People on Tui

Today about 40 adults and children live at Tui. Residents ages range from 0-72 years. Born in many corners of the world and originating from diverse backgrounds, we are committed to this social experiment of co-creating intentional community living.

Meet the trustees and residents living at Tui at the moment

Robina McCurdy

'Through living at Tui I have developed tolerance, deep listening, empathy, considering other people's points of view, being authentic, opportunities for leadership, knowing all facets of myself well – my internal weather (whether it be sunny, cloudy or thundery) and learning appropriate ways to express this, taking full personal responsibility for the creation of my emotional-life reality.'

Yana Hoos

Yana is one of Tui's founding members. She values honesty, courage, generosity, good will, inspiration, trust. Her vision for community is a balance of creating and maintaining, courage, caring, visioning and practice, experimentation and sustainability, openness to keep learning and engaging, and using the land wisely. Yana loves tending the Tui orchard and has helped it thrive for many years.

Frans Muter

'I really love living on this land that is commonly "owned". I like the communal lifestyle, having to live with and consider different perspectives. I like my friendships with most of the adults and children here. I like that we are inspiring our visitors at times. I like that we learn from our mistakes. I like that we are sharing equipment and tools.'

Cathy Mountier

'I have loved, over the years, witnessing  the Tui property and surrounding landscape revegetate and restore itself. After years of farming and a huge fire it is now lush, green, biodiverse, and wonderful.'

Suzi Jessie

'My passion in Tui is the Treefield/events park and what it offers not just for us here at Tui but for others out in the wider world. I’m passionate about the Rites of Passage work that I’ve been involved with now for almost 20 years and how it offers the young and not so young to walk differently in this world taking tools that we have picked up along the way to help navigate our lives.'

Joseph Blessing

I enjoy living on this beautiful land with the diverse people young and old. Our community gatherings and celebrations are colourful and fun. I love the range of visitors bringing extra life into our community. Over 24 years I have come to appreciate my learning and growing into a more alive, more compassionate and more humble person. 

William Hunt

'I love the gift of this land to us and the opportunity we have to demonstrate sustainable community living. My role on Tui is to help creating a self sufficient lifestyle in food and timber production and alternative energies. My vision for Tui is to evolve in harmony with the land and pass on the knowledge for the next generation.'

Sybille Biedert 

'Living in Tui for now 18 years has been a huge learning experience to practise my Yes and No, to speak up and take a stand for connection and individuality as well as belonging to this land and these people, as belonging grows from participation.'

THE FOUR GATES OF SPEECH
Is what I have to say true?   Is what I have to say necessary?
Is now the appropriate time to say this?   Is what I'm saying kind?

Inna Alex

Inna values authenticity, connection, and flexibility. Community to her is a forever extending learning experiment of the most sensible way of living in today’s time. Core subjects in this are communication, cooperation, land-based skills, and self-care. Inna is passionate about Work That Reconnects, women's work and creating spaces for connection and community.

Jessica Trevino

'I love the land and my relationship with it. I love the possibilities that come with living with a group of people. I like to think that my role in Tui (or life for that matter) is not a fixed one but something like...my beingness in any given moment, my creativity and vitality are expressing itself.'

Tyson Hammond

Tyson values adaptable, honesty, empathy, humour, forgiveness. For him community is creating together, inspiring each other, evolving and growing together. At the moment he is busy with developing a new accommodation area for tiny homes and short-term visitors, and joyfully parenting his children Kiva and Bowie.

Natasha Toon

'What I love about Tui is the deep connections and communication, Guardianship of the land, the amazing nature and location, holding space for magic to happen in community and the events park, living remotely but not being lonely, living on a lifestyle block and not having to do or pay for everything.'

Robert Blumstein 

'Tui is a wonderful place for me to create. I am ever expanding my mechanical skills as I work on the land with the machinery. 

Over the last few years there has been a movement of personal transformational work through the context of Possibility Management. I have enjoyed this work and it's both challenging and fun and keeps me on my edge.'

Morag Collins

Morag values compassion, honesty, positivity. For her living in community is about enjoyment, sharing, and trust. Morag currently looks after the Tui Food co-op.

John Black

John loves pottery (when he's not a pirate) and looks after the Tui water supply and contributes to the upkeep of the Tui Treefield.

Aralyn Doiron

Aralyn is a pirate - amongst many things.

The Four Agreements: Be Impeccable With Your Word · Don't Take Anything Personally · Don't Make Assumptions · Always Do Your Best ·

Emma Furness

'What I love about living at Tui is the stunning natural beauty, being out in the bush but not completely alone.'

Rita Jansen

'What I love about Tui is the beautiful and abundant land the community is on.

I love the closeness with people, the diversity and the ongoing challenges I face through which I heal and evolve.

I love having Bowie (my son) growing up in nature, and with a big family.'

Rita is currently mother to Bowie (4), working in the orchard, initiating homeschooling experiments, evolving through possibility management, and supporting others as a possibility coach.

Levi Harrison 

'My role in Tui is caring for the land and buildings and saying the things that are difficult to say but need to be said.'

Chai Pyle 

'I am passionate about drama, photography and dance. I am committed to realness/truth in relationships, and in our world.'

Do you want to be right? Or do you want to be in connection?

Jay Horton 

'Living at tui is a privilege and a mission. One of the main things I love about Tui is the commitment to long term relationships, with each other and especially with the land. I love how over the 30 years I’ve been in relationship with this place and whanau I’ve been supported to grow through many different iterations and chapters of my life. '

Hannah & Elliot

Hannah and Elliot have recently moved to Tui. The are proud parents of newborn Evelyn and currently settling into their new routine as a young family.

Annika Korsten 

'I love living at Tui because I get challenged by a diverse group of people to live the best version of myself. I love living in the middle of the bush and the possibility to completely go offline and immerse myself in nature. Through living here I’ve stepped up holding space for different aspects of community living that I wouldn’t have out there in modern culture.'

Renee Fisher

'Through living at Tui I develop my capacity to build meaningful relationships, to stay with challenges and learn from them, and to be in closer connection with the land.'

"Community is a return to our natural way of living, and the most sustainable way of living. It is a co-created experiment where I am continually learning, growing and evolving." - Rita

Mark Simpson

'As a recent arrival my role in Tui right now is finding my place here, though I see my role as one of service and guardianship - to the community, land, and the ideas and principles that underpin this whole undertaking. At present I clean and help manage the Community House, and enjoy supporting such a central part of community life.'

And who lives on Tui keeps changing all the time.

Below are a few Tui memories.