One of Christchurch’s most recognisable social media personalities has opened up about her journey to becoming a full time content creator and why she built her brand in a way that keeps the spotlight off herself.
In the first episode of my new interview series Let’s Meet for Coffee, with Black and White Coffee Cartel, I sat down with Adeeva Keua, better known to her thousands of followers as Christchurch Girl, in Avonhead. The café serves exceptional coffee and fresh food, including a soft blueberry muffin is amazing by the way.
Keua has built a devoted following by showcasing the best of Christchurch, from food hotspots to hidden swimming locations, salons and local attractions. Her videos regularly rack up hundreds of thousands of views, with some reaching audiences far beyond New Zealand.
“When I first moved here from Auckland, I needed to find all the food spots, where to swim, and what to do,” she said. “One day I was sitting at Spencer Park Beach and thought I am going to start filming what I am already doing and post it on TikTok. That is really how it started.”
The moment she realised she could make a living from it came when she hit 10,000 followers. “That is when I thought, okay, I can start charging now. TikTok is my main platform, but Instagram has caught up. They are both great for different reasons.”
She describes her process as simple and genuine. “I will meet with a business owner or they will email me what they want. Then I will decide on a day, come in, and just be myself. I go in like any other customer, but I am filming. I think people connect with that because it is not staged.”
Her first big viral moment was a Castle Hill video asking people to name the best picnic spot in Christchurch. “Within three days it had 50,000 views. A lot of people get stuck on 100 views and give up, but that early success made me keep going.”
Since then, she has had major wins including her first million view video, a Taylor Swift themed escape room experience at Serve Social. “It went crazy. People in Christchurch, England, were calling to book in. They had to explain it was in New Zealand.”
Not everything she posts takes off. “When I got married, I shared parts of my wedding and it completely flopped. That was a reality check. My audience does not care about my personal milestones. They just want food” she laughs. “They want to see Christchurch and the experiences they can have.”
“People can be mean online. But the best advice I have been given is block people for less.”
What she loves most is the flexibility. “I am a night owl. I like that my job does not have to be nine to five. I can work when I want and it gives me a lifestyle I enjoy.”
Between sips of coffee, we laughed about our shared fear of bungee jumping and hot air balloons. Keua revealed her favourite things to film are staycations and road trips.
She describes herself as introverted but said she is learning to embrace being recognised. “I used to hate it, but I have realised that if someone has followed you for ages, it is a big deal to meet you. I want them to leave feeling good about it.”
Her advice for aspiring creators is straightforward. “Just do it. Post silly videos, post whatever you like. You never know what can come from it. One opportunity came from a clip of my husband shouting at the TV during a rugby final. It went viral and we ended up getting invited to the Super Rugby final” but we didn’t go in the end.
For now, she plans to keep doing what she loves, capturing and sharing the things that make Christchurch special. “I did not set out to build a brand, it just happened. I love editing, I love discovering new places, and I love showing people what is out there.”