Hello from Edge of the World: Edition 16
Dear Friends,
By popular acclaim, the newsletter is back! It’s been a while, and I’m excited to share the next chapter of the story with you!
Listen to the audio version of this newsletter here:
Back in 2025, despite gaining good traction, I paused the newsletter as my life became vortexed in the mental side of transitioning Parihoa. I am happy to say that as of late January, that is behind me. Last week was emotional; giving up that beautiful land was a process both cathartic and absorbing. The admin, the memories, the space! But in 100km/h howling winds and rain, I realised I won’t miss the responsibility of owning a majestic West Coast property high on the cliffs when the weather turns crazy. I will, however, miss the epic sunsets, the Jewel Box sessions, and a network of friends using the property in a connected way that felt like everyone’s home.
The Parihoa Story
Parihoa initially began for me as the inflection point between my "life 1" and "life 2". Back in 2012, when I discovered it via a web browser in Singapore, I couldn’t get it out of my head. My long-term relationship was ending, and life was becoming monotonous in the tropics. I needed a new challenge. Parihoa emerged as something to anchor my purpose.
Settling in August 2013 and taking over from the then-custodians and future dear friends, Mack and Anne Storey, I began the adventure of becoming the owner of Parihoa. In a far-off land stood my future home. Through many trips from Singapore and running my global virtual company, ChapmanCG, via dial-up internet, the Parihoa story began.
The Storeys left their furniture for the first six months. My dear Kiwi friend from Singapore, Dean, helped me furnish what later became Chapman House (later renamed House of Parihoa). Not knowing a soul in NZ, I dragged my overseas mates to "the farm". Bit by bit, my local NZ network unfurled.
I did the splits between Singapore and NZ between 2013 and 2017. Every spare moment when I wasn’t travelling the world, I’d be in NZ. I walked thousands of kilometres over the farm and dropped deep into Kiwi life. I moved my Singapore dogs, Millie and Lulu, over in late 2015. By 2017, I was officially a tax resident. Along the way, ChapmanCG exploded into the world’s only true global HR search firm on all continents.
Seeing an unlimited trajectory, and with a realisation of a potentially ungrounded future, I sold ChapmanCG and most of my other business interests from 2019. NZ and a pure, well-being-oriented life were calling. 2020 began the Covid years, and I bunkered down from the world in NZ. With the help of PK, my right hand, and Rose and Graeme, my Kiwi guardians, we transformed Parihoa with the construction of the Jewel Box, Gallery, Well-being Box, Pods, an upgraded woodshed, and a transformed House of Parihoa. I bought the neighbour’s farm, Tirikohua Point, scaling Parihoa to 722 acres, and we transformed the homestead, building the spectacular well-being pavilion and apartment. We also bought two more adjoining properties with two guesthouses.
Between 2022 and 2026, Parihoa was refined and became what it is today: a one-of-a-kind place that even attracted the attention of Brad Pitt. Parihoa’s allure was unlimited. Global brands including Apple, Fitbit, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce shot at Parihoa. Rugged luxury was the vibe, and Parihoa, with its working farm, architecture, and sunsets, had it all.
Along the way, my biggest smiles came from the network of friends who felt at home at Parihoa. Perhaps because of the days of being alone there in the early years, I enjoyed furnishing it with good people in the latter years. It always became a game of encouraging people who respected it. Endless cleaning and maintenance bills kept the reality of the story in check, requiring a dedicated team to keep it looking beautiful.
As my true calling and "life 2" began to develop in the south of NZ in 2019, along with new projects from 2022, I began to realise I would pass on Parihoa. This decision gained momentum in late 2023, when it was clear it would be unsustainable to be the custodian of two of New Zealand’s most epic properties.
Parihoa was put on the market. Finding the next custodian was a nerve-wracking, tiring process. The NZ real estate process tested me mentally. Despite all its beauty, Parihoa was complex, and it was hard to find someone up for the next challenge. Tirikohua Point, my neighbouring farm, also proved difficult to sell.
I kept my wits and went headfirst into my Deep South journey, whilst flip-flopping regularly back to Parihoa. The experience of two lives reminded me of my Singapore/NZ journey. My wonderful experiences, including the formulation of the Metamorphosis community and the Re-Connect Retreat, happened during this time.
