Sasha Haldane

I came to Hong Kong when I was three in 1970. My dad, like many other antipodean lawyers, was recruited to (what was then) the prosecutions division of the legal department, but after a few years set out on his own and founded his own law firm. 

My mum set up a ballet school here in the old Repulse Bay Hotel. I attended school here and then went to Canterbury to University where I met my husband, Will Hayward. 

Since then, I have been mainly based in Hong Kong though we have worked in Australia and New Zealand at various times.

I worked for many years as a criminal lawyer, with a little human rights law added in as well. I now teach part time for the PCLL course at HKU. 

I also run a small stall (Black Cat Badges) with children’s jewellery and badge making at the Handmade Hong Kong fairs in Discovery Bay every month. 

My main passion however lies in macro photography and that has led me to also volunteer twice a week as a tour guide at the Museum of Biodiversity at HKU.

I spend a lot of time out in the country parks chasing spiders and insects around. If you want to check out my photos, you can see them on Instagram @haldanesasha

I have two children - Max just started his first year at Auckland Uni and seems to be really enjoying it. Alyssa is doing her GCSEs here and is also a passionate dancer. They were both born in Hong Kong, though also spent some time living in Auckland and going to school there, so have great connections to both cities.

In what little spare time I have left I also sing with the Hong Kong Women's choir - all the gigs and concerts we do have the aim of raising money for charity, and this year we are supporting RUNHK, who assist refugee women and their families.

I love living here as it has been my home for many years, and I have a lot of great friends still here.

I have ties from being here at school and working here and I love how easy it is to connect with new communities, such as though my photography and singing. But I also love the fact that in Hong Kong, I can go down the hill to the markets, shops and restaurants and the bustle of people, the colour and noise; or go up the hill and be in the peace of the country parks in minutes.

Many people don't realise just how diverse Hong Kong is and how easy it is to get to amazing trails and beaches, and experience the tremendous biodiversity we have here.

William Hayward

I grew up in Otautahi/Christchurch and more recently spent three-and-a-half years in T?maki Makaurau/Auckland. I moved to Hong Kong in 1999 and have been here most of the time since.

I'm a university academic, with expertise in Psychology. Since 2017 I've been a Faculty Dean, which means running a series of Departments, first at the University of Hong Kong but recently I moved to Lingnan University in Tuen Mun.

My title is Dean of Social Sciences, so I lead Departments like Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, and Politics. At HKU I also managed the Journalism and Media Studies Centre.

At Lingnan we have Economics in our Faculty. I love the diversity of all these disciplines and needing to step out of the comfort zone of my own expertise to learn about other areas.

Having senior roles at universities in the last three years has been very challenging with the social unrest and then COVID-19. The occupation of HKU in the social unrest of 2019 was certainly memorable; along with my fellow Deans I spent the week on campus engaging with the protesters and the police to help keep temperatures cool. In the end, we had a peaceful end to the occupation, which was an incredible relief.

We have strong family ties to Hong Kong since my wife (Sasha Haldane) moved here as a child and attended ESF schools; her father (Warwick Haldane) set up Haldanes law firm and her mother (Denise Haldane) ran a ballet school at Repulse Bay. Our kids Max (now Year 1 student at Auckland Uni) and Alyssa (Year 11 student at South Island School) were both born here and grew up in Hong Kong except for a few years in Auckland.

I spend my free time running Hong Kong's trails in our great country parks - they are such an incredible resource for the city and we're lucky to have nature so accessible.

Hong Kong has been through some massive challenges in recent years, and they will continue. But what keeps me in Hong Kong is the people - I love the people I meet here, both the local Hong Kongers and the internationals - it's a very open place and one where you can make new friends easily and develop new professional networks.

I also love the physical environment. I've run trails over every part of Hong Kong, and there are some incredible places that feel very remote but are relatively accessible.

And, of course, it's hard to beat the food!

Fraser Hill

I am from Marton in the Rangitikei District and have been based in Hong Kong for 5½ years.

I am a veterinary pathologist and director of a Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at City University in Kowloon Tong.

As laboratory director, I manage a team of 22 technologists, scientists, veterinarians and support staff while also contributing to diagnostics. We receive animal samples from veterinarians throughout Hong Kong from a wide range of species, including mostly cats and dogs, but also pigs, poultry, fish, horses, zoo animals and wildlife.

As a pathologist, I mostly look down the microscope at the samples and make a diagnosis about what the problem is, so the veterinarian can treat the animals. I also undertake post mortem examinations, assist with university research projects and teach pathology to the veterinary students in the new veterinary programme at City University.  

The most memorable project was establishing the laboratory from scratch. When we arrived in 2016, there was no laboratory. It had to be built, fitted out and staffed, and I led this project.

My wife, Lynne and I both came to Hong Kong. Our family of three adult sons and their partners are all established in their careers and live in Palmerston North.

