For two years, she has been manager of Destination Fiordland, the regional tourism organisation (RTO).
The second half of that time, however, had been challenging; from tunnel fires and flooding to closed borders and a pandemic.
It was the latter that proved the last nail in the coffin for the organisation.
The long-standing focus of the organisation shifted from international tourism to domestic, but this was a challenge as international visitors historically accounted for nearly 80% of annual business.
Ms Peacock said it was no longer sustainable to rely on member fees when businesses had been so severely impacted; Southland District Council (SDC) funded the operational side of things.
As of April 1, Destination Fiordland will cease to exist.
Instead, SDC will give the contract to Southland’s regional development agency, Great South.
Ms Peacock hoped under Great South there would be greater leverage for sourcing aid for the Fiordland community’s problems.
"I sometimes thought as an RTO we were not taken as seriously as we’d have liked, but we had a lot of heart."
She also hoped there would be freedom for the community to "forge it’s own path".
"I worked hard in the role because I believed in the Fiordland tourism sector."
Visit Fiordland and Visit Southland will be the new identities, and there will continue to have an office in Te Anau which will also house other Great South team members.
Particularly after the hardships experienced, Ms Peacock said it was critical there remained a presence in Te Anau, and the office to be staffed by locals.
"It has a very different tourism perspective to the rest of Southland."
It was one she got to know well over her time, but it was her previous work experiences she said made her fit the role well.
This included in the addiction and mental health sector, where she learned skills she was able to utilise this past year.
She understood what it was like to work in the day-to-day tourism environment.
"We’re a very staunch community. We’ve been at the game for so long we know how we want things done, and it’s difficult to look outside the square."
It was not possible to please everyone.
Sometimes, things got personal, but they worked to achieve the best outcome for the most people, she said.
"I did things differently to how people things had been done before."
Proud of what she and her team had accomplished, she was also grateful for the support she got from the community she grew up with.
