Your Total Eyecare Team

Robert Dong

Robert has been with the practice for 30 years and is a director of Black Gates Optometrists. He has a special interest in all aspects of driving vision. Being short sighted himself, has an interest in preventing eyesight problems and myopia control. He’s interested in contact lenses for children and adults.
Recreationally, Robert is a “Foodie” as well as a keen golfer and motor racing enthusiast.

Greg Nel

Greg is a director of Black Gates Optometrists and has been practicing optometry for 30 years. He has been working at Black Gates Optometrists since 1997 and is passionate about complex contact lens fitting including Keratoconus and OrthoK lens design. Greg can prescribe medications for glaucoma and has a background in paediatric and development optometry. Fascinated by all aspects of the visual process, Greg has a lifetime experience of visual problems as he has worn glasses since before he could walk. Greg is a keen photographer, surfer and home brewer.

Sita Thakersi

Sita is also a director of Black Gates Optometrists. She is especially interested in Behavioural and Therapeutic Optometry. Sita graduated with Honours in Optometry in 2009 and has worked in New Zealand and overseas.
Sita enjoys fitness, dance and above all her dog.

Amy Loiacono

Amy has been an optometrist for over 20 years and has worked across the Wellington and Waikato regions. She is interested in ocular pathology. Her interesting surname comes from her husband, who she met while travelling in Italy. When outside of work you’re more likely to find her foraging in her fruitful garden admiring the kākā and tūī that come to visit.

Joy Hoshek

Joy is based in our Lower Hutt practice and has more than 19 years optometry experience. As a school child, Joy clearly remembers putting on her first ever pair of glasses and seeing the incredible detail in the distance. This experience stayed with her and sparked her interest in optometry, with a special interest in children’s vision, in particular. Outside of work, Joy enjoys spending time with her family and tending to her garden.

Karin MacKinnon

With Karin’s interest in health and her strong track record in business administration, project management and strategic planning, Karin is perfectly suited to her role as Practice Manager. Karin shares her time between our Lower Hutt and Johnsonville branches. In her downtime Karin enjoys spending time with friends and family, pottering in the garden and walks on the beach.

Alison Fleming

Alison Fleming is a qualified dispensing optician who has a great flair for finding and fitting the right frame to suit an individual. Alison has been at Black Gates for almost two decades and is well known and popular with our patients. She has a passion for pink so you should easily recognise her in store.

John Ruby

John is a highly experienced and respected team member with over 40 years in the optics industry. He is a past director of Black Gates Optometrists and ensures top quality control of our glasses. His problem solving in all things glasses is well known in the community.
John’s recreational interests include golf, fishing, walking and gardening.

Ray Turner

Chantelle Joubert

Taryn Gray

Rixanne Fergusson

Keren Dravitzki

With over 20 years at Black Gates Optometrists, Keren now works out at our Johnsonville practice. She has specific interests in children’s vision and diabetic eye health.
Being a mum to two young girls keeps her busy.

Claire Sayers

Claire is a passionate optometrist whose interests include ocular pathology and therapeutics practice. She has been in practice in the Wellington Region since 2004.
Claire is an animal lover and enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs.

Jane Thorburn

Isabelle Osborne