My connection with Piha began long before I ever stood on its sand. It started with a stamp — a tiny picture of Lion Rock that my uncle sent me when I was young. I didn’t know then how important that image would become, or how many times I would return to that coastline in search of quiet, strength, and a place to breathe.
This photo is actually a photo of an old photograph I took over forty years ago — the colours softened now, the edges worn, but still holding the truth of that day. I didn’t have a scanner, so I photographed the original print, and somehow that makes it feel even more nostalgic, like a memory inside a memory.

This old photo of Lion Rock feels like a continuation of that first stamp. A small reminder of a place that has held me gently through different seasons of my life.

Take What You Need

Love

Hope

Faith

Patience

Courage

Understanding

Peace

Passion

Healing

Strength

Beauty

Freedom

This little photograph has been with me for more than forty years, tucked safely in an album, its colours softened but still holding the truth of that day. I took it myself, long before I understood how deeply Piha would shape me, or how often I would return to its sand in search of quiet and clarity. My connection to this place began with a stamp my uncle sent me, and somehow this photo feels like the next chapter of that story — a small, steady reminder of a coastline that has walked beside me through so many versions of my life. Even now, as I write and rebuild and come back to myself, Piha remains a gentle companion, offering strength, peace, and a familiar place to breathe.