The Far North town of Te Hapua is one of the country's most isolated settlements and is home to around 200 people. Most are Maori, and they enjoy a fuss-free life.
A two hour drive North of Kaitaia will take you to Te Hapua. Grammy Jewel said the town was a nice place to bring up a family.
Ms Jewel moved to Te Hapua 60 years ago and raised a family of six children there, three of whom still live in the town.
"When I first came here the children and the babies that were all crawling around here were all speaking Maori, I was fascinated by it," she said.
"No English whatsoever. For me within six months I could speak fluent Maori."
Ms Jewel's grandson Chaz is one of around 30 children at the local school. The closest high school is in Kaitaia, a two hour bus ride away.
Te Hapua doesn't have a shop and the nearest gas station is half an hour away. Most locals will make the 200 kilometre journey to Kaitaia once a fortnight for supplies.
Dr Kathy Rollo said the people in Te Hapua are "really resilient."
"They love their community, they’ll give you anything."
Emergency assistance is a 40-minute helicopter ride away but a doctor visits once a fortnight.
Social worker Barbara Larsen moved home to Te Hapua three years ago and is related to 99 per cent of her clients.
"I think the difference is whanau appreciate, especially when they're isolated, they really appreciate the support," she said.
While it is a low socio-economic area, some here do work in farming and forestry.
The community has limited communication. what internet access they do have is incredibly slow and cell phone coverage is within a 400 metre radius of the marae
A local teenager said it's "all good."
"I just love hunting and fishing, I wouldn't swap it for anywhere else."
SHARE ME