My hobbies are centred around music, learning Cantonese, photography and hiking. I have played guitar for nearly 50 years and still play most days. My guitar collection has expanded in Hong Kong and now also includes a guqin, a 7 string Chinese instrument you can hear as background music in the gardens at the Chi Lin Monastery. I particularly enjoy the deep sound of this instrument.

I enjoy learning languages and have a goal of learning to have basic conversations in Cantonese.

When out and about, I always carry a camera and capture images portraying all the varieties of Hong Kong life and scenery.  

My hiking goal is to climb all 130 peaks over 300 metres high in Hong Kong. So far, I've summited 119.  

So many people living in such a small space in a 3D environment fascinates me. The efficiency of the MTR, the ease of getting from place to place and always feeling safe, no matter what time of day or night are features I value and a tribute to the the people here.

And the food choices.  As a veterinarian, I am familiar with most parts of the animal body. Here in Hong Kong we get to eat every part of them!

Professor Christina Hong

I'm a second generation New Zealand-born Kiwi of Cantonese descent. My great-grandfather arrived in New Zealand on the passenger ship 'Mararoa' back in 1896.

I was born in Palmerston North (Palmy), shifted to Taranaki when my Dad bought a dental practice in Hawera and lived there during my primary school years, before the family moved back to Palmy for my intermediate and high school years and then undergraduate studies at Massey University.

I've been in the education sector throughout my professional career and have been fortunate to live and work in Wellington then Auckland (with spells in Europe for the Big OE and then the USA for post-graduate studies) before relocating across the ditch to Queensland (Brisbane) in 2009 and then to Hong Kong in 2017.  

While my career has taken me many places, Aotearoa New Zealand is still very much the place I refer to as 'home'.  My parents still live in Palmy and I have siblings in Wellington and Auckland (and New York).

I'm President of the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, aka THEi Hong Kong.

THEi is a higher education provider at the apex of the Hong Kong Vocational Training Council's value chain.  We offer 21-honours degrees across the STEM, Creative Industries, Technology, Sustainability, Built Environment and Services sectors.  

Our tagline, 'Work Ready, Future Ready Professionals' means that our programmes are strongly industry aligned, require work integrated learning (WIL) and use authentic project-based learning approaches.  As a result our graduate employment rate is consistently high.  The graduating Class of 2021 returned an employment rate of 95%.  

I have loved coming to know and work with local companies and professional networks both in Hong Kong and internationally as THEi programmes have developed.  I also have a particular interest in education for workforce futures, contributing to the global higher education eco-system, and advancing digital learning transformation.  

Recent years have certainly been challenging for higher education sector institutions in Hong Kong, but it has also provided unexpected learning transformation as a result of disruption and right now, there's much talk about the need to rethink, reimage and reset education to meet the increasing demands of technology-driven workplaces in the post-COVID 'next normal'.

Others have said it before.  The late Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef and storyteller once said, 'Hong Kong is a wonderful, mixed up town where you've got great food and adventure'.

Hong Kong is indeed very 'mixed up' - and wonderfully so! The dichotomies and contradictions are unique, intriguing and palpable. The food is amazing, whether it's at a street 'dai pai dong' with great 'wok hei' dishes or at a Michelin-starred restaurant.  

As for adventure, absolutely!  I've met great people who work hard but also know how to enjoy life. I love walking through the streets with Hong Kong locals, discovering the 'real Hong Kong', hearing their stories about growing up in the neighbourhood and finding 'hidden gems' in unexpected places. Or exploring areas on and off the beaten track with fellow non-locals.

I've also come to appreciate the great country parks, the outlying islands, the beaches, heritage museums, galleries, shopping, the sometimes quirky co-existence of the old and the new, and of course, the efficiency of the MTR!

Kai Karbhari

I was raised in a beautiful part of Auckland called Half Moon Bay. I also had a fantastic opportunity to complete my law degree in the mighty Waikato.

I am fortunate to have spent a significant amount of time in Hong Kong growing up, as my father has been running his law practice here for over 40 years. I also completed a Postgraduate Degree in Law (PCLL) at the City University of Hong Kong. Cumulatively, I have spent over 15 years here and have recently relocated back again six months ago.

I currently work with Summit Financial, Partner Practice of St. James's Place, a FTSE100 company. As a Consultant, I am in the process of working towards formal accreditation to become a Financial Advisor.

Prior to joining Summit in Hong Kong, I spent a number of years working in various roles with one of New Zealand's largest banks, followed by a position as General Manager at a specialist mortgage brokerage.

While my tenure at Summit is still short, having started in the role only four months ago, it has allowed me to pursue an area I have always been passionate about. I enjoy helping people via frank, yet sincere conversations. I pride myself in building long-term relationships and providing quality advice, while ensuring clients strive towards their financial goals.

I do not have children just yet but have been together with my partner for over five years. In addition, both my father and brother along with his family also reside in the city.

With a highly competitive personality, I have relished playing and competing in a variety of sports growing up, including rugby and cricket, where I have achieved representative status at junior levels respectively. Prior to injuries I also enjoyed playing rugby for Valley RFC here in Hong Kong. While golf is more my pace these days, I continue to enjoy frequenting the gym and can often be found hiking one of Hong Kong's many trails enroute to a watering hole.

