E.D.A.P
I was born on the side of the road on the way to Cromwell.
I have lived in the Upper Clutha all my life, as a teenager I lived in Hawea where I worked at what was like the post office.
A year later I married Jed and moved to West Wanaka Station where I lived from 1952. Growing up I was always out on the farm when I was a child so when I got married I had to learn to cook very quickly as I had to cook for the farm crew.
The numbers started with 6 people. I have very fond memories of the farm, mustering… We left the farm and bought a motel, have to say it was just as much work.
Time is catching up with me. My back is not what it used to be. Family is very important to me and I spend a lot of time with my grandson’s and my niece visit’s often.
My name is Paul Kummerow.
I came to Wanaka/Lake Hawea 15 years ago for a holiday and stayed.I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful place to live in, or a better community to be a part of.Originally, I came from a small country town near Toowoomba in Queensland.
My life has been wonderfully diverse with careers as a Builder, a Senior Ranger with Queensland National Parks, and as a Policy Writer for the Queensland Government. While in Wanaka I have worked as an Ambulance Officer, Firefighter, Beekeeper, Dairy Support and organic Market Gardener.
I would like to thank all those wonderful people in this community who have supported me with my recent diagnosis of a brain tumor. I hope to make a full recovery and enjoy this beautiful place for many years to come.
Thanks Wanaka.
I am 11 years old and have lived in Wanaka all my life. I go to Wanaka Primary School. My classmates are the coolest. George, Kymani, Oli and Max meet me at the carpark in the morning and walk with me to class.
One classmate noticed I didn’t make it in to the class photo. Now we are trying to fix that. But I do have a portrait! Thanks Marty.
Relationships with family and friends is my #1 everything. I would like more friendships.
I love making music and dancing on a Saturday with my United Dance Crew; Scottie, Renon, Simon, Ferdia, Chloe. We have amazing dance teachers Millie, Neve and Bella. Performing makes me happy. One day I might be a DJ.
At home, I like being the barman. Please come and visit…I will sort you out with a refreshing drink. Whiskey? Champagne? Beer? Flat-white?
I’m Robert.
I make coffee professionally.
I am a father to a great lad.
I don’t sleep a lot.
I like movies and animals and I try to be a calm and caring person.
I have undue trouble with names and faces.
I mean…really, it’s pretty bad.
I try to have compassion and empathy with all the other critters.
Many, many years ago, when my partner and I were living in Ireland and would occasionally ponder what the future would hold – we would, whist-fully, hope for something akin to what Lennie and George, (in Steinbeck’s, “Of Mice And Men”) dreamed of. Wanaka &Hawea are kinda like that, if you allow them. It’s a pretty great place to be. It’s like Lennie says, “We could live offa the fatta the lan” That is what Wanaka is to me.
We came to Wanaka in February 1973 because the previous doctor wanted to leave the isolated practice and I saw the potential to update the practice with young staff and to bring in visiting expertise to improve our services.
Along with the rapidly growing practice we had a small block of land hidden in Cardrona, a close family friendship and a love of the climate and environment.
Wanaka has been a great place to bring up our family and to enjoy being part of a growing community. We love being here but fear the uncontrolled growth and slow infrastructure planning.
I am 22 years old and I have lived in Wanaka for three years. I’ve not long returned from a trip around South America where I spent a bit of time volunteering at an animal wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center. There I fell in love with the Amazon and the wonderful creatures that live there. I helped to care for a range of exotic animals, including Archie, a baby woolly monkey who will soon be released back into the wild. I loved meeting new people on my travels and telling them about our awesome country, which made me realize how lucky I am to live here. I came from Wellington for a holiday and spent all my money, now I can’t afford to leave. But the view is pretty, I guess. Just kidding. To me Wanaka is adventure, new faces, a beautiful sunrise and now my home away from home. Living in Wanaka feels like being in a real life postcard. My one wish is that there was a little more culture here, more live music and more celebration of the arts. I also hope that the care system in Wanaka improves, specifically Mental Health awareness and support in this small town. .
I was born in Dunedin and have lived in Upper Clutha all my life, I am a student at Wanaka primary school. I have 12 our generation dolls which I love playing with. I love hanging with Monty because we go horse riding. I love baking and cooking with my granny, we also do knitting and sewing and we even wash her car together. I have learned how to cook meals and Mum also helped me make a biscuit/yoghurt desert.
