns to internal events reflects who we are and what we stand for. With over 15 years of experience in design and strategy, she loves finding fresh, meaningful ways to bring the Sidekick story to life. From shaping how our brand looks and feels to creating moments that connect our team and clients, Steph brings a mix of curiosity, energy, and heart to everything she does.

    Outside of work, Steph enjoys spending time with her teenage son, road-tripping in her self-converted campervan and tending to her ever-growing veggie patch – a creative outlet that balances her busy, design-filled days.

    General Administrator

    Manoli De Silva

    Manoli keeps the team running smoothly, making sure all the day-to-day details are taken care of. She has a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of London and a master’s in international relations from the University of Colombo, she has worked across law firms, UN agencies, and the government sector. Her experience in different environments gives her a strong eye for detail and a knack for keeping things organised and on track.

    A massive foodie, Manoli loves cooking and trying out new restaurants. She also enjoys running and staying active, and likes to unwind with a good book and a glass of wine. Most of all, she treasures spending time with her husband and their two young daughters. 

    :LLB   | MAIR

    Project Coordinator

    Helen Pauley

    Helen is a Marlburian who has travelled the world and landed back here. Having a varied work life from managing a regional office for a multi-national advertising firm, owning a hospitality business to practice management of a medical practice, Helen brings a bucket load of skills. Communication is her flag ship skill and she enjoys problem solving. Resourceful and fun, pretty much sums her up.

    She is married to Gary, who is a Business Advisor and in their spare time they love to travel to family & friends, experience the great outdoors and discovering new recipes and flavours, accompanied by a glass of fine wine.

    :NZCC, NZIM Cert in Supervision