The energy here speaks for itself, there's a unique buzz to the city. With a plethora of wonderful food options, the culture is vibrant, and the skyline is stunning.

What many also don't get to see outside of the concrete jungle is the amazing variety of hiking trails and the diverse range of activities on offer. A day out on a junk boat with friends is hard to beat.

Damian Laracy

It’s a little bit complicated; I am an Italian born New Zealander of Irish descent married to a lovely Japanese woman. I have lived in Hong Kong since January 1995 .

I was born in Rome, Italy, in 1967 whilst my Father was doing research for a Doctorate. Mum had bravely agreed to accompany him from Auckland despite the fact that she was seven months’ pregnant.

Dad was a lecturer at Auckland University and he was on a research trip to Rome to study the history of the Catholic Marist Fathers in the Pacific. Young Marist missionaries in the Pacific had been in the habit of sending letters back to the Marist  archives in Rome, and Dad sifted through the old letters for material for his writings and lecturing.

I have three sisters and we all grew up in Auckland and in Canberra, the Australian component being due to regular sabbatical trips by Dad to the Australian National University for more research about war and peace in the Pacific. We also had extended stays in Suva whilst dad ferreted through the records at the University of the South Pacific.

Despite those periods outside of New Zealand I am a Northcote boy from Auckland. My mother still lives in Auckland, and has recently retired from being a barrister .

I qualified as a lawyer in Auckland in 1990 and then went travelling in September 1994 intending to have an OE in London, see Europe, and then go home after a  couple of years. However when my best friend and I arrived in Hong Kong for a five day stopover on the way north I decided that Hong Kong deserved a closer look. As a result I have been practising law here since 1995 and I now manage the Hong Kong office of an English commercial law firm, Hill Dickinson.

Much of my time these days is spent dealing with office administration and management matters. I enjoy the challenge of that, and of trying to building a more sophisticated and profitable business year on year. However, being a disputes lawyer myself, it is not as euphoric as winning in Court or in an arbitration.

I have handled a wide range of interesting commercial disputes over the years; high value shareholder disputes, international trade and shipping matters, and plenty of debt recovery and insolvency matters. However, even though I now manage a commercial law firm, the cases that are the most personally memorable tend to be some of my earlier ones in Hong Kong when I was regularly handling Plaintiff personal injury work. For obvious reasons though, they did not have happy fact patterns.

For example, I represented a policeman and successfully sued the Hong Kong Police Department after my client was sent into an unsafe work situation and shot execution-style by armed thieves as a result. My client survived despite being shot in the head at close range. We sued the Police Department for not providing adequate information about the known risks of that particular assignment, and we ultimately settled the matter following a hearing in the Court of Appeal. The Police Department then very decently kept my client on in a lecturing role. I have also successfully sued a major European airline following a mass fatality incident in 1994 after an unqualified 16 year old boy was permitted to take over an aircraft’s cockpit controls. I acted for the families of Hong Kong businessmen who perished amongst the 75 who died. Another case I was involved with resulted in another settlement and in improvements to the lighting of the pedestrian pontoons at the old Discovery Bay Marina after a fatality there following a social gathering on board a live-aboard junk.

These days my personal caseload of disputes work is almost all commercial and most of it is resolved by way of arbitration rather than litigation in Court. I also sit as an arbitrator from time to time.

Others in the office handle corporate and transactional work, insolvency, insurance and regulatory work, international trade and transport disputes, construction, and property and probate work. So I still have exposure to a wide range of legal work which is both challenging and enjoyable.

I married late in life at the age of 44 and I now have nine year old twins, Maria and William. We are regular hikers in the weekend and the kids get a special kick out of hiking The Twins, which they first did when they were four years old. When the squash courts are open I also enjoy playing squash.

My wife, Junko, and I also jog together - with the kids sometimes grumbling along behind. It’s good training for their Sunday morning mini rugby.

The wide range of restaurants, the plentiful hiking trails, and the ease of socialising with friends and colleagues are big draws. Playing Masters squash in the public leagues I get to meet a very wide variety of people who I would never otherwise interact with were it not for the extremely well organised leagues run by Hong Kong Squash.

The ability to travel easily for business and pleasure, into China and regionally, is of course also (in normal times) a huge draw.

Leisure aside, I like the diversity and quality of legal work available in Hong Kong and I enjoy seeing junior lawyers that I have worked with and trained flourish.  

Oliver Love

Born in Wellington. I managed to spend early years in Whangarei, Foxton and Palmerston North, before returning to Wellington, prior to coming to Hong Kong in October,

Helping people to generate awareness about how they can be even more successful in their roles at work. I am a facilitator through CFT Asia and also run a business certifying people in the use of DISC profiles around the Asia and Pacific region.

