Former Channel writer Michael Campbell was with the magazine in its early days, back in 2010, and has enjoyed various stints living overseas. He left the magazine to move away to Dubai with his young family. We caught up with him to find out how life away from the Shore was treating him.
Channel Magazine: When did you move overseas?
Micheal Campbell: I first moved overseas about 16 years ago and have had a couple of stints, for a year or two, back home on the Shore since. Right now I’m in Dubai where I’ve been for the last six years.
CM: What prompted the move?
MC: Opportunity really – I was offered a role to help set up a new agency and saw it as a chance for travel and adventure before settling down back home… I’m still working on that last part.
CM: Please share your brief Shore story…
MC: I grew up in the Bays - one of the best places in the world anyone could wish to grow up! I'm a Rangi boy. My wife went to Long Bay College, so I obviously have a far superior education (wink, wink).
I was actually lucky enough to work for the mighty Channel Magazine when it first launched – an amazing experience with an awesome team behind it.
CM: What do you do for work over there?
MC: I work for an airline, heading corporate communications across the Indian Sub-Continent and Asia Pacific, including New Zealand, so I get to stay connected through work a little.
CM: Who is the most awesome person you’ve met since moving?
MC: Oh tough one. A lot of our friends are awesome people doing awesome things. One friend’s an actual lion tamer looking after a pride of big cats that live at a palace on the beach! A couple are horror movie writers/producers – they’re filming this summer with Iggy Pop staring as the monster. One's a novelist. There are some pretty awesome people living around here.
Can I say my son? I probably should.
CM: What is the best food you’ve tried over there?
MC: I LOVE Arabic food. We have it at least once a week and know it’s going to be one of the things we miss most when we come home… We’re just waiting for an amazing Lebanese place to open up on the Shore and we’ll be back.
CM: What’s your favourite app to use in your new country?
Uber Eats, Delivaroo, FoodOnClick, Talabat… anything that delivers.
CM: In what ways is your new home patch similar to the Shore, and how is it different?
MC: It's similar in that we live on the beach and though it’s not anywhere close to being a beautiful New Zealand beach, we at least have a good outdoor lifestyle based around the beach, like the Shore.
It's different in so many ways, but the biggest is probably that it’s so multicultural. I know a lot of places claim this, but I’ve never been anywhere where there are so many people from around the world all living, working and socialising together. When we go out you can almost guarantee no two people around the table are from the same background, country or culture.
CM: What do you do to unwind?
MC: I get on a plane for somewhere new… preferably with no cellphone coverage. That or day drink.
CM: If you could have one thing from the Shore there with you, what would it be?
It would be fish and chips from Browns Bay Fisheries, or a sausage roll from Windsor Park Bakery.
