When Kirstin Roberts was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, Leesa Wardell (27) did everything she could to help her friend during the difficult journey.
On Wednesday, she was repaid for her kindness.
The friends met working as customer service agents for Air New Zealand at Queenstown airport before moving to Christchurch together.
Ms Wardell returned to Queenstown and when Ms Roberts received her diagnosis she quickly followed to find Ms Wardell ready and waiting to help.
Ms Roberts (30) told the Queenstown Times this week Ms Wardell "doesn't realise the little things she did at the time meant the world to me".
"I still think to this day she may not know how I know how much it affected her.
"I got so crook, my body couldn't take [the medication].
"I ended up an absolute wreck [having been] in Southland Hospital on the way back to Queenstown.
"She was so strong the whole way - the things they were talking about doing to me were scary."
Having comforted her friend on the return drive, Ms Wardell dropped Ms Roberts at home and then headed to her house, where she was inconsolable at the thought of not being able to help her friend more.
"Having been in that situation, where you're looking at death, you think you're going through the hard time, but it's really hard on others around you," Ms Roberts said.
"She was an absolute rock ... I had no idea that it affected her so much.
"She'd put my fingers in a bowl and give me little manicures ...She didn't have any idea how much those little things meant."
So when Ms Roberts saw a competition run by emerging Queenstown business Lavish to win a "luxury day" in Arrowtown, she decided it was the perfect way to thank Ms Wardell.
"Leesa was the first person that came to mind.
"She was one of the ones who just really stuck out - she's seen me through thick and thin, so I nominated her and cheekily nominated myself at the same time."
Ms Wardell was picked by the Lavish team, comprising the Nail Room, Rouge, Claire Bloom, D'Or and Sheena Haywood Photography, to receive the full pamper package - and no-one was more delighted than Ms Roberts, who is now on the road to recovery.
"The buzz that I've got from giving to her has made me feel like I've won.
"It's such a good feeling. It's nice to be able to give something back to her."
On Wednesday, Ms Wardell was picked up and taken to Rouge for a facial with Mandy Erskine, before heading to D'Or in Arrowtown for a hair make-over with Rosemary Chalmers.
After a quick coffee it was off for a manicure and pedicure with Julie McIlroy at the Nail Room before choosing a new outfit care of Claire Brinsley's Claire Bloom label, her look finished off with make-up by Rouge and her day ending with a Sheena Haywood Photography photo shoot.
Relaxing at Millbrook Resort on Wednesday afternoon, Ms Wardell said she had enjoyed every moment of the experience, having been completely unaware she had even been nominated.
Mrs Haywood said Lavish - formed about three months ago - had received about 40 entries for the competition.
However, the five Arrowtown-based businesses decided Ms Wardell was most deserving of the experience.
"It was close between three [entries] really.
"We've got a few back-up prizes to acknowledge those other people. We're going to go and tell them we love them.
"There are some people with some big hearts out there."
The competition had also served to increase Lavish's exposure, the idea for the "one-stop shop" having been born of a conversation at the Fork'n Tap earlier this year, Mrs Haywood said.
"We all knew each other and we were probably referring business to each other anyway ... There was a bit going on with weddings and events and conferences that came to town [and] it made sense to connect ourselves a bit closer.
"We also wanted to up our profile as individuals, so a way we could do that was support each other by creating Lavish."
The Nail Room and Rouge were both home-based businesses, while D'Or had recently expanded, opening a salon in the Hilton Queenstown's Kawarau Village, and Mrs Brinsley wanted to promote her brand. Mrs Haywood - the "energiser bunny" of the group - had pushed the idea forward.
"As a consequence, next week we've got an Auckland wedding that's coming here and all of us are involved.
"We can look after people. We're like a one-stop shop.
"This is just the beginning."