I’ve been fortunate to be involved in people development through out my career in Hong Kong, first in sports management and coaching and then through corporate facilitation and coaching. My role is to help people identify how they can successfully manage themselves to have a positive influence on the interactions they have at work. This often involves developing team work, individual capabilities and approaches to leading others. I’ve been lucky enough to work with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise. This is always particularly rewarding as it involves working with NZTE to become even more effective at assisting New Zealand businesses to create opportunities for bringing New Zealand offerings to Asia. As a Kiwi, it feels good to be able to contribute to this.

My family are now back in New Zealand, enjoying the experiences unique to Kiwi life style. I travel back and forth and while I’m here in Hong Kong I spend weekends making the most of Hong Kong trails and playing hockey for the Valley Rugby Football Club. Being able to make the most of the outdoor experiences that Hong Kong offers is a welcome change from the corporate environment I’m in during the week.

The buzz, intensity and opportunities that Hong Kong offer both at work and play are unique and a big contrast to New Zealand. I enjoy leaving Hong Kong, being able to dial down and then returning, dialling up and enjoying all that this great city has to offer.

Kate MacFarlane

I grew up in rural Northland - in a 'blink and you miss it' town called Poroti just outside Whangarei.

I spent a fair bit of time down in Canterbury doing postgrad studies in law and international relations before basing myself out of Wellington for work. I moved to Hong Kong one year ago. 

I'm the Deputy Consul General at the New Zealand Consulate here in Hong Kong. We also cover Macao but unfortunately due to border settings I haven't been able to get over there yet!

There are eight Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff that work in the Consulate - three of us are diplomats posted from our Wellington HQ. We also work very closely with our colleagues from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and New Zealand Police who we are co-located with in Hong Kong (check out Hamish's profile from last week!).  
 
In a nutshell, we're the New Zealand Government's representatives on the ground here in Hong Kong.  Our main job is to promote New Zealand's interests - this includes working to build New Zealand's economic and cultural links with Hong Kong, monitoring political developments and providing assistance to our kiwi community as needed.
 
As it has for many others, the pandemic has reshaped our focus and the way we work.  For example, we're increasingly working on COVID related issues such as supply chain resilience and vaccine recognition. 
 
A key part of our work is building connections, so you'll often find us out and about meeting with different people from all sections of Hong Kong society.  

Ah spare time, given that I'm writing this from my quarantine hotel in Hong Kong that's quite an existential question for me right now!  
 
Last year was a whirlwind of settling into Hong Kong, so this year I'm looking forward to exploring the outer reaches of Hong Kong a bit more and getting back into my hobbies. I played ice hockey in New Zealand and am keen to pick it back up if I can find the right team (if there is anyone reading this who plays, please reach out!).  
 
I also like to have something creative on the go so I'm planning on taking pottery lessons and I'm currently teaching myself how to sew. And, of course, I also very much embrace the Hong Kong staple of eat/drink/hike.
 
Like many others who base themselves here, I'm a keen traveller and hoping to explore the region when border settings ease up. 

Hamish McCardle

I’m originally from the Pauatahanui inlet just north of Porirua, I grew up on a sheep farm there.

I joined New Zealand Police in 1985 and, after a career in criminal investigations, I have served in several overseas locations for New Zealand Police; opening our police liaison office in Jakarta after the Bali bombing of 2002, then my wife and I spent eight years in Beijing from 2010, and now to Hong Kong which is a new opening for New Zealand Police, commencing just before the pandemic started in 2020.

New Zealand Police has 14 police staff based in key cities around the globe, each position is joined to a MFAT diplomatic mission. Police’s posts usually cover a wide regional area to develop the law enforcement contacts needed to get our work done; for me that is from Macao in the West through to Japan in the North East. While the objective of each police post is dependent on the crime risks relevant to the location, generally our purpose is to ensure the smooth transfer of criminal information, evidence and related law enforcement cooperation needed to mitigate crime coming to or from New Zealand.

For this region the things that keep me busiest are money laundering by organised crime in New Zealand, drugs and other illegal chemicals being sent from this region to New Zealand’s gangs for sale in our communities, and cyber-enabled fraud and deception crimes. These different crime types mean I need to maintain close working relationships with the multiple working departments in each jurisdiction.

An example of what I do is the regular contact I have with the Hong Kong Police Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC), along with the different police officers in New Zealand who are working with New Zealand based scam victims.

As you may have read in the SCMP, Hong Kong has become a popular spot for scammers to lure victims to send their money to because of the large number of reputable banks based in Hong Kong, and the logical connection victims often make with sending their money to a bank in Hong Kong. This is a callous trick by the scammers, deliberately leveraging Hong Kong’s good financial services reputation.

Of course, the scammer’s seemingly trustworthy bank account in Hong Kong is merely a front; and as soon as the victim’s money arrives, it is broken down into smaller automatic payments that are transferred under the suspicious transactions reporting threshold. Within the day, or sometimes within minutes, the money is on-sent in smaller amounts to numerous virtual bank accounts run by the scammers, these accounts could be located anywhere in the world. Often the same process happens again where the monies are on-sent from those virtual banks to third-layer accounts in yet another global location.

