Where on the Coromandel did you grow up?
Many houses, all in Whitianga/Wharekaho.
Family links to Mercury Bay
My dad, Tony Connell, moved to Whitianga in his early 20s in the 1970s. My mum, Deli Connell, joined him in the 1980s; they have been there ever since and are quite active in the community.
Where are you living now?
Wellington. I moved home from Australia in late 2022.
Years at Mercury Bay Area School
Lifer! Started at 5 years old and ended up being Head Girl in Year 13 – 2010.
What have you been doing since school?
I left at 18 and gained a Bachelor of Outdoor Education and Sustainability in Christchurch, alongside my MBAS classmates Jay Johnson and Sean Butler. After university, I worked my way up in the hospitality sector to manage restaurants/bars, gaining great operational management skills.
I left NZ and did a 3-month road trip through the USA with a friend, which opened my eyes – especially being a country kid from Whitianga. We travelled through the south, covering 18 states. After the trip, I moved to Australia and lived in Byron Bay for nearly seven years. I started as a kayak instructor in the bay, where we saw dolphins, turtles and whales (seasonal) on nearly every trip.
I then worked at a horse trekking company on the beach north of Byron Bay’s main beach, eventually becoming the operations manager.
I rubbed shoulders with a few celebrities in this role, such as Chris Hemsworth, Matt Damon and Ruby Rose. I also started/trained young horses, a great love of mine.
Later, I managed an Angus cattle farm inland from Byron Bay, expanding my farming knowledge and training horses with cattle. Covid-19 made me want to return to NZ to be with family. I now work at Deer Industry New Zealand in the market access and development team, which takes me all over (South Korea, China, Taiwan, USA, Europe). We deal with all markets of the animal: venison, velvet, co-products, leathers/skins, etc. This keeps me extremely busy.
Achievement you are most proud of
Having extreme ambition and never settling for something ordinary. This has taken me all over the world and taught me countless lessons.
Have you been back to Whitianga recently?
Yes, I go as often as I can! There’s no place like home. A lot of my friends have returned too. The Coromandel is such a paradise – until we leave, we don’t realise it. I am developing a remote working plan with my employer so I can base myself back home. Home has changed hugely, which is natural. But I am thankful I grew up there when I did! I remember trips to Thames to get groceries before we had a decent supermarket.
Fondest memories of Mercury Bay
Getting picked up from school and taken straight to the beach for a swim – dream (thanks, Mum). Also, galloping down the beach on our horses.
Friends
It’s pretty tricky to write them all down, if I’m honest. Most of them are still my closest friends. Billie Nash, Bayley Sayers, Danni Evans, Madeleine Wilson, Jessica Lupton. To be honest, our year was all so close. For example, I knew the Gregorys from both equestrian and basketball, then all of our netball girls, Tina Wieczorek, basketball and rugby teams, etc. Most of our year all went to kindy together.
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