Dad takes me for drives on his digger and on a motorbike, we go to lots of places in town and the toy museum is a good place to go. Dad and I have lots of Lego that we build and make some really cool things.
My name is Ferdia O’Connell. I was born in Australia in the year 2000 and have lived in Wanaka for 16 years. To me Wanaka is a place I like to work. I live in a magic house in Queensberry and I am going to live there for a thousand years. I help out at Wanaka Signs doing whatever my dad needs help with. I am home schooled and I like that because I can do my own thing that I’m good at rather than trying to do what I find hard to do, which is understanding language. My favourite movie is currently Star Wars, the whole series. I have researched the information for all of the Star Wars panels at the Toy and Transport Museum at the airport. I really like Affinity Designer, which is a design programme similar to Illustrator for Graphic Designers, and I would like to be a background drawer.
For me the Upper Clutha region is my home and has been since around 1993. I came here after living overseas for a couple of years. I was looking for community and skiing and found them both. At that time I wanted New Zealand to become 100% organic so thought to come home and contribute. I work in building and landscaping and very much enjoy helping my clients achieve harmonious and fun living spaces.
For the last 7 years my partner and I have been developing a small business “Village Nuts” harvesting, processing and trading sweet chestnut, hazelnut and walnut. In the last 3 years we have been developing gardens, orchards and generally reforesting our small farm on Pukerangi Drive. I am a South Islander through and through. Born in 1966 in the small coastal village of Akaroa. My family then moved to Christchurch then onto Tekapo where I had most of my teenage years. I see my drift to Wanaka as a natural progression. I love the sunshine and I love the rivers, lakes and mountains and I love my community.
I am a proud father to 3 children, a part time builder of things and part time planter of trees and gardens. I especially love walking and being in the nature anywhere on our South Island. I want to further develop with my community and share the cultural intelligence to know how to live again in harmony with the natural world. To step back from the edge and learn to be more resilient and at the same time more light footed.
I also want to see our people continue the reforestation and restoration of the wetlands with the trees and plants that want to be here. Long live the natural world.
I was born in Shangrao city in Jiangxi province, China. May 25th 2003. When I was 15months old my parents adopted me and I moved to Wanaka, New Zealand. I am now years old and have lived in Wanaka basically my whole life.
Living in Wanaka has allowed me to easily get outdoors, swim in the lake, horse ride, tramping and walk my dog. I love my friends and my family as they are amazing and caring people. I also love my pets! I think of myself as a Chinese New Zealander who calls Wanaka home.
20 Years ago I was offered the chance to relocate to Wanaka from Dunedin, wasn’t a hard decision to move to paradise!
I’m a proud & lucky husband and Dad, I have a wonderful wife and 4 fantastic boys, together we all enjoy a busy Wanaka lifestyle with access to great sporting and outdoor adventures. Wanaka is an incredibly positive environment with people from all walks of life, both resident and visitors, all willing to share a smile and their story when spoken to. I enjoy my role within Mitre10 and the opportunity it gives me to engage with the town/community. I’m extremely proud that Wanaka is my home and that Michelle and I can raise our boys amongst wonderful people and the mountains.
I have been in Wanaka for 6 years and I frequently say I wish I had moved here 20 years ago (just so I could afford a house). I love living seasonally. Winter is winter and summer is summer. I enjoy living in a town where family and friends are just always doing something. Be it work, holidaying, using the lake, walking tracks and hiking mountains. Autumn is my favourite time of year in the Upper Clutha as a painter because Wanaka turns into the most amazing colours. Which I haven’t seen anywhere else in New Zealand. It is a special place with special features and has special people.
Kia ora ko Paul Tamati taku ingoa.
The people of Wanaka and the Upper Clutha landscape have shaped my tremendous life since the early 90s. I’ve served our community and several voluntary organisations to the best of my ability. It’s all been about participation, sharing and belonging, many times I’ve found myself being vulnerable. However it’s helped me grow and gain the trust and respect of many.
The day is coming where Wanaka will be too busy for this fella and his adorable wife and that is ok, for another town and its community we will embrace and give our love and laughter to, as we done with the community of Wanaka. Nga mihi arohanui.