Where are you living now and how long have you been there?
Currently residing on the Gold Coast in Australia. I have been here 12.5 years.
Where on the Coromandel did you grow up?
Whitianga.
When did you live in the Coromandel?
Mum and I moved to Whitianga in 1987, when I was 5, and I went through the Mercury Bay Area School from start to finish.
Highlights since you finished school?
Completing my Sports diploma, living and playing rugby in Christchurch, being selected for the U21 Colts side at HSOB, completing my electrical apprenticeship after moving home and playing senior rugby for the Bay until I left in 2011, playing rugby league in the Whitsundays, being lucky enough to have the opportunity to work all across Australia, NZ, and the Pacific Islands involved in various roles, traveling the world with my brother and friends, achieving the goal of owning a home, still having strong connections with my Bay family and friends, having a son is pretty up there.
How do you spend your days now?
I’m foremost a father, juggling work amongst the chaos. I love to get out for a wave at the local when I can, catch up with mates for a beer, explore the Gold Coast hinterland, and get out on the jet ski. I enjoy taking on any adventures that come my way.
What do you like the most about the culture on the Gold Coast?
It is tough to find ‘the culture’ as there are many to choose from. It is a very different place compared to when I first arrived.
I do meet plenty of Kiwis, and there is always a good yarn to share, and that’s what I love – the fact that the feeling of home can be so quickly remembered and how it is in us no matter what.
The Aussies are a good bunch, colourful characters with plenty of charisma and stories to over-dramatise.
What are you most proud of?
Being a dad to my boy and being able to provide him with a safe, fun, and nurturing environment to grow up in.
What are your fondest memories of home?
There are so many. To be honest, I am still creating them as I visit often throughout the year. If I had to pick one, it would be surfing with mates at Hot Water Beach in winter, getting out and sneaking into the hot pools to thaw out behind the shop and hoping we didn’t get caught.
Have you been back home recently? Impressions?
I get home regularly. Whitianga is always Whitianga. People will come and go, but the heart of the place for me will never change.
It is what you make of it, and the progress element will never change.
I only hope that those with a larger say have the courage and passion for the town to listen and develop it in the right way so everyone can thrive.
Who are you looking forward to catching up with next time you are home?
The family is always great to see, but the mates I grew up with who are home have gotten a bit more time than the family lately – sorry, Mum!
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would say slow down, look around, smile at everyone, and remember that nothing is as serious as it seems.
Biggest life lesson so far?
This is probably cliché, but becoming a father and realising your impact on shaping the roadmap for children.
Also, understanding and having the internal discipline to walk that fine line between letting go and guiding them as they enter different stages of life.
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