With all the rules and regulations, bureaucrats and other hangers-on these days there are times when any go-ahead person gets to feel that it’s all a bit much. If you’re not careful you can miss some of the really positive things that people are doing, so this week I’m talking about some of the relatively unsung heroes from up here.
I had a look around the Auckland waterfront where the footy stadium was being talked of and came across the redevelopment proposals for the Britomart area being carried out by Bluewater. So what, you might ask! Well Bluewater is owned by Kaitaia old boy and business phenomenon Peter Cooper who left town to become a lawyer and went on to develop multi million dollar townships in Texas before coming back home to tidy up Auckland and develop some impressive and environmentally aware coastal sections in outer Kerikeri.
That got me thinking about other Far North role models. While in Sydney on business recently I had a beer with Kaitaia old-boy, Garth Bray who has been appointed as Australian TV news stringer for TVNZ directly influencing how we get on with our big neighbours and showing how far our young people can go.
Back in Auckland one of my companies is negotiating with another Kaitaia boy made good, Thane Kirby, who together with his brother Richard has shaken the national radio scene since they launched George FM and has now branched out with Alt TV.
These examples are by no means a comprehensive list of success stories from here and I know there are no females in this list, it’s just these are the ones I’ve met in the last fortnight. My point is we need to celebrate success no matter where it happens and not let the negatives overwhelm us.
While I’m in this positive mood, I had the boat out at Mill Bay for its annual overhaul and what a stress free process that was, largely due to more unsung local heroes. WW2 fighter pilot Jimmy Osborne and his faithful Man Friday, Pedro have done a wonderful job in managing the hard standing there, which operates with very reasonable charges. The facilities are also a tribute to the Cruising Club members lead by Bruce Robertson and we are lucky to have them.
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