The jurisdictional complexities of rapid and multiple transaction movements, chasing increasingly smaller and smaller parcels of money is a deliberate strategy of the scammers to prevent capture of themselves and the money. The need for speed between victims, New Zealand banks, New Zealand Police and the Hong Kong Police ADCC in stopping transactions while in progress at the first layer is the best way to interrupt the crime and prevent losses. 
 
I’m certain my answer here is the same for just about everyone living in Hong Kong in these strange Covid restricted times; hiking and eating!

More hiking is admittedly required to mitigate the self-inflicted effects of the second pastime. Covid restrictions have meant my wife and I have been able to explore much more of Hong Kong on foot than we originally expected. This must be one of the greatest selling points for expat living here; not only is Hong Kong a great culinary city with all the bells and whistles you expect, but it also has fantastic green space access and beaches that can rival many holiday resorts. Put together with a world-class public transport system and a reasonably favourable climate, and we’re finding Hong Kong is a fabulous city to work and live in.

Nicola McCardle

I am originally from Scotland and became a Kiwi back in 2003. I told my family I was only going for a year and the rest is history! I have only been living in Hong Kong for two and a half years so much of it has been spent socially distanced!  I am lucky enough to have visited Hong Kong on many occasions though over the last twenty years and it is great to be able to now live here.

I am the Executive Officer at the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.  The NZCCHK is a not-for-profit organisation and promotes New Zealand's economic interests in Hong Kong.  The Chamber provides a forum between New Zealand, Hong Kong, and China business executives to discuss and promote business ideas, create a supportive and encouraging business environment and assist entities seeking to increase business, trade or investment.  We currently hold monthly networking events and if you would like to know more about opportunities and membership, we would love to hear from you.

I am also the person that organises the 'Kiwis in Hong Kong!'. So do reach out to me if you would like to star in it!  

When I arrived in New Zealand I worked for the Wellington City Council and was manager of Freyberg Pool and then the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre. Prior to Hong Kong and time back in New Zealand I have also lived and worked in Jakarta and Beijing where I found myself transported to through my husband's postings with New Zealand Police. My roles in those countries were mainly working for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  We were posted to Jakarta just after the 2002 Bali bombing until 2005 so an interesting period to be there. During my time in Beijing I worked with a number of high-level ministerial delegations and embassy projects. I also worked with Highground Brands and had a New Zealand B2C F&B focus. New Zealand wine being a passion!

I have half my family and friends in the UK and then friends and the other side of the family are all in New Zealand. I didn't realise at the time that I had managed to choose the two farthest apart countries when it comes to being able to regularly see all your family and friends.  That's another reason coming to Hong Kong was great as it would be much easier to travel to the UK from here.  Little did I know of course what was to come!

I love that Hong Kong has such a great array of food experiences from all round the world. From cheung fan to haggis to Peking duck and all the foods in between. I think the only thing I love that I haven't been able to find here in Hong Kong are 'Jet Planes', my favourite Kiwi lollies.  I play tennis and also enjoy hiking and all the different places to explore here.  I have found Hong Kong is full of great surprises with amazing beaches, diverse nature and water sports opportunities that I really didn't expect.

Jarrod Mongston

I was born in Auckland and grew up there until around the age of 9. My family then decided to move to a small town in the Far North called Kerikeri. My parents eventually got sick of me and sent me off to boarding school in Cambridge when I was around 14.

I developed a keen interest in sports at boarding school, particularly rugby. I decided to move south to Christchurch to find out what was in the water down there while also studying a Bachelor in Commerce majoring in property valuation and finance at Lincoln University.

After graduating, I started my real estate career with a company called Knight Frank, doing various roles in property management, valuation and sales/leasing.

I only lasted 1 - 2 years in Christchurch before taking a contract to play rugby in New York, which offered an OE year filled with lots of fun!

After spending just under a year on the East Coast, the time remaining on my visa was running low (along with my bank balance). My time in New York was enjoyable and gave me a taste of city life. I wasn't ready to settle back into New Zealand pace of life yet. I was lucky enough to join Hong Kong Scottish in the local rugby competition, which offered a great network to enter the city. The unique real estate market and opportunities was also a significant attraction; I've now been here for six years.

I'm a commercial real estate advisor with Cushman & Wakefield. In my current role as a tenant advisor, I assist both MNC and local companies navigate the Hong Kong office market by advising office strategy. This includes relocations, lease renewals & restructures, rent reviews and flexible/co-working space.

As part of my job, I get to run around Hong Kong's unique skyscrapers. I'm lucky enough to view the city from different vantage points, sometimes 70 to 80 floors up in the likes of IFC & Central Plaza. I also get a real buzz from connecting and assisting people/businesses in Hong Kong.

A few notable projects I've been involved in have been leasing 18,000 sq ft for a US hedge fund in Chater House earlier this year, one of Hong Kong's prestigious office buildings. Also assisting MNC banks optimize their office portfolio and working with high-growth fintech companies expand with projects in Hong Kong, Singapore & Tokyo.

