beachlife Beach says farewell to Luke and Irene
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opular Okitu couple Luke Porter and Irene Pender are travelling back to Northern Ireland to spend a couple of years with Irene’s family after living in New Zealand, mostly Wainui Beach, for the last 20 years. Luke, a New Zealand representative and champion kneeboarder, met Irene at the Surfer’s Bar in Rossnowlagh where she was playing in the band at the prize-giving party after a New Zealand versus Ireland surf contest in 1986. It was a classic case of “surfer boy meets the girl in the band” and they’ve been together ever since. After a few years living in England and travelling around Europe Luke brought Irene back to New Zealand where they lived at Kaiti Beach for a couple of years and then first lived in a shed they built on a section they bought at 5 Douglas Street in 1992, slowly building their own home. Irene very soon became a popular person about Gisborne sharing her considerable musical talents and entertaining a generation of locals at bar and concert events. Those with long memories may remember “Pol Pot Girl”, “Loopland”, “The Shams” and more lately “Sonny Jim”. Irene, a bit of a punk rocker and new waver at heart, was not really into traditional Irish music until she came to Gisborne. One St. Patrick’s day she played an Irish music gig for fun and – with that amazing Irish accent – was enticed into the local Irish music scene. For many years she has held regular trad-Irish jams with the local “Madra Dubh” group. Luke has shared the musical journey, learning to play the guitar after meeting Irene in Ireland, and for years has been the bassist in most of the groups Irene fronted. Luke has been the New Zealand champion kneeboard surfer in 1991, 1993 and 2008 and has taught at Ilminster Intermediate for the past 15 years. Irene has a BA in teaching. They have two boys Finn (8) and Shea (6). The trip home to Ireland is all about family, says Irene. After nearly 20 years in New Zealand (with several visits home) she says she “feels the call”. Originally from Ballyshannon in County Donegal Irene has a mum and a sister she’s very close to in Derry, and a brother and many uncles, aunties, cousins and old friends across Northern Ireland. So Derry will be home for two years, they’ll rent a place and the boys will go to school and where they hope to do a fair bit of travelling across to Europe as well. “It’s all about family and friends and the desire to see a bit more of the world while we can.”
16 | BeachLife
Irene waves goodbye as the family heads off for a two year break from Wainui.
Wainui strikes gold at Nationals
THE GOLDEN GIRLS: The Wainui women’s four of Carolyn Hibbert, Jane Goodman, Moria Lee and Chrissy Robertson won gold medals in the Open Women’s short and long course canoe races at the New Zealand lifesaving nationals.
SIBLINGS CELEBRATE SUCCESS: Daniel and Maya Harris were on hand to congratulate little brother Toby after his win in the National Surf Life Saving U16 Beach Sprint championship which he added to his U16 Beach Flags championship from earlier in the day.