Helen – Part 2

“Looking back and realizing just what a totally different life I had as a child, I think part of why boarding school was so hard was that nobody actually understood. Boarding school taught me how to live alongside, work alongside people that I now have no contact with, so in life, there was that ability […]

Helen – Part 1

“I grew up in the North Canterbury back country. My father managed a high country station called Esk Head up the South Branch of the Hurunui River. We lived in a sod house with a thatched roof. Outside had corrugated iron because there weren’t people to re-thatch any longer. We had a diesel generator for […]

Noel

“I took to bikes from a very young age, I got into Penny Farthing riding when I was 12. There were Penny Farthing races happening in Oamaru and I asked a guy if I could have a go on one. Half an hour later, I won my first race, and six months later, I built […]

Casey

“I wasn’t aware of it when I was going through it, or growing up in that environment, you just think it’s your normal until you get out of it. Narcissistic abuse. Have you heard of it? I was the black sheep. I left home real young, like, 17. I went to the Salvation Army, I […]

Bella

“Unfortunately, sometimes people who love you the most make decisions that you didn’t necessarily want. For me it took two decades not to accept those decisions and take control of what I wanted to do with my life. I started singing when I was six and I knew I wanted to be a performer. I […]

Hana

“I’ve been involved in Te Ahu Pātiki (Conservation Park) since before its inception, but I’ve only been formally on the board since 2022. The founding board members wanted me to go on for quite a while, but my life was pretty busy; I didn’t feel like I could give it what it needed. I represent […]

Tutu

“I’m from Tamaki Makaurau. I have a good job with Riverside market. I am security, and we need this area nice and clean. We don’t want dirty things everywhere, like rubbish. I like Christchurch because there’s lots of entertainment, lots of people, all loving, give me aroha, tautoko mai. Kia kaha, be strong.” I’ve been […]

Joe (Dark Ballad)

“It’s my own obsessed brain. I’ve got a to-do list of what I want to do in a week, but there’s 50 things on each day that obviously can’t all be done. Because I’m always thinking about these things, the moment is not really lived in at all. I was always pretty neurotic like that, […]

‘Weedy’ Will

“I’m an amateur botanist. It’s definitely my passion. I grew up in Halswell. This place [Ngā Puna Wai] is like my second home. I spend so much time here weeding and planting and walking the dogs and whatnot, all the planting I do here is sanctioned. I did start out guerrilla planting, I was working […]

Vanessa

“Giggly girt! Giggly girt!” “See I got my hair cut on Friday. I’ve got my hair band to keep it up. See? Like this I keep it up. Biscuit Blair – she’s my favourite woman. And you. And that cheeky lady over there. My last name is Rule. I’ll write it down for you, you […]