A place my sons named Drew’s was a small Bed and Breakfast establishmen, The Kauri Villas located in Whangarei and owned by Drew and his wife Susie. It is a place of fond memories and good friendships that quickly developed amoung us. With Drew’s involvement we discovered caving, the finer art of cooking, flying small aircraft, table tennis, surveying, snooker, star gazing, and a facinating insite into his varied history of times when he was living at a tin mine in the depths of Africa. We on the otherhand over the many days and nights staying at Drew’s contributed with our own intrests - archery, architecture, photography and happily partook in the many great housholds debates and ideas to solve the worlds problems. All this before midnight chimbed on Drews Grandfathers clock.

It was a long trip confined in the car to Whangarei Heads from home for young lads, luckily for all of us we had remarkably similar taste in music and sweets. To this day whenever I have a wine gum jet plane or hear a certain combination of songs from our playlists of that time I am immediately transported back into the old Audi S4 with the boys either in a state of anticipation or a lovely relaxed tiredness on the homeward journey.

The images within this book also help trigger those delightful times we spent at a place up north called Drew’s.