YOUR SIDEKIcKS

Tui and Mark are married and have been together 30+ years. Originally from Oratia, West Auckland, true “Westies”, they saw the light in the late 1990’s and moved north. First to Kaipara Flats just out of Warkworth but the big smoke followed them and 12 acres in the backblocks of Kaeo became their home for 5 years. They then moved to the Bay of Islands, which has been their base for the last 18 years, and have no intention of moving from this piece of paradise.

TUI

“Northland and in particular the Bay of Islands is where I feel most happy, settled and content. From the day we arrived up in the bay we were so warmly welcomed as locals that I never wish to leave the people or the land that feeds me and fuels my passion for life. I am a contemporary and conceptual artist, metalsmith and jeweller and my passion is forming and reconfiguring my metal into organic landscapes inspired by where we live. My “paintbrushes” are a sewing machine, a 900 deg butane torch, an anvil and hammers.

As a local to be able to share with others what the Bay of Islands landscape, its people and what it means to us is just bliss.”

He aha te mea nui o te ao
What is the most important thing in the world?
He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata
It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.

Whakatauakī (Māori proverb).

MARK

“I trained as an Architectural Draftsman and have been working on and off in the construction industry preparing drawings for housing and consulting engineers most of my working life. When we moved North to Kaeo I got a job working on the tall ship R. Tucker Thompson. Working there for 5 years doing both day sails and youth training voyages prepared us for life living aboard. My interests and passions are diverse, earth and sustainable building, motor racing (in Auckland participating in Clubsport events and helping with the WRC rally of NZ and Japan), boat building (ask me about building and racing bathtubs), sailing and astronomy to name a few. Having gone back to the building industry for a few years convinced me that I am allergic to paperwork so Rogue Pony was conceived.”