Central Otago comes to mind when Garry thinks about a place that feels like home. He grew up on a small orchard farm near Cromwell, in the South Island of New Zealand. Surrounded by open spaces, rivers, and nature, it was a rural paradise. As a child, he didn’t always appreciate this way of life, or possibly took it for granted as many children do. And like many young people, he started to wonder about the wider world beyond the boundaries of his home. Looking back, Garry recognises how those earlier years helped to shape a lifelong appreciation of the outdoors and nature. 

Garry talked about what brought him to Dunedin with his new chapter in life. While working in the banking field initially, a job transfer allowed him to move to and settle down in Dunedin. Over the years he has built many connections and friendships in this place.

The love of music became one of Garry’s great passions over many years, as he talked about travelling around New Zealand to attend concerts. He discovered new artists and friends through this shared love of music and live performances, and some of those connections remained important throughout his life. Garry remembers these times fondly, even to this day.

In more recent times, Garry found another calling in life, where he trained and worked as a hypnotherapist. Supporting and helping clients to overcome challenges gave Garry a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. One of his areas of focus with hypnotherapy was helping people quit smoking,  and he loved  seeing positive changes being made in their lives as a result. 

This calling was disrupted when the COVID pandemic arrived and it brought an abrupt end to a career that he had genuinely loved. Although this was disappointing, it reinforced something that still defines much of his life today, he had the ability to adapt when circumstances changed. 

Circling back to Garry’s fondness of the outdoors, he mentioned how walking became particularly important to him through a local group called Wellness Walkers. This group was formed to enable people to get outside and be active, and to improve their personal health outcomes. Through this group, he improved his fitness, lost weight, gained confidence, and formed new friendships. He even ended up becoming a team leader within the group. This experience was, again, another opportunity to encourage and help others, that he found just as rewarding as the walking. Today he continues to explore Dunedin's tracks and reserves whenever he can, and he finds  enjoyment in both the physical challenge of trails, and the connection with nature.

Although recent health challenges have limited some of his independence, Garry remains focused on the things that bring meaning to his life. These being the people that he loves in life, good conversations, music, and the enjoyment of being outdoors. At heart, he is someone who believes life is best experienced by getting involved and making the most of the opportunities that come along. 

Garry’s portrait was captured outside of his home in Dunedin, where he lives a quiet life with his partner, Paula. Paula was a supportive influence and was by his side as we chatted during the portrait session which, as a side, also expanded into capturing photos of two people in love.

I asked Garry one last thing during our conversation, and that was if he had a piece of advice that others might find useful. The answer was short but impactful.

"Get out and do something."