We have also been appointed to fill one of Hong Kong's most anticipated new developments - Cheung Kong Center 2. The office building is planned to complete Q4 2023 and will be the first new office development along Central's harbourfront in over 17 years.

The hustle and buzz of Hong Kong is undeniable and has been an attraction for me. Although Hong Kong has lost some of its shine in recent years, I still value the work opportunities on offer, and I'm confident more will arise in the coming years.

I love being involved in sports, although I'm starting to step back from playing rugby (I say this every year). I'll still be looking for ways to get involved in one of the fantastic sports clubs in Hong Kong, such as the cricket club and/or yacht club.

Although the borders have been basically shut for a few years now, I'm looking forward to exploring and travelling around Asia. Hong Kong's efficient local transport and convenient proximity in Asia is hard to beat.

Chris Murphy

I am from a pa village in North Canterbury called Tuahiwi (Ngai Tuahuriri – Ngai Tahu). We had no shops but we had a swamp! The good news was my mum’s sisters and both sets of grandparents either lived next door, over the road or around the corner, so I grew up eating out of at least seven fridges! 

Our whanau has just racked up five years in Hong Kong.

I am the Regional Head of Mid-Market and Partners for a Trade Credit insurer called Coface. We provide export guarantees (or debtors insurance) for companies in 14 Asia Pacific markets. This means we underwrite the credit risk on payment for large volumes of goods and services on credit terms. 

The bottom line is Coface facilitates higher levels of trade and gives peace of mind to our clients and their banks, because if a company doesn’t pay our client, then Coface has to pay! (which has been a rollercoaster ride in the past three years!).

I look after all of our clients who are either not financial institutions or multi-nationals. So mostly medium sized or large family businesses throughout our 14 APAC markets. I also look after our key Partners like SOMPO, Taiping and Ping An.

I love helping companies to grow and a memorable example is when Coface helped a meat exporter expand into a new market. They had just been given the green light by a fairly new customer in the United States, who were looking to change exclusive suppliers for hamburger (or mince as we call it!) to our client right before the US summer BBQ season.

In order to meet the demand our client needed to borrow money and their bank was prepared to be supportive, but they wanted guarantees that the US company would be able to pay. The American company was from New Jersey and were a family owned business that had been around for more than 100 years, but they never disclosed their financial performance to anyone outside of their bank, their lawyer and their accountant. 

So Coface were being asked to underwrite peak monthly sales of more than US$10m, but we had very little in the way of financial analysis or due diligence to use as any form of comfort. I was able to set up a face to face meeting between one of our team in New York and the owners of the US business, which went very well. 

During the meeting the owners allowed our colleague to view their audited accounts, which demonstrated some great results. They were highly profitable year on year supplying stadiums and supermarkets throughout the US with hot dogs and hamburger and this gave us the confidence to underwrite the monthly sales and help our client grow sales per year with this customer to more than US$100m. 

My wife Kiely and I live in Happy Valley with our twin son and daughter (Vincent and Eva), who just turned 10 years old. The fifth Beatle in our family is our dog Snowy. 

Our children attend Bradbury School and are always doing sports and extra-curricular activities, so this takes up a lot of our time. We also love to play music together or get the guitars out for a good old fashioned sing along.

I always loved Chinese food back home in New Zealand, but I love it even more in Hong Kong. We have made some great friends here and enjoy a nice weekend brunch every now and then. We also love being able to travel in and around Asia to learn the history and culture of our Asian brothers and sisters. As my Uncle Bruce (Lee!) once said, “Under the sky, under the heavens we are but one family.” 

Kiely Murphy

I am of Ngāruahine descent. I was born in Whangarei and have lived most of my life in Auckland. My mother's family is from Rawene, Hokianga, and my father's family is from Wellington. I studied for my Bachelor of Arts at Waikato University. 

My first full-time job was working in production on the Pacific Renaissance Pictures TV series Hercules and Xena. In 2000 I travelled to the UK on my OE, and I returned in 2003 to complete my Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching. In 2011, I completed my Masters in Educational Leadership and Management. I moved from Auckland to Hong Kong in February 2018.  

I’m Vice Principal at ESF King George V School (KGV, pronounced "K-G-Five"). KGV is a coeducational international secondary independent school of the English Schools Foundation (ESF), located in Ho Man Tin, Hong Kong. The school has around 1,900 students and is one of the oldest schools in Hong Kong. 

As Vice Principal, I am responsible for many different areas of the school, including Curriculum, Pastoral Leadership, Sport, Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) and Student Wellbeing. Before joining KGV, I was Director of Student Wellbeing at the Australian International School Hong Kong. For over four years before moving to Hong Kong, I was a Deputy Principal at Avondale College in Auckland.

