Tony Gan - One peaceful village to another
By Katie Oliver
Tony, hailing from a quaint fishing village in Malaysia, embarked on a journey to Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue his studies at Victoria University in Wellington. Upon arrival, he quickly made friends. Following his graduation, Tony's professional journey led him to various cities, including Whanganui, New Plymouth, Paraparaumu and Wellington.
His eventual relocation to Auckland marked a pivotal moment when he assumed the role of CEO at an acupuncture school. However, amidst the backdrop of challenging COVID-19 lockdowns, Tony decided to seek out a smaller, tight-knit community with the promise of growth and development. Selwyn, in the South Island, came out on top, with Darfield meeting his criteria.
Drawing parallels between Darfield and his Malaysian hometown, Tony believes, "Darfield is just as small, enveloped by fields, but instead of coconut plantations, there are snow-capped mountains!"
In October of last year, Tony made the life-changing move and has cherished every moment in Darfield since.
Tony says it’s the community spirit that makes Darfield so special. From the start, Tony felt his culture was embraced, even exchanging greetings with friends in his native language. In Tony's view, small communities always play their part for a good cause and as you’ll find out in this episode, Darfield is no exception.