about me

My inspiration is founded from my passion for the outdoors. I was raised in a rural environment where I spent time making huts, playing in creeks, scouting out eels and frogs and creating imaginary games amongst bracken and long grass.  These childhood memories of my interaction with the natural world have influenced my life and my high regard for the nature. In my adult life, I have lived in various urban communities having an array of different experiences.  My level of enjoyment and wellbeing related to the accessibility to natural wild areas and their degree of ‘wildness’.

While studying Landscape Architecture at Lincoln University, I lived in Christchurch city.  Christchurch is flat expansive land with few landmarks noticeable from the inner city, often unnerved and frequently getting lost and disoriented.  Riccarton Bush, a remnant patch of Kahikatea provided some relief and heart and softening to the utility focused suburbia.  There were many days, sometimes weeks without sun, when smog sat above the city on a still winter day. I escaped to Lincoln University, 20km southeast into the country air.

In New Plymouth I was working for the local city council as a landscape architect was a stark contrast. New Plymouth has many quality remnants of native bush in the city. Corridors of bush boundary streams, green and blue fingers feed down into the city from Mt Taranaki.  This iconic mountain with distinctive conical form and wider landscape is connected visually and physically to the city. Here, you can wander down the clean streams bordered by native bush to glorious surf beaches, without crossing a road. Pukekura Park in New Plymouth is in the heart of the city. This park provides diverse range of spaces bushed areas with running tracks, linking other suburbs and parks, natural amphitheatre, lakes and cricket ground.  It is celebrated by the local community through events like the Festival of the Lights, concerts, cricket matches and other events. Here quality green space is accessible, and there is a strong sense of place, people are proud to say they are from the ‘naki’.

Living in Rotorua, working as a landscape architect I felt afraid walking or running in the manuka thickets about the lake. The town didn’t celebrate NZ native plants. NZ cabbage trees had long ago been pulled out and replaced by the common rose along the main street. After moving out to Lake Okareka, I had more satisfying experiences with bird song, a view overlooking the lake and volcanic rim cloaked in bush, with a few houses embedded in the surrounding bush. 

 I moved to Queenstown, the landscape golden tussock land and Remarkable mountains, set a dramatic and energized backdrop to the town. Here was my first experience of defined seasons, gauging time on hot summers to snowy winters and fall of golden leaves.
Presently Im living in Dunedin, studying at University.  As a student I sought out less expensive living in South Dunedin.  South Dunedin differs from the rest of Dunedin City. The centre is void of natural elements- there is not much in terms of nearby nature, there are few street trees and open parks are hard to find.  The beach offers nature opportunity to some on eastern side, it is not near the centre of south dunedin and people don’t travel, by it or experience it on their way to work or school.  Traveling to university is depressing, concrete and built from dominates, and the world feels miserable.  South Dunedin is one of the most densely residential areas in the southern hemisphere.  There are few sounds of wildlife above the street traffic. Out of South Dunedin, there is greater access to the green spaces- the town green belt and Woodhaugh Park.

My background as a landscape architect for district councils involved streetscape design, large-scale design and managing community initiatives.

As a landscape architect I have constantly been evaluating what makes a good successful place.  Through living in these different places, I have felt when a place is working and experienced living in positive and negative environments, both have lasting impressions.  I have long thought about why we are always striving to get away from cities- when we have the opportunity to create exciting dynamic and satisfying places in our cities just by seeing the opportunities.