From 2012 - 2018, I was a founding member of the Women In Educational Leadership group in Auckland. In March 2022, I co-founded the Women Educators Network Hong Kong (WEN HK). Our inaugural event was to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) 2022. Throughout 2022, we continued to build on the success of IWD, holding a series of online zoom events with exciting topics such as ‘Hard Truths about Glass Ceilings and Walls in Education’ and a two-part series on ‘Intersectionality and Women in Education.’ I have enjoyed collaborating with NGOs, our various allies and women educators across Hong Kong. At the end of the day, we got a women's network up and running in Hong Kong without funding or support. I’m proud of this achievement and optimistic about what we can achieve in 2023. 

My family in Hong Kong includes my husband, Chris Murphy, and 9-year-old twins Eva and Vincent (who now have lived half their lives in Hong Kong). Afternoons and weekends, we support Eva and Vincent’s training and matches, including Rugby, Netball and Cricket, as well as music and dance lessons. Our point of truth is the jam-packed calendar on the refrigerator! 

Outside work and school, we enjoy catching up with our friends, exploring Hong Kong, eating Din Tai Fung or Genki Sushi on Sundays, watching movies, and listening to music. We have a family band and jam together when we can. For the past six years, our Christmas tradition has been to record a ‘Murphy Whanau Christmas Song’, and we share this with family and friends on Christmas Day. 

More recently, we appreciate the opportunity to once again travel through Asia, and we have started planning some short school holiday getaways.

I like the opportunity to meet new people that I wouldn’t otherwise have met. I like the variety of food, the brunches, good public transport, foot massages, junk boats, travel opportunities and shopping… to name a few highlights!

Phil Neilson

I am a Dunedin boy but started drifting North by living in Nelson for 10 years, then three years in each of Wellington and Auckland before moving to Hong Kong 20 years ago.

Whilst independent financial adviser networks (who support small advisory firms with licences and practical tools to help them provide better service to their clients) are common in New Zealand, there were no networks in Asia - including those who give ongoing advice to expats - including Kiwis. I saw the opportunity to build a business to fill this gap in the market.  

My wife and I brought up our four children then aged 12, 10, 8 and 5. We are very lucky three out of the four still live in Hong Kong. My personal life in Hong Kong is made up of competitive squash (Hong Kong Cricket Club), hiking (when it's a bit cooler!) and sailing.

The vibrancy of Hong Kong and the stimulation that comes from having a network of interesting (and successful) people from all walks of life. Living in Happy Valley adds to this with its convenience to everything. Life is never boring in Hong Kong.

Carl Ngamoki-Cameron

Tena Koutou Katoa: Ko Rangipoua toku Maunga; Ko Haparapara toku Awa, Ko Te Arawa, Horouta, Tainui, Takitimu, Mataatua, Tauira-mai-tawhiti oku Waka; Ko Te Whanaui-a-Apanui toku Iwi; Ko Te Whanau-a-Nuku, Te Whanau-a-Haraawaka oku Hapu; Ko Omaio, Haraawaka oku Marae; Ko Arapeta Ngamoki raua ko Rokahurihia Cameron oku Matua;  Ko Carl Rangituatata Ngamoki-Cameron ahau; No Reira, Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou, Tena Ra Tatou Katoa.

Home for me is rich tapestry of experiences and ties to the people and land, including my traditional links to Te Whanau-a-Apanui on the East Coast of the Bay of Plenty, being born in Kawerau, attending Matata and Thornton Primary Schools; my Te Au Whanau links to Ngai Tahu at the bottom of the South Island, my matua whangai ‘Cameron’ Scottish links to Dunedin, family stints in Ferndale, Mataura and Gore, and the fact my family settled north of Dunedin, in a place called Waitati, where they established Te Whare Wanaga o Te Whanau Arohanui (a place of learning and development for the whole community); attending Otago Boys High School, the University of Otago (Bachelor of Sport & Exercise Sciences) and the University of Auckland (Bachelor of Laws), before emigrating to Fiji in 2004, where I established a corporate legal practice over the last 20 years.  I’ve been living and conducting business in Hong Kong since late 2018.

In addition to my legal experience, I have gained extensive private and public sector governance experience, as a non-executive director, president, chair or deputy chair, in tourism development and construction, real estate investment, regional and international trade, national and international sports federations, private equity investment, air terminal services, public trustee services and mezzanine finance.  

Whilst I continue to act as General Counsel in the Pacific for several New Zealand, Australian and Chinese clients, my main work in Hong Kong relates to private client investment and setting up business and structures in the Pacific (particularly Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu), including citizenship or residency services, legal and business advice, and the private sale of luxury or commercial real estate in Hong Kong and the Pacific.

I am the Director Pacific for local company, NCL Limited. My company delivers inter-disciplinary legal and professional services locally for trade, investment and business clients within the Asia Pacific Region, utilizing formal professional networks and relationships in relevant countries.  My role is broad and leverages my deep networks and understanding of doing business in the Pacific, and ability to collaborate with and coordinate people and professionals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, to deliver timely results.  

