Now, she and husband Grant create happy memories for their young sons Charlie and Sam in Northland’s Matapōuri Bay.

“Grant’s Aunt and uncle have a bach there and we’ve been going since our boys were babies. It’s an old bach without any bells and whistles, north of Whangārei. It was once a best-kept secret, but it seems people have caught on to the beauty of Matapōuri now. The kids love it. The bach has bunk beds and they fight over who gets the top so we often pull all the mattresses onto the floor and sleep together as a family. There’s no WiFi there; not even a DVD player. Our time is spent playing cards and reading books. I travel for work so this is valuable time with my family, fully unplugged. Most days in summer are spent at the beach, a little walk down the road from the bach. There are no shops, just a dairy. The big treat of the day is getting ice cream then it’s back to the beach. I make photo books of our time there for Grant’s aunty and uncle. It’s a lovely way to stay in touch and for them to see the boys grow each year.”

Tami Neilson’s nationwide tour CHICKABOOM! kicks off in June 2020 following the release of her seventh album. See tamineilson.com for more.  

Reported by Monica Tischler for our AA Directions Autumn 2020 issue

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