How one family found balance in Hokitika

For Vaughn and his young family, the decision to swap city living in Hamilton for a new life on the West Coast was all about balance — family, lifestyle, and doing work that matters.

“We had two young boys, a 2-year-old and a six-month-old,” Vaughn says. “I’d leave to go to work early in the morning while the kids are asleep, and when I got home late at night, they'd be asleep as well.”

Despite gaps in his day, “never quite enough to be able to get home,” the reality of missing those formative moments prompted a rethink.

“So we had a good chat in the end, thinking about what do we actually want to do and where do we wanna raise the family? And the wife grew up here and she really thought this is the place to be. So that's what we've done.”

Now based in Hokitika, Vaughn and his wife run Enjoy Fitness — a boutique gym offering personal training, group classes, Reformer Pilates, and self-led workouts.

“Our business, I’d say, is unique because of the fact that we are a really nice little private spot. So it gives people the opportunity to start out their training without feeling anxious about going in and training in front of a lot of other people.”

And while the studio may be small, it’s well-equipped: “Although we're a very small facility, we've got the equipment that you would expect to find in a large place.”

For Vaughn and his family, the move to the West Coast has delivered what they were looking for — time, space, and a stronger connection to what matters most.