Jody Direen

She's opened for Kenny Rogers, he's kayaked the world's gnarliest whitewater. They're making it work from Franz Josef, population 400.

I say this to a lot of people – friends who are struggling, some with young families who just want to get ahead, to get into their own home.” “It does surprise a lot of people that I made the decision to base myself here,” Direen says. “But life is about meeting all of your needs, and I’m not happy living in a city. “But also, I was thinking I would really love to own my own home. We even try out those trending home hacks, so you don't have to. “But I’ve always been one to follow my heart. “I was very drawn to the energy of the area. Direen, who has recorded four albums, pivoted to digital marketing during the pandemic, helping local tourism businesses. “You do have to have a love for outdoor adventure on the West Coast, and for nature because it’s such a huge part of the lifestyle and living here. I just pinch myself every day. “To be my most authentic self, which is important when you’re making music, I need to be in a place where music is balanced with outdoor adventure and being in nature, not being surrounded by a tonne of people and traffic.” Country singer Jody Direen was “always on the road”, travelling a lot back and forth between New Zealand, Australia and the US, when she began to feel a longing to put down roots.