Our Story

Edna

I really begun my training for this work as a child: mother used to pick strawberries, which was hard on her back and limbs. I learned to massage her from age 5, being taught by mother herself who had knowledge passed down in the family through generations, of massaging babies and adults, and using natural bush remedies.

As a school-age little girl I was taken into the city by my aunts who went to have beauty therapy treatments. They liked taking me because I was quiet and could sit in corner reading a book. In the salon I was fascinated by the coloured nails, the scents and the creams. So it was a school holidays treat to sit with one of the aunts while she was having eyebrows tinted or nails painted. I told them then this is what I would do when I'm grown up. However, I had to wait till I was 43 and my own children were grown up before I was finally able to take up my dream career. I still love my job.

When I had my own children our family relocated to Far North. There I learned many things about the nature, the New Zealand bush native plants and their healing properties as well as the ability of the body to heal itself, while bringing up my own children and also working as a teacher at a Far North Country School. Eventually it became a time to shift to Auckland to educate the children and allow them more opportunities as they were growing up. I was able to pursue my passion for gardening as well as providing family with fresh nutritious food from my own garden. While the children were young I used to take my own hand-made, hand-dyed and -painted dresses to Cook Street Markets to help supplement our income.

Following a stoush with cancer I found the courage to change: I began looking after myself, health, body and mind. To fulfill my life-long dream I sourced a beauty therapy college, at that time there weren't many around. After I qualified and celebrated with my (now grown-up) children I gained experience at apprenticeship -- so to speak -- at Lorraine Roxon's Broadway Newmarket exclusive clinic. All the while I had a plan to convert the kids' sleep-out extension into a salon for myself.

When I first started and for a long time, the mad, loud and wonderful Kathy with her hairdressing salon Eclipz, now on Bruce McLaren Road, used to be just over the road from me. We were always sending our clients to each other. "Your eyebrows are shocking, get yourself over there and Edna will sort you out!" she would say, and they came, and then kept coming back to see me for other treatments as well. My first client ever still comes to me and she has been with me for thirty years. Many of my regulars I have known for many decades and their children and grand-children are now my clients, too- three generations! I treat my ladies with pregnancy massage and when they bring the baby along after the birth I teach them baby massage, so I have a beautiful connection to some of my favourite regulars.

While I'm not in my garden salon looking after you, I love cooking and of course gardening. I'm an avid reader, I love art and restoring antiques. Travelling is also a passion which I am able to indulge while visiting my children and grandchildren overseas.

Brian

Growing up, sport and particularly rugby was an interest of mine. I joined the Royal New Zealand Navy at the age of 15 an served for 10 years. I remember the Malayan campaign was quite tough. Of course in the Navy I did have an opportunity to pursue the interest in sport as it was integral with the physical training program. We were encouraged to do sport and in those days it was only rugby. Coming out of the Navy, I worked in a physically demanding job as a fitter-welder and later as a foreman at engineering firms. There was no time for sport then. I met Edna who had been in the business for 10 years, and was inspired to return to my passion for active sport and retrained as a sports medicine trainer at the age of 45. I have worked with Auckland Rugby Football Union, Rugby League teams in Australia, and with many other athletes as I continued my training and qualified as advanced massage therapist. I'm happy there is a demand for my services and find it deeply rewarding when I see someone who comes to me in pain walk out of my treatment room feeling better.

My three children are now grown up and I enjoy spending time with their families and mine and Edna's grandchildren. Other things I enjoy in my spare time are reading and cross-words, tending the garden and travelling, too. Recently, Edna and I have picked up ballroom dancing as a way to keep active. I do like dining out although I'm quite handy in the kitchen myself -- my pavlova and lemon meringue pie are two particularly requested items at family gatherings!