What are your family links with Mercury Bay?
I grew up in Whitianga and Kūaotunu with my sisters Hope and Lilika from the time I was born until I was 18 years old. My parents Victor and Tania Mclean still live there with my sister Hope, and my Aunty Arbo also, while she took care of my grandfather Sam Mclean before he moved back to Tokoroa to be around family. My grandparents lived in Whitianga for many years.
Growing up in Mercury Bay has many highlights and memories, starting from the building blocks at the Whitianga kindergarten where me and my mate Jay Johnson would see who could build the biggest castles and then have fights over Pokémon cards. We all played tackle rugby for Mercury Bay from four years old because we were tough as, back then. In this one game, I got picked up by Mike Skeen because I was running the wrong way – he pointed me in the right direction, and I scored six tries all at once.
Where are you living now? Number of years?
I am now living in a small mining town called Moranbah in North Queensland, Australia, working for a company called BMA in a coal mine called Caval Ridge. I have been mining in Australia for six years. I live here with my wife Alice, my son Theo and my two daughters Kera and Kaia.
I started off doing FIFO (fly in fly out) for the first 5-6 years of my mining career, meaning I spent a lot of time away from home, which is probably one of the biggest sacrifices in the mining industry; so we chose to move to Moranbah so I could be home every night for cooked dinners and foot rubs.
We now live 15 minutes away from my mine, and I work a 7/7 roster (7 days on, 7 days off) – but my wife has me working harder on my days off doing renovations and yard work. Sitting down writing this has been the best break I’ve had in a while, so thank you!
When were you living in Mercury Bay? Years at Mercury Bay Area School?
I grew up walking to school from Moewai Park Rd down the old South Highway before the Waterways extended; sometimes we would run to school because there were always plenty of fruit trees on the way, haha. We moved a few times, but growing up in a small town it was never too far to walk to school and find more fruit trees. We moved to Kūaotunu when I was 14 and my sisters and I would catch the bus to school for our remaining years at Mercury Bay. I went to MBAS for 13 years, creating many memories including playing for New Zealand Area Schools, winning the 1st XV Coulter Cup, and coming first in the cross-river swim while battling the strongest king tide current in 50 years.
What have you been doing since school?
My focus after leaving school was to play rugby in the Waikato region and try to achieve something great. But while pursuing some childhood dreams, I reconnected with a childhood spark, Alice Byles, who had also lived in Whitianga growing up and attended Mercury Bay Area School during primary school. Little did I know that our childhood friendship would lead to a relationship that would in time become my greatest achievement in life: getting married and having three beautiful kids.
My focus changed very quickly on becoming a father at 19; when I received a call from Wayne Smith to move home and play for the Mercury Bay Seniors, while doing a building apprenticeship with him and Chris Costello at Jennian Homes, I jumped at the opportunity.
What would be the achievement you are most proud of?
I completed my building apprenticeship in Whitianga at HAMR Homes with Richard Warwick before moving to Australia to pursue opportunities in the mining industry. I am very grateful to all those who helped me during my building apprenticeship; along with Cozzy and Wayno, I enjoyed working with Neil Reynolds, Gareth Edwards, Dan Gaskell, and the team at HAMR Homes while I was there. I still hold on to those skills and learnings to this day.
Since being in the mining industry, I have been lucky enough to gain skills as an operator where I started as a truck driver, then moved on to dozers and diggers as a multi skilled operator. Currently I have been in a new role as a supervisor at my mine in the pre strip department. I have been enjoying the new challenges and reflecting a lot on the learnings I have gained throughout the best team environments I have been involved in.
My greatest achievement though is being a father and family man to my three kids – Theo (12), Kera (8) and Kaia (2) – to help them grow up and push themselves to do their best in all that they do. That is my greatest achievement and what I am most proud of.
Have you been back to Whitianga recently? What were your impressions?
I haven’t been home since we left NZ again in 2023. We had moved home for a year in 2022 to spend time with family. We lived in Hamilton while I worked at Rotowaro coal mine in Huntly. We love getting back to Whitianga – having spent years away, we really appreciate going home, seeing all our friends and family, going to all our beautiful beaches, seeing how much the town has grown. We always make time to stop in at the Bay Bakery and get a pie and cream doughnut.
What were your fondest memories of Mercury Bay?
I spent a lot of time from a young age in the bush with my dad walking hills and setting traps to catch predators and protect kiwi; we also had pig dogs, so he was always pig hunting. That was cool until I was old enough to go on my own adventures. Mercury Bay growing up was the best playground and I don’t just mean our park with the Jolly Roger. We have beautiful ocean waters with great fishing and swimming at our front door and good hills and bush for hunting and walks out the back – that’s how I remember the bay growing up. So when I wasn’t playing rugby, I was either kayaking up the river at Kūaotunu with my mate Gene Bryant to chase big snaps or chasing big waves that I couldn’t catch because I was no good at surfing … a good boogie boarder though.
Gene also taught me how to fish, he’s the greatest fisherman I know – shout out to Land-based fishing tours. And when I wasn’t boogie boarding or fishing I was going on adventures with Jake Saward and Cory Cole – but our adventures have to be told around the campfire, because my mates still live there and ‘what happens in the bay stays in the bay’. I also loved playing rugby for Mercury Bay, winning club and sevens championships.
I have many memories associated with the club and all my best mates that I played with; there are some that are still affiliated with the team.
I could be wrong because this guy has been known to tell a few stories, but one of my best mates is still coaching I believe – Beau Hamilton, with his sidekick cheer leader and team mascot Cody Muir, and one of the greatest men to ever wear the jersey, Connor the trophy head McVerry.
Who were some of your friends in those early years?
My closest friends growing up were Jay Johnson, Ceejae Paurini, Jake Saward, Cory Cole, Jacob Skeen, Gene Bryant, Sean Butler, Regan Crosland, Norman Solofa, Kamura Tukerangi, Beau Hamilton, Cody Muir, Connor McVerry – just a few names on a big list that could keep going! But that is the best thing about growing up in a small community and going to the same school for many years; we made good friendships. One of my best friends as I got older was Emily Monrad; her family were always good to me, and we all spent a lot of time around at their place. Some other great friends that I would like to mention were Leyla Brown, Samantha Buttery, Bayley Sayers, Jessica Lupton and Nicole Lupton.
Any other information that may be relevant?
One of my best friends that I grew up with in my later years at Mercury Bay is Norman Solofa. We went to Hamilton playing footy together and have stayed in close contact over the years. He is currently working with me at Caval Ridge, doing very well for himself and travelling around the world. We often talk about our memories growing up together in Mercury Bay, playing rugby and enjoying our time at school.
Friends you would like to catch up with?
I hope we have a reunion one day so I can see everyone for big catch ups. I’m sure we will all have plenty of laughs.
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