Born and Raised is our inspirational feature, highlighting homegrown Coromandel Peninsula folks doing wonderful things out in the world.
Madison Drabble
What are your family links with Mercury Bay?
I was born and raised in The Bay. My dad still lives there.
Where are you living now? Number of years?
I am living in Exmouth, Western Australia. I have only been here for a couple of months, but I’ve lived the better part of nine years around Australia.
When were you living in Mercury Bay ? Which school did you attend?
Lived in the Bay from 1999 after spending my toddler years in Cooks Beach.
MBAS certified lifer! 2000 – 2012.
What have you been doing since school?
I have been working as a scuba diving instructor and adventure guide across the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef.
What is the achievement you are most proud of?
I’m proud of my move to Australia.
I am IN LOVE with my homeland – it is god’s country, and I will always come crawling back!
But moving to Australia has opened up so many doors for me and fuelled my passion for the marine environment even further. Every day I get to educate people on the importance of our oceans and all marine life, it is extremely rewarding.
Have you been back to Coromandel recently? What were your impressions?
I came back for Christmas last summer, naturally there was rain almost the entire time! The place is constantly getting bigger and busier. And I will complain about it like any old local. I miss everyone having paddocks in their backyards.
What are your fondest memories of Mercury Bay?
Playing in the girls’ 1st XV is easily the source of some of my greatest memories at school. Also the amount of opportunities we had to spend time outdoors on school trips and subjects such as Outdoor Education and Marine Academy (scuba diving every Friday). Safe to say that took some convincing of the parents.
Who were some of your friends in those early years?
Alex Williscroft and Callum Wood. The original gangsters.
Any other information that may be relevant?
Growing up on The Coromandel was pretty much the best thing that could have happened to us kids. Being chucked into such a beautiful, raw environment really turned out some absolute legends.
Friends you would like to catch up with?
Just everyone at Smitty’s really, I miss my home pub.
Born and Raised is our inspirational feature, highlighting homegrown Coromandel Peninsula folks doing wonderful things out in the world.
Brought to you by Ron Morgan
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