Name: Kat Macmillan Occupation: Heart Foundation New Zealand regional manager Suburb: Welcome Bay
WHEN Kat Macmillan was a child, she had a vision to live somewhere with a white timber railing around a veranda ... a place where she could sit and watch horses.
A very specific dream, but she has that now, and more.
Kat is living the dream on a lifestyle block in rural Welcome Bay where she lives, plays, works and trains horses with husband Mat and their two teenage boys.
"When our friends come here they feel like it's a really peaceful place and if they are feeling stressed or angry, it has a calming effect. There's something special about it."
Kat and Mat spend their evenings out on their terrace, which they built, which looks out over their 20m x 60m dressage arena which they also built. Kat has two horses of her own and a few riders train here as well.
Photograph by Andrew Warner
Previously, the Macmillans lived in Papamoa. The horses grazed on a friend's farm.
"It was always the dream, we wanted to have some land to look after horses."
Kat grew up in London and Sussex (and spent half her time in Crete) but still managed to ride horses.
Kat's background is in management, specifically non-profit. She's regional manager for the Heart Foundation and before that was Riding for the Disabled's CEO.
Working in the city and living in the country was fine, as long as she had time to ride her horses, she says. She has a passion for working with young or problem horses.
Kat also helps husband Mat with his lighting design business Maker.
Photo by Andrew Warner
David and Kat worked on the property's buildings when they first moved in so Mat could work from home.
Although they've revamped the house interior, there's still more to do.
Completing the outdoors first was priority for them.
They have built stables on the land.
Photo by Andrew Warner
They renovated a shed to become a workshop for Mat's business which also includes a den for teenagers.
An old cottage on the property has become a second workshop area.
"We absolutely love it here. It's a lot of work but we love the work. We don't need to go to the gym, there's always something to do.
"We have memories of the boys when we first came here. The boys had never lived on the land so things like getting hay in was quite a new experience for them. It's great for the boys to learn the skills needed to run a lifestyle block."
