A moment in time

The way people move through the stages of life is never even – usually more of an amble, interspersed with sprints – but Pearl Delaney- Girdlestone and Cruze McFarlane have had a busy two years by any standard.

Since returning home to New Zealand from Australia in 2020, the couple have launched not one but two businesses, started a family with the arrival of baby Atlas and settled into their first house, a former bach on the Kāpiti Coast.

Having embarked on the career-developing migration abroad, Pearl and Cruze’s journey from Bondi-based expat life to their own slice of heaven was defined by deadlines. Their plans fast-tracked by Covid-19, they just squeaked into the country minutes before the borders shut, then launched into a house hunt, driven by the impending arrival of their baby. “We found this place, saw it on the Sunday and it was ours by 11 o’clock at night on the Monday. It was crazy,” says Pearl.

Permanent holiday

The suburb of Waikanae Beach, where the couple washed up, is pin-drop quiet. The warbling of tūī and the gentle shush of waves audible on a typical weekday.

Sweet little weatherboard baches peep out between the pōhutukawa, yawning out of hibernation on weekends and summer holidays, as their owners come roaring up from Wellington, looking to decompress.

The home was an unassuming bach, but therein lay its charm. Though the garden was undeveloped and the flat-pack kitchen is high on the to-reno list (especially for Cruze, a former chef), everything else was exactly what this young family needed – light, fresh and virtually bulletproof, so they can thoroughly enjoy the nearby beach without worrying about sand marring precious surfaces. “Every day, we walk to the beach, no matter the weather. The dog runs and we get dirty and sandy – and bring it all inside,” says Pearl.