Woman’s Weekly New Zealand – August 05, 2019

12 NewZealandWoman’sWeekly

T

hefireplacein thelounge
oftheMilnefamily’s
recentlypurchased
RaumatiBeachcottageis set
andabouttobechristened.
LindaanddaughterTommie
arelookingformatches,unsure
ofwheretheymightbeafter
themeleeoftherecentmove.
HusbandKevin,theWeekly’s
consumercolumnist,throws
opentheslidingdoorsthat
leadoutontothefrontdeck
andgenerouslyoffersa tipon
fire-lighting.A draught,he
announces,helpsdrawthefire.
Butoneglanceacrossto
wheretheformerFairGohostis
standing,andyoucanforgetthe
fire,theviewis jaw-dropping.
KapitiIslandloomsdirectlyin
frontofusandwavescrashonto
theshorejustmetresaway.You
canonlyimaginethesunsets.
Therelocationfromthe4.7ha
Waikanaelifestylepropertythey
ownedfor 25 yearshasbeen
bittersweetforLinda,Kevinand
theiryoungestchildTommie,
who,at18,hadlivedin thebig,

two-storey,five-bedroomed

househerentirelife.

Thetight-knittriohadbeen

mullingovera changeof

sceneryforsometime.Sons

Alex(36),Rory(33)andJake(29)

allfledthenestyearsagoand

thehousewas,asKevinputsit,

“gettinga bitechoey”.

“Withtheboysgoneandjust

thethreeofus,it wasjusttoo

big.Wewereheatingrooms

weweren’tusing,crazy!”

WhileheandTommiewere

definitelymoreateaseabout

leavingtheirsemi-ruralidyll,

withitsgroveofJapanese

cherryblossomsandprotected

nativeforest,thankindyteacher

Linda,KevinandLindaagree

theyearsspentthereweresome

ofthehappiestoftheirlives.

Tommietalksoftheprivate

swimmingholetheyhad– the

propertywasboundedbythe

WaikanaeRiver– andofthe

manyhourstheyspentthere

duringlong,hotsummers.

Herdadlaughsasherecalls

thetimeheandTommiewent

tobuyLindaa Mother’sDay

present– theideabeinga fancy

candle– whentheyraninto

anotherKapitilocal,animal

handlerCarolineGirdlestone.

“Westoppedandhada

yarnandshesaid,‘Youdon’t

knowanyonewhowouldbe

interestedin a beautifullittle

piglet,doyou?’Well,Tommie

droppedthecandleideaand

immediatelysaid,‘Mymother

haswanteda pigletforyears,

butDadwon’tletherhaveone,’

whichis a lie,sortof.Anyway,

thepigletturnedouttobethe

Vodafonepiglet,soweended

upwiththisfamouspig.”

Kevingrins.Lindaneverdid

getthecandle.

Hecontinues,“Yes,uprooting

pp hasbeendifficult.I loved

Over the rainbow! From

left: Tommie, Linda and

Kevin have downsized,

swapping a family rural

idyll for stunning beach

views on the Kapiti Coast.

AS THEIR LAST CHILD FLIES, THE

EMPTY NESTERS FACE A NEW LIFE

A MO

Kevin’s heart-