Terauhinga

“My cousins used to tell me when I was like only 11; they’d say “Terauhinga Terauhinga!” But I’m in front of them and they’d be behind me and they’d tap on me and they’d be like “you deaf ears”! And I thought that actually they’re teasing me? But literally, I couldn’t actually hear them. It […]

Camila

“When I was travelling, I spent three months living in a barn on an organic farm and I just fell in love with the lifestyle. Having that deeper connection with nature, slowing life down. So the yurt is pretty perfect. I like living in a more simplistic manner. I feel if I had more space, […]

Astella

“Growing up in the Philippines, we lived in a two-bedroom house that housed sometimes 30 of us at one time. My mother, being the eldest daughter, became a working girl to support her family. As you can see I’m not your typical Filipina, I’m a half-cast. I’m what you would consider a work hazard. I’ll […]

Hazel

“I’ve never owned a car. I’ve never seen the need. My principles haven’t changed since I was at school. I was always into environmental stuff, even as a kid. I was brought up on a farm and I gave my brothers what for when they learned to drive and forgot to use their legs. I […]

Ken

“I was born and bred in Christchurch. When I was twelve I was groomed and assaulted by a hospital orderly. Back in those days we had stranger danger but he wasn’t a stranger, he was nothing to the picture we were brought up as kids – a man in an overcoat and brown paper bag. […]

Abby

“I’m not your everyday widow. I don’t know what people expect. That I should just be sad; full stop. Stop living. Clearly you haven’t met me. That’s not me; it’s not what we stood for either. Andrei was diagnosed when Alice was two, with a rare form of cancer. And he fought hard. It was […]

Krissie

“I’m not a person who likes to go on committees; I like to be a doer. I’m somebody who wants to be practical; and to be kind and generous to the people that I’m meeting and interacting with in the community.  I started my “Move it or Lose it” classes for older adults  just after […]

Adam

“I’ve always loved movies. I grew up watching re-runs of Star Trek with Dad. If I was good I would get to stay up and watch the new episode. I was about 6 or 7, I remember one episode which scared the crap out of me! But, I never told because it was a two-parter […]

Tracy

“I was living at my parents but they decided for me to live here at Hohepa, to have more environment. Because they’re a bit busy, and don’t have the time to hang out with me. It’s a lovely place. The independence and going out wherever you want. And I like the security. It’s safe, very […]

Jack

“When I was doing my law degree I did the Treaty of Waitangi, which I really enjoyed and it had a focus on indigenous people’s rights. Not so much focus on New Zealand, but looking at the wider picture. I was really interested in that – so after working a few years in London I […]