I think Mum wanted me away from the drugs and the lifestyle. She probably thought moving back to Queenstown would help. Dad had to stay in America for another year, to finish up his contract. I was a bit relived as he was the strict one. We flew into Auckland and stayed at Grandmas place in Algies Bay, just out of Warkworth near Auckland. It was good being back on familiar soil. I went down to the beach and ran into some fellas who were smoking some weed. The offered me a seshion so I partook. The offered to sell me some weed and showed me a $100 bag. It was so small I almost shat myself, not what I’m used to. Mum had some weed anyway, probably off Uncle, and I didn’t have any money. It was good being back in New Zealand. The fauna and landscape is always a welcome reminder or our true home. So we moved back to Queenstown.

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Adapting to the new school was a bit rough. I had to wear a school uniform which seemed rather dorky. I wasn’t very happy. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t make any friends very quick. At school we did stuff like kayaking, rock climbing, tramping, camps. It was a good change. I played a lot of video games and got high. It was heaven. I dated a girl a year up on me called Kelly. She lived with her Aunty in a big house with a big backyard which drops down to a river. We would go down there and shag. They had a pool table which we’d spend a fair amount of time on. She was only 17 and already talking about wanting kids. It freaked me out a bit, so we ended that one.

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Snowboarding was fun. I couldn’t pull any tricks, but riding the terrain was sweet. We’d go to Coronet Peak. It’s one of my favourite mountains for being so close and having good runs. I was a bit of a loner, I had a few friends but no one really close. It was hard trying to find drugs. Mum had a weed connection in Christchurch which we used to get a few ounces off from time to time. I was wagging school a bit. They’d announce on the PA that it was time for drum lessons, or piano lessons, and I’d say I was attending and just go and get high or smoke ciggies. I was over it. I told Mum I wanted to drop out. I almost did. Then one day I took my pipe to school, it had a bit of weed in it. I left it in my locker and they brought a drug dog to school and they found it. I was suspended for a whole year. I didn’t plan on going back. I was finally free of the institution. I WAS FREE!​

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So I looked for a job. It wasn’t hard to find one. Pizza Hutt took me on board. At first I waited tables and worked the till, then onto a bit of kitchen work, and finally the delivery driver. It was fun. I made more friends than I did at school, and I had cash in my pocket. One particular friend became a sort of best mate. It was a female called Karina. We’d hang out and get stoned. I’d sleep in her single bed top and tails with her. I’d sneak into the clubs with them as I was only seventeen. Surreal had a back door and we’d often go to “Wasted Wednesday’s”. It was cheap as anything. $3 shots, $3 doubles, free pool. It was a good time. The working life was great, but Pizza Hutt wasn’t going to go anywhere. I had developed a passion for electronic music, mostly in thanks to Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails. Mum found a school in Auckland called SAE, or the School of Audio Engineering. They offered a nine month course, nothing too full on but something right up my ally. So I signed up and shipped off to Auckland.