FROM GER M A NY TO WH Ā INGA ROA: A NNIK A’S STORYTELLING JOUR NEY ON R AGL A N A IRWAVES WITH ANNIKA MARIA
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hat does it take to build a life in Raglan? For local radio host Annika, the answer lies in the voices of the people who have already done it. Through her radio show “How to Make it Work”, she chats with locals who have carved out their own unique paths in Raglan, sharing stories of creativity, resilience, and community spirit. Here is a little glimpse into Annika’s journey and the stories she loves to tell. Tell us about your background and how you found yourself living in Raglan. Short answer? Adventure! After finishing my MA in Journalism, I landed a remote job as a news analyst. That kind of flexibility gave me the chance to live anywhere. Originally from Germany, I packed my bags and kept moving. I had heard countless stories about New Zealand from friends and family and when Germans get that excited, you know it is something special. “The journey is the destination,” so I set New Zealand as my end goal and just made my way there. I found a 200€ one-way ticket to Panama. From there, I travelled across countries and sailed
open oceans, until I finally made it here. Everything without a return ticket. How has it felt for you arriving here and joining the community? One thing I realised while travelling is how much community really matters. When you are constantly on the move, you meet people but it is rare to build the kind of deep connections you crave. After a year of full-time solo travel, I was in my van in the South Island, and to be honest… I was lonely. New Zealand was meant to be the big finale of my journey, but instead I felt like maybe this was not where I was supposed to be. I realised how much I missed having a sense of belonging. When I arrived in Raglan, something shifted. Watching the waves, feeling the breeze, seeing how alive and welcoming the town felt I knew it: I did not just land in a beautiful place, I landed in a community. Tell us about how the idea hatched to start the radio show “How to Make it Work.” Arriving in Raglan late summer, I made lots of friends — but most of them were travellers, just like me. And as any traveller knows, that means you are also constantly saying goodbye. I wanted to connect with people who had actually made Raglan their home. That is when Raglan Community Radio came into the picture. Hosting a show felt
like a good way to meet more locals. Even though I am naturally introverted (and yes, going live on air still makes me nervous sometimes), I have always loved helping people tell their stories. So “How to Make it Work” was born — a show about how people in Raglan manage to create lives and livelihoods here. How have you found the experience so far? What have you learned about Raglan and its people by interviewing your guests? Every new guest teaches me something different about what makes Raglan so special. What strikes me most is how creative and resourceful people are here. There is this energy of possibility. Raglan really attracts people who are ready to reinvent themselves. Most of my guests did not end up working in the fields they originally studied in. Instead, they followed their passions and carved out something new — whether it is opening a business, working remotely, or mixing art with entrepreneurship. It is proof that if you are passionate about something and willing to give it a go, you can make it work. Can you give us a few recent examples of who you have interviewed and why? My first ever guest was writer and artist Wanda Barker, who co-founded the writer’s collective Inkspillers to support local writers in getting their work published. Then there is Katie Lowes, who runs her own marketing business and cochairs the Raglan Chamber of Commerce. Or Lynne Wilkins, both a musician and an accountant, who somehow manages to merge community, creativity, and business into her daily life. Every one of them had a unique story about finding their way in Raglan while supporting the community too, and each conversation left me inspired.
Has there been a particular conversation that has had an impact on you personally? So many! I especially love the interviews where I can connect to the guests professionally as well as personally. Take Monica Evans, who spoke about freelance journalism and communications, or Kane Power, who shared his journey of building a podcasting business. What inspires me most is that they have all faced challenges — writer’s block, procrastination, financial hurdles — but they kept going. And then to see their work published in global newspapers, or watch their podcasts rise in the charts? That is incredibly motivating. How do you find your subjects? Word of mouth is everything in Raglan. It is such a small town, but once you start talking to people, you realise everyone has a story worth sharing. And people here don’t brag — so you only discover their brilliance when you sit down with them. Guests seem to relax once they have met me and see the show as more of a friendly chat than a formal interview. That is exactly the vibe I want — just two people having a conversation and the audience happens to listen in. How do people get in touch and how do they listen to the show? “How to Make it Work” goes live every Monday at 12:30pm on Raglan Community Radio, 98.1FM. You can also catch it afterwards on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the station’s website. And if you are sitting there thinking: “I’ve got a story to share,” then I would love to hear from you. Reach out to Raglan Community Radio or flick me a message on social media (f.e. on Instagram: stories. by.annika). Who knows — maybe you will be the next guest teaching us all a little something about how to make it work in Raglan.
Raglan Chronicle Magazine Issue September 2025 | 13