Phil | Taupō, Waikato

“I can’t remember what year it was, but it was during the big Christchurch earthquake, when there was all that destruction, and I was in the Army at the time.

We were down there just helping out the locals after that, and I think it was about six days or something after the earthquake, we went to one particular suburb, and because the roads had been closed until that point, because of rock-fall and whatever, we were the first ones that they had seen from any Government agency or anything like that. The first of any kind of help that they had seen. They knew we were coming, because I think they’d been told the day prior. But anyway, they came out and even though they had nothing, they had no power, no water and electricity, half the houses were falling down, they’d made us food, and they brought out food to show their appreciation to us for coming to help them. That was probably something that sticks in my mind. That even though these people had lost just about everything, they still mustered together what little they did to share with other people. 

It just gives you faith in humanity, really. It just stuck with me. It’s just one of those things that when everyone’s at their lowest, everyone’s still banned together and tried to make something good out of it. 

I grew up in Auckland on the North Shore, and then I left in 2005, I moved out of Auckland and joined the Army. Did nearly 10 years in the Army, and then left the Army, and came here with my wife and kids, and we’ve been living here for six years now and own a small catering company, and we love it here.”