There once was a guy from down under...

Well...sort of...I am an Australian citizen but I was born in New Zealand. Does that make it even more down under?  

My name is Manuhuia and this is my son! We live in the Pacific Northwest! 

I'm originally from New Zealand and moved here via Australia and England and some time in the Canadian Prairies. This is home now though as this is where my boy is. His mother and I aren't together now - but we have shared raising our son. This is my blog about life as a single Dad raising a young son in the Pacific Northwest. 

People sometime ask how come my name is so long? And, why so many vowels? My name is so long as my mother is New Zealand Maori - here in the Pacific Northwest I tend to say people it's like being Hawaiian...but the Southern version! So, put succinctly, like the Hawaiians we tend have long names with lots of vowels. 

The reason I bring this up is that part of what I'm doing as I raise my son is ensuring that he is strong in our culture - and able to move well between both the broader Western world and his world as a native child - part of which means I only ever speak Maori to him. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest I don't have to worry about him learning English - he won't be able to help but do that. But raising him bilingual is my goal and I'll work hard to give him that gift. So, here in the Pacific Northwest we're a language community of two, but it's a start. If you know any other speakers of Maori here please do send them my way! 

I also have two beautiful daughters from an earlier marriage. They're in high school now and live with their Mom in New Zealand. Personal circumstances mean that I can't be with them as I'd like to be as I used to raise them half-time too. But I love them very much and I am who I am as a father to my boy because of all I learnt from fathering them. Well, and maybe a little bit from my own parents... 

If you're interested you can find out more about me and the other things I do at my own website here. 

Looking forward to sharing our story with you all!