Finally, late in 2025, the answer was found. A new custodian emerged. By Christmas 2025, Parihoa and Tirikohua Point had been sold. Last Wednesday and Friday, I handed over both farms to the new owners. My cells are now recalibrating to this journey being behind me. I give thanks to everyone who helped me in the story, especially PK, Rose, Graeme, Farmer Ben, Jo, Gardener Ben, and many close friends who lent support, as well as the nearby community and overseas friends who sent their best wishes.
I remember when I bought Parihoa in 2013 in my mid-30s. As I went through a year of red tape and overseas investment approval as a foreign buyer, I thought to myself that if the journey had an end date, at least I wouldn’t go on wondering what it was like to own a seaside farm.
I lived it, we did it, and now it’s a memory. Parihoa, the "friendly cliffs", was the inflection point from life 1 to life 2. The Metamorphosis community was named in honour of that realisation. Goodbye Parihoa; may the next custodians learn as much about themselves and others as I did through this property.
Now and the Future
The journey for me now is about simplicity. Edge of the World, my next creation in the south of NZ, embodies many lessons from Parihoa. It is more private, sacred, and peaceful.
But I realise, too, that a lot of my attention is beyond "the things". It is about being happier, healthier, and more in flow. My VW California van has the plates "Parhoa" to remember the journey before. My best days are spent exploring the south, climbing the mountains, and connecting with new people, whilst enjoying visitors.
The south embodies the magic I was looking for in the NZ experience. The world-class beauty endlessly inspires me and invokes my best creativity. What flows from here evolves naturally.
Summary
I close this update with thanks to those who have followed the story. Really, the network is about bringing all those I care about into one seamless experience.
I have always been fascinated by talent and people’s skills. I see humans as their whole selves, not just their work selves. I am interested in people’s "hashtags" in terms of what makes them tick. Through these, I see unusual connections.
Well-being is about doing more of what makes us happy. The things we love, we should do more of. The people we love, we should get closer to. Conversely, we should let go of what doesn’t serve us, and that can include people too.
You’ll understand as time passes how a connected energy can unite more into a collective. Having been inspired by the global HR network I created via ChapmanCG, then the Parihoa experience, it now continues from Edge of the World.
I have imagined the well-being and HR search firm and network under many names, but it is crystallising into the final outcome as my own well-being stabilises to allow that to happen. Overwhelm, and your energy being blocked by forces beyond your control, can be a very real thing. As I have freed myself patiently and continue to simplify, while drawing the right energy around me, writings like these are possible and you can follow the journey.
From next week, Thursday at 5pm, the central Network weekly Connect call begins. Meet others in the network through a series of online experiences. Feel the beat and pulse of an idea starting. Please apply to join. We have been prototyping this weekly experience with our audience from the Parihoa Re-Connect since early January, and it has been popular.
I end this "return" with highlights from our Parihoa Re-Connect experience, which was the curtain call of Parihoa for 18 lucky humans. It was a life-changing five-day, four-night concept executed by Begum and me. Simultaneously, I’ve included pictures of a morning well-being experience at Edge of the World with 20 well-being entrepreneurs from the Mountain Club in Queenstown.
The south, for me and the network, is more about the playground of the island than just my home. Like Matt the Shepherd, you’ll get a taste for van life and exploration. As a remote network, you may spot me anywhere. And when you come to South NZ, or perhaps if you live there now, these places will inspire you.
To 2026. Whatever your goals, whatever your progress, take inspiration from one of my key resolutions: "No compromises". Follow your intuition and look after yourself so you can look after others. Be careful what you say yes to. Watch your energy. May the good energy flow.
Newsflash: Our Next Re-Connect Destination
Today on LinkedIn, we officially announced the next edition of Re-Connect for the network. In April 2026, we will be heading to the breathtaking Bawah Reserve.
Bawah is incredibly special to me; I was heavily involved in its creation as an investor and supported the key visionary, Tim Hartnoll, so it is a project I am immensely proud of. Begum and I will be co-leading this experience together.
To apply for a place, please click here. We will share more details in our next edition!
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