Carol & Marlene

Marlene: I came to Kaikōura in 1962 to teach at Kaikōura Primary School, so I’ve been here for a long time now. I took a break from teaching when my boys were young, but I went back in 1977 and continued until about 2007. Some people say it takes a long time to get accepted into the community, but my fellow new colleagues and I didn’t find that. We played netball and tennis and badminton and got among the other young folk, people our own age, and we settled in that way. I still do the same, get out and about to keep myself busy.

Carol: I haven’t been here quite as long, although it’s been over twenty-five years now. My husband and I moved here in 1999, to run motels. We did that for fifteen years before we retired. Kaikōura has changed a lot in that time. It’s still a great place to live. It’s so small that you can get around pretty easily, and I love the view from my house. But there are lots of new tourism businesses. I went ziplining with my son last year when he came down to visit. Oh, I thought it was great!

Marlene: Carol and I met playing croquet, years and years ago, and we’ve always got on well. I like playing golf croquet and ricochet, interacting with different people and getting some physical exercise as well. I had a fall last year and cracked my pelvis and my hip socket. I was out of action for a while – but as soon as I could,
I was back into it. Someone said to me, “At your age, you could have just given up.” But I’m not – I’m keeping going.

Carol: I don’t have my finger in quite so many pies as Marlene, but I like to have something to do and I’ll give anything a go. I’ve started line dancing, which I find fun. I like the beat. I used to love rock and roll dancing – I’m old enough to have been around in the sixties when that was all the rage. These days line dancing is probably the closest I can get. It’s nice to have something to do and a bit of company. My husband and I were always pretty social with our friends – went camping together, that sort of thing. He died a couple of years ago and I’ve done my best to keep it up. I still go out for lunch with the motel ladies once a month – we’re all ex moteliers now, but we stay in touch.

Marlene: I don’t have a very busy social calendar because I tend to be out and about at all my various commitments. I coach swimming three afternoons a week, mainly younger children, although I’m teaching one adult as well. I’ve been delivering Meals on Wheels recently. And of course, I got involved in the op shop after I retired from teaching, a good while ago now. I spend a lot of my time out the back, sorting things out so the people who are in charge of that area don’t walk into a big mess. I’m also quite happy to work behind the counter. That’s the best part, probably – having a laugh, and it’s a good chance to catch up. You never know who’s going to walk through the door.

Carol: Like Marlene, I got involved because I was retired and it was something to do. The regular routine is good for me and it can be a good laugh. One of my favourite stories isn’t actually about me – it’s about one of the other ladies who works here. Someone had come in and was trying on a pair of shoes. So of course they’d taken their own shoes and socks off, and she sold them to someone else! That was a year or two back but she hasn’t lived that one down. I think she even sold the socks.

Marlene: When the girls set the shop up back in October 2014, it was intended as a good fundraiser. At the time, the goal was to raise funds towards a new health facility. Well, it was so successful that it’s still going ten years later. About two years ago we passed the milestone of raising a million dollars. We’ve supported the ambulance and fire brigade to buy a new van that they can use when they have to go to meetings or courses. We put some money into the new aquatic centre, and we’re supporting the school lunch programme they’re doing at the moment.

Carol: We have a display up on the wall of the shop with the information about all the things that we’ve raised money for. People really seem to like being able to see what we’re doing and what it’s all about. And our mission statement is up there as well: to facilitate, support and enhance the wellbeing of Kaikōura. It’s a nice way of doing a voluntary service that the community benefits from.