At the end of 2019 and early 2020, I assisted a young group of IT investors and entrepreneurs from Asia to evaluate their business residency options within the Pacific, to migrate, set up business, negotiate and purchase real estate. These clients successfully emigrated before the current covid measures were rolled out globally. During the current pandemic, work has ranged from due diligence advice to a major iron ore concern evaluating investment in the Pacific, to assisting clients acquire foreign citizenship or residency, and the sale or marketing of luxury and commercial real estate in Hong Kong.

I have many friends and business associates in Hong Kong. I’ve always been active in sports and outdoor activities, including road cycling and triathlon events, not to mention Rugby at all levels.  Like a duck to water, I’ve taken to trail running and joined a local running group, which also likes to down a few ales.  I joined one of the many societies in Hong Kong which is involved in charitable activities.  I’m keen on boating and sailing and am out on the Ocean whenever I can.  Placing first and runner-up in the last two years ‘4 Bays Race’ has been a highlight of my Hong Kong experience so far.  I’m starting to get involved in Hong Kong Rugby.

I love the vitality of the people and place in general, the country parks, ocean and food.  I remember arriving and reading that Hong Kong has the highest density of restaurants in the World, and thinking I love the place already!

Michael Nock

New Zealand is my adopted home.

I am actually an Aussie, although my mother just published a book covering my family history and it seems there were some important family members who were Kiwi’s.

I fell in love with central Otago and purchased a home in Queenstown six years ago. I try to spend as much time as I can there although travel has been a challenge since covid. I also have vineyards and other business interests in the South Island. I first moved to Hong Kong in 1980 and have seen a lot of change over 42 years.

My background has primarily been in finance, first with a UK group called the Man Group then with my own hedge fund. Today I try to spend more time on my art and wine business.

I am a painter myself and have a studio on the south side of the island in Wong Chuk Hang. I also have an art leasing business and a wine business. Many years ago, I established an art foundation which provides scholarships to art students and runs a residency program here in Hong Kong and in Queenstown where I maintain an artist residency.

I have many memorable projects but the one I am most excited about at the moment is what we are trying to achieve with both the wine and the art.  

In particular I am seeking to find ways of integrating one with the other. For example, many of the artists who have participated in our residency programs have their art works on the labels of my wine. The wine business goes by the name Nockies Palette which is a play on the idea of an artist palette and what you taste with your palate. 

I currently have interests in or own seven vineyards including two in Waitaki, two in Central Otago and three in Hawkes Bay. We also have a cellar door near Lake Hayes, and I am hoping to put some of my art collection on display to the public in conjunction with the cellar door.

My daughters are now in their late 20’s and have careers of their own. One lives in London and the other in Melbourne. Both have an interest in art and wine.

Hong Kong is changing but what I have loved about Hong Kong for more than four decades is its vibrancy and “can do” attitude. Its openness and freedom of movement.

I have loved its entrepreneurship and global perspective in combination with a society based on the rule of law and minimal corruption. Hong Kong does face some challenges going forward, however.

Peter Nunan

I was born and raised in Christchurch. After finishing secondary school I worked in a few government departments in Christchurch as an administrator. This included ten years with the New Zealand Antarctic Programme. During my time there, I travelled to New Zealand's Scott Base about twelve times for short periods.

About twenty years ago, I moved to Wellington to take a position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). Since then I have worked in a number of different roles including finance, security, consular, property and general administration.

I arrived in Hong Kong in mid July 2022. I have been posted as Consul (Administration) at the New Zealand Consulate-General Hong Kong for a period of up to four years. The Consulate's main job is to promote New Zealand's interests - this includes working to build New Zealand's economic and cultural links with Hong Kong, monitoring political developments and providing assistance to our kiwi community as needed. I am responsible for all the administration at the Consulate as well providing consular assistance to New Zealanders when required. I feel privileged to work on the 65th floor of the Central Plaza Tower with stunning views overlooking the Hong Kong City and harbour.

I have also been posted to Seoul, Jakarta, Vanuatu and Nukualofa in similar roles. Everyone always asks where was the best place that I have worked, what was best about each of those postings and the work there? I have always responded that they are all unique in their own way and have their own special memories; therefore it is not possible to compare.

We have two daughters living in Christchurch, one in Queensland and seven grandchildren who are all looking forward to visiting this magnificent city in due course.      

Although I have only been in Hong Kong for four months, with my wife Young mee we have been making the most of our weekends visiting islands, enjoying the international cuisine and getting exercise along the various hiking and walking trails.

On this page ...

Sasha Haldane

William Hayward

Fraser Hill

Prof. Christina Hong

Damian Laracy

Oliver Love

Kate MacFarlane

Hamish McCardle

Jarrod Mongston

Phil Neilson

Carl Ngamoki-Cameron

Michael Nock

Nicola McCardle

Peter Nunan

Kai Karbhari

Chris Murphy

Kiely Murphy

Go to Kiwis in Hong Kong : Surnames A - G

Go to Kiwis in Hong Kong : Surnames P - Z