Born in Abingdon, near Oxford, in the United Kingdom, she moved to New Zealand with her family when she was 3.
''I went to school in Dunedin and I spent my childhood there.''
She lived all over New Zealand, including time in Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and Alexandra.
Miss Hughes worked as a receptionist at the Hermitage Hotel, at the foot of Mt Cook, starting at the new hotel built in 1958 after fire destroyed the former building the previous year.
While living in Auckland, Miss Hughes met ''Ed the beekeeper'' - Sir Edmund Hillary.
''He belonged to the Mt Ruapehu Ski Club, and I did, too, and we used to have socials. ''
He was ''a lovely guy'' but was ''just Ed''.
''I was in the Ruapehu hut with him - but with about 40 other people.''
She was there to ski, but that wasn't her best sport.
''I could barely ski. I'm a tennis player and golfer, not a skier''.
Miss Hughes never married - ''my fiance was killed during the war, and so that was when I took off and started my crazy living''.
She had ''a big OE'' to England after the war where she enjoyed meeting many relatives.
''I was lucky. My father was one of about 10 kids and he still had sisters and brothers there, so it was wonderful. I met up with them and I just loved all of them.''
Keeping her independence throughout her life, Miss Hughes moved to Ripponburn Retirement Village in Cromwell when she was 98.
She was a little surprised to be celebrating her 100th birthday.
''I never thought, 'Oh, I must get to 100'.''
She said keeping fit with sport and gardening helped her have ''a good life''.
''I've never been afraid to give anything a go.''
