Designed from the Edge of the World

Running a tech business from one of New Zealand's most remote coastlines

While most web designers work from crowded co-working spaces or cluttered home offices, I've chosen something different. My office sits nestled in lush West Coast rainforest, just minutes from where waves crash against ancient rugged sea stacks and towering cliffs. Surrounded by native rimu and rata, with the Tasman Sea's roar filtering through the trees, the only interruptions to my workday are tui calls and the occasional glimpse of Hector’s dolphins beyond the rocky coastline.

From Motukiekie Rocks on New Zealand's wild West Coast, I design websites and solve digital problems for clients around the globe. Tucked between primeval forest and rugged cliffs, it's about as far from Silicon Valley as you can get – and that's exactly the point.

Distance Creates Clarity

There's something about being this far from the noise that brings focus. No traffic jams, no office politics, no distractions beyond the rhythm of the tides and the ancient whisper of rainforest around my home. When you're designing a website while storm clouds gather over the Tasman Sea beyond the trees, you develop a different relationship with your work. Every pixel matters because out here, everything feels intentional.

The irony isn't lost on me: I'm more connected to the digital world than ever, yet more grounded in the physical one. Starlink keeps me linked to clients in Christchurch, Queensland, and San Francisco, while the rainforest canopy and rocky coastline keep me linked to what actually matters – creating work that stands the test of time, like the ancient trees sheltering my workspace and the rocky formations that have weathered millennia of storms just beyond the forest edge.

Remote by Design, Not Default

This isn't about working from home because I have to – it's about choosing a location that inspires better work. When your commute involves checking which native orchids are blooming along the forest paths, and your lunch break might include spotting seