Resident stories

This Taonga is significant to me as it represents my culture as tangata whenua and my faith as a Christian. My church whānau gave it to me as a gift before I left my home in Wellington to live in Auckland at Grafton Halls. It is a Manaia, a spiritual guardian in Māori culture that is part of both the natural and spiritual worlds. I also wore this taonga on stage when performing for Te Matatini 2023.

My skates are my prized possession as they have brought me many great achievements. I have been a competitive skater for 11 years and I have had my skates for about nine of those years, including all of my international competitions. I won two gold and one silver at the two Oceania Championships I attended as well as placing 12th at the World Championships in 2022. My skates hold many memories and have got me to where I am today.

Crochet is my prized possession because it enables me to be creative whenever and wherever. A corollary is that I can always make personalised gifts, and the exact product is always surprising (even to myself!). Therefore, I never doubt that whoever receives a crochet gift will light up, and although crocheting is laborious, I always look forward to the receiver's reactions.

Music is such a major part of my life and when I moved to Auckland, I discovered all the record stores here in the city. I love to collect records because I know I’m supporting both the shop and the artist. They’re also a memento of when I bought them, and so many remind me about my first year of university when I lived in O’Rorke Hall. Since then, I’ve slowly been adding more - but I always remember buying my first record with my friends from a few doors down.

One of my most prized possessions is my guitar as it is much more than an instrument to me. Kept tucked away in the corner of my room, I find comfort and peace when strumming in my free time. It reminds me of the many times my loved ones and I have bonded over music. Having my guitar with me in Accommodation is important, because it feels as though I have a piece of my home with me in my 'home away from home'.

I love bizarre little critters and have been gifted many, all of which reside on my desk or bookshelf. Beyond general cheerful (and allegedly unnerving) decor, they act as connections to the people who gave them to me, even if they’re physically far away. My most beloved is George (short for Georgeous), who came from an antique store in Nelson. He is a wooden duck in boots and my actual son.

As soon as I moved from the suburbs into the city a few years ago, I became obsessed with the Auckland queer scene and all the incredible drag kings and queens that you can find here. I was so obsessed, in fact, that I recently began my own drag journey, debuting my drag king persona, Bacchus, at the Ding Dong Lounge last September. To me, these red, sparkly boots represent my evolution as a person and how I have finally become the glittery, gothic drag king that my sad, closeted high school self always wanted to be. Living in University Accommodation has given me both the freedom and the confidence to be able to live and perform as Bacchus, the best and most glamorous version of myself.

The smell of fresh baking always reminds me of whisking up treats with my mum as a kid. Therefore, having my baking equipment here is like bringing a slice of home to Auckland. Alongside this, I find baking to be very therapeutic. The methodicalness of following a recipe and the satisfaction of creating something delicious delivers an instant serotonin boost. I also love sharing baked goods with my flatmates and friends. Seeing the joy on their faces when they taste a delectable delicacy makes all the effort worth it!

When I moved home to Aotearoa in 2021, I decided it was time to embrace my taha Māori once more. I did this in many ways, one of the most prominent being in the sport Waka Ama. I joined my school coach’s club, Tai Tonga 41, and competed at Waka Ama Sprint Nationals late last year. My parents also gifted my taonga to me in my final year of high school to acknowledge everything I had accomplished in the short two years we had been home and for protection and guidance in my upcoming University journey. Carrying these items with me to University and the halls means carrying my connection back to the moana, to the whenua I come from and to my whānau.