Everyday is paradise

Peter Furze, 68, retired surfer, community person, member of Kaitaia People’s centre.

What do you like best about the Far North?

It is a great community with awesome groups of people; if you could pull them all together that would be fantastic. And the surf of course.

How long have you lived here and where are you originally from?

Eight years and originally from West Auckland.

What do you like least and how can we fix it?

It is split up into these small groups, beach people, city people, hill people but if they all could work together it would work so much better. That is the biggest gripe.

I’m the chairman of Swamp Palace and I try to cross connect the organisations and people I know with each other. The onus is on us to try and get these groups to talk to each other. Individually we are not as powerful.

‘‘Everyday is paradise up here, I just wake up and stick my head out the window and if the surf is up, my day is planned.’’ Peter Furze

What’s your favourite eatery?

Gecko cafe´ .

Your highlight of the week? Everyday is paradise up here, I just wake up and stick my head out the window and if the surf is up, my day is planned. My week doesn’t work Monday to Friday, sometimes the days just all roll into each other.

Who is the Kiwi you most admire?

Helen Kelly, she really is a top notch person. She has met a number of community people up here and she’s going hard for medicinal cannabis.

The spot in Northland I’d recommend is…

Ahipara, any day.

If I were Far North mayor I’d…

I’d be doing what Tim Shadbolt did. He set up an agency in downtown Auckland and sold Invercargill to Aucklanders. Consequently thousands moved to Southland, we could do the same. I know how he did it.

To me we could set up a Northland embassy or agency and fund it with businesses that wanted to sell products and tourism. We could promote our beautiful spots and we are creating awesome products up here.

When I’ve got a free few hours, I like to…

What are they? I surf, look after the chickens, dogs, cat, goats, go surfing and fishing and I walk the beach every day. For me coming from Auckland and living on Ninety Mile beach, it’s heaven.

I’m involved in a number of things so I am always busy.