Brent Dry takes a trip down memory lane
What are your family links with Mercury Bay?
My family Bill, Jayne and Bryce Skinner moved to Whitianga in 1988/89 and took over the Dairy that was on Monk Street. My parents still live in town having had varied jobs after selling the dairy including bus driving, running the hotel and others. My brother Bryce also lived in Whitianga for a few years before joining the army and eventually moving back to Auckland.
Where have you been living since you left?
After leaving Whitianga, I became an apprentice chef and lived in both Wellington and Hamilton, often getting back to see friends and family in Whitianga before moving to Australia in 1996. I moved around Queensland and Papua New Guinea for a few years before settling in Melbourne and have been here since 2007.
What have you been doing since school?
Since leaving school I have had a couple of careers. I was a chef for around 18 years, running restaurants and hotels in some beautiful parts of the world – including islands off the Queensland Coast, Noosa and Papua New Guinea. After moving to Melbourne, I followed another passion of mine and studied dog behaviour and psychology. This government-accredited course is where I met my amazing wife and we started our business, The K9 Company, from there. We currently run group classes, do private in-home consults, run workshops and seminars in both Australia and New Zealand and have travelled to the USA for conferences and workshops. We are known around Australia for the work we have done and have also been awarded Australia’s Best Dog Trainers on two occasions.
What is the achievement you are most proud of?
My proudest achievement would be the life that I have created, not just one single thing. I feel like I’ve done a lot of fun things in my time, but all of these have led me to be able to follow two of my passions, working with dogs on a daily basis, and also training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu where I am a state champion and silver medallist from the National Championships. My wife and I support each other in everything we do, so that is something I’m also very proud of.
Have you been back to Coromandel recently? What were your impressions?
I was back home in May last year. Whitianga still has the same feel to me, it’s just a little more grown-up. I see the relationships that my parents have created in town which are lovely. I saw people just popping past to have tea, coffee or beer and friends going out of their way to help others. This to me is what Whitianga has always been: people being there for others, supporting others and keeping the social side of things going. It is something that big cities will never be able to replicate.
What are your fondest memories of Mercury Bay?
For me, the area itself holds memories. The land, the views, the beach, the school. I remember all of these fondly; however, the people that I met during that time would stand out. I very rarely think of anyone from my South Auckland school days but I often think of random people from The Bay. I remember playing rugby against Shawnigan Lake when they toured and playing under lights for the first time at the rugby club. I remember the first party I went to, the people who came in and welcomed us to town and getting to the age of responsibility and freedom. I don’t think there could be a better place for that.
