KEY POINTS:
The Bombay hills may be half a world away from the Adriatic island of Brac but they reminded Branka Simunovich of her sun-drenched homeland.
And when she and husband Ivan bought their 86ha Bombay property, she decided to re-create Brac's olive groves 42 degrees south of the
Equator.
Off the coast of Croatia, the island-dwellers scoffed. No one could produce olives like they did. No one could rival their centuries-old formula - each family working 24 hours a day for two months during an olive harvest.
But in less than a decade, Simunovich has proved them wrong.
"They think they are the best but I think they are doubting themselves now," she says.
With 40,000 olive trees, the Simunovich property is now the biggest privately owned olive estate in New Zealand, producing 150,000kg of fruit and 30,000 litres of oil each season.
First produced in 2004, the oil is now sold in 300 supermarkets, gift stores and pharmacies as pure extra virgin oil, and in garlic- and lemon-infused versions.
The same extra virgin oil forms the base of two lines of bodycare products. Olive, launched in last year, is available in 800 stores, and higher-end Tebe, which incorporates the olive leaf, hit shelves on April 1 and is now sold in 70 stores.
The Simunovich Olive Estate is now a far cry from the swamp Branka, Ivan, their daughter and son-in-law set their spades to just seven years ago. Now complete with classy restaurant Bracu, picnic grounds and an energy-efficient factory, the estate employs 43 staff.
Their olives have figured in the New Zealand Olive Association Awards every year since processing started; silver in 2004, silver and gold in 2005, bronze in 2006, and gold and bronze last year.
The Simunoviches started at the top when they decided to cultivate olives and invested in complex machinery that could cope with twice the intended capacity should the grove expand.
"We spent more at the start but are saving in the long run."
Now the market has been established, there is no need for extra expenses to meet demand and there are fewer day-to-day interruptions in the manufacturing, Simunovich says.
"Ivan and I have got the big picture in mind and are planning ahead."
A resident scientist ensures all operations on the estate are as natural and hygienic as possible.
Even the pipes in the roof sparkle, Simunovich points out. "We don't do things cheaply. We want to do it right and have our business for the future."
That's why the Simunoviches have paid so much attention to the sustainability of their harvest.
Olive waste is used as fertiliser, water is recycled and used to irrigate the property, and the estate uses its own natural detergent.
Last year, a forestry consultant measured the carbon balance and found the estate clocked up more carbon credits than it could use.
"We only have our piece of land for 100 years if we are lucky, so we should look after what we have got," Simunovich says.
That philosophy of looking after what you've got extends to her bodycare ranges.
She uses her olive oil as a base in the bodycare products and only 100 per cent natural ingredients are added to the mix.
"If you can't eat it, we wouldn't put it on your face," she says.
While Simunovich believes strongly in the healing and beauty benefits of olive oil, she wanted to make sure the New Zealand market appreciated it too before she invested in any classy packaging.
"I put it in ugly packaging because I wanted customers to be attracted by the product, not the packaging."
After securing 384 customers in four months, Simunovich decided it was safe to relaunch it in more attractive packaging.
But she says success has taken longer than expected.
"Our fault was to wait one year. Hopefully, our vision and patience will get great results this financial year."
Simunovich also hopes to export her products to Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan. Last year, she tried to launch Olive in Australia but found there were too many hands involved and the products were too expensive by the time they reached the shelves, resulting in slow sales.
From next month, Simunovich will be selling direct to Australian stores - cutting out the middlemen.
She's also in negotiations with Britain and says having a low carbon footprint is proving to be a competitive advantage as the beauty industry becomes more eco-conscious.
But Simunovich's greatest dream is to be recognised in Europe, the home of the olive tree. She'd like to win an award at a world competition for extra virgin olive oil, judged by the International Olive Oil Council.
"I am lucky because I know what I want," she says.
A Good Drop
In 2006, New Zealand produced 1600 tonnes of olives, enough to make about 190,000 litres of extra virgin oil, according to estimates from industry organisation Olive New Zealand, although actual production is likely to have been higher.
