PAPAMOA BEACH

TAURANGA

JULIET SOUTER

Co-founder & creative director, Marle

For many years, my family has rented the same house through family friends on the beachfront in Papamoa. This special spot holds so many memories with loved ones and is one of the places I feel I can truly relax. The house was designed and built in the 1970s and holds all the character and design integrity of the era, textured terracotta tiles, concrete blocks mixed with timber and beautiful artworks painted by the owner. It’s located at the east end of Papamoa Beach on whenua belonging to Waitaha iwi, where the houses stop and a lovely stretch of quiet beach starts, [running] all the way to the mouth of the Kaituna River — a peaceful wander along the beach looking out to Motiti Island. We often see whales, dolphins and the odd shark basking not far from the shore, and this teamed with nights around the backgammon board make for some character-building memories. The tradition is now extending to my own little family. We make the 20-minute drive from our home in Mount Maunganui to stay there; it’s so close but feels like we could be anywhere.

Where to eat: Alpino in Mount Maunganui is the best place to stop for an afternoon cocktail and a bite to eat.

What to wear: Marle’s resort collection is about to deliver and there are a number of pieces

I’ll be adding to my wardrobe, including the linen ‘Marion’ shorts, sand-washed silk ‘Ida’ pants, knitted ‘Rosa’ top and silk/cotton ‘Otto’ dress.

What to read: I’ll be starting to make a dent in the pile of books I’ve been meaning to get to this year, starting with Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.