In the 90s I was living on Great Barrier Island with my partner Jill and the kids, building our stone house.
Then in 2002 I started commuting to Waiheke for work and I was on the island a year later when I got the devastating news that Jill had died suddenly at home on the Barrier. At the time, I was working on a stone bridge on what was previously George and Judy Hudson's property next to Stonyridge Vineyard. The kids and I moved to Waiheke and the Hudsons took us under their wing and treated us like family. The local community is like that. I still go to the bridge sometimes and think about Jill.
To be honest, for a long time I really didn't appreciate living on Waiheke. I think my heart was still on the Barrier, but then last year I commuted to a job in Auckland and that really brought it home to me that Waiheke is pretty damn good. I think the kids appreciate it too, because they commute daily to schools in Auckland and when they get back here it's like being in a different world. Morgan loves surfing and if the weather's right, he can surf every day after school. We're able to swim and dive in clean water, and at the moment there are plenty of snapper around. It really is paradise in many respects and it's good for the kids too. They experience lots of down-to-earth things here - they learn about the sea and the bush, and they've acquired some good practical skills.
On a typical Saturday morning, Morgan and I get up and check out the surf on Onetangi Beach and then we wander along the beach to Charlie Farley's. They make great coffee and there's a really nice local atmosphere. I'm very fussy about coffee and that's how I pick my cafes. We also like Ricky's and Spice in Oneroa, and Island Thyme in Surfdale.
