"I'm used to talking to GPs or fourth-year medical students and it's quite different talking to people that have no medical knowledge," interventional cardiologist Dr Douglas Scott, of Auckland's Middlemore Hospital, said.
He and London-based cardiovascular researcher Prof David Hearse will give a talk called "Affairs of the Heart", on their respective areas of expertise, as part of a wine and cheese evening to raise money towards the Lake Hawea Community Centre extension project.
The pair both own homes in Lake Hawea and holiday there during summer.
"I just enjoy getting away from all the busyness of city life," Dr Scott said.
"I absolutely love it."
For Prof Hearse, who owned a house in Queenstown before discovering Lake Hawea, the contrast to London appealed.
"From an English perspective, where can you go in January that's sunny, politically stable, English-speaking, nice people and good food and very good wine. I can't think of anywhere else in January, other than New Zealand."
Using images of coronary arteries, Dr Scott will talk about his involvement in running worldwide clinical drug trials and the management of heart attacks and how he expects that to evolve in the future.
"And also give people a description of what a heart attack actually is ... how it occurs and how they manage it," he said.
He wanted to avoid giving "a big lecture" on cardiovascular disease.
"That's very very important but I think that's just a little bit boring for people. They read about it all the time.
"But if people want to ask, if they've got some burning question ... then I'm quite happy to answer those."
Prof Hearse's talk will demonstrate "how research works" by explaining his own work in developing the St Thomas Solution in 1976 - a complex chemical mix which is injected into the heart to protect and preserve it during open heart surgery.
The solution went on to be used worldwide, not only for open heart surgery but also for preserving the heart for transplantation, and is still used today.
Prof Hearse said the irony of his surname had not gone unnoticed in his cardiology career. While researchers typically named new discoveries after themselves, he had made an exception.
"With my family name, the last thing you want to tell people is they're getting the `Hearse Solution'."
Prof Hearse also hopes to talk about his other love, restoring old houses, "so that the audience doesn't get too bored with science and medical research".
Affairs of the Heart has been rescheduled to 7pm, Friday, January 13, at the Lake Hawea Community Centre.
Tickets from Sailz in Lake Hawea and Wanaka Fine Wools.
