MATT WATTS

We moved to Westport, New Zealand in Janaury 2019, and this blog is about our adventure as a family, and broader reflections on living in the Buller Region.
NZ Maori identify themselves by their local mountain and river, but I grew up in the south of England where the land is flat, and our local river - the Blackwater - lived up to its name as being one of the most polluted streams in the UK. So now I'm claiming the Buller River, or in te reo Maori the Kawatiri, as my own. I studied Geology and Theology which sound the same but are quite different. Met the beautiful Jacqui at the Taize community in 2002, married in 2004 and moved to New Zealand in 2009. We now have 3 kids who keep us on our toes.
I love the outdoors and when I'm not injured, running marathons.
I'm the pastor of 3 churches within the Anglican Parish of Buller. It's much more than a job - I love living out a lifestyle that speaks of grace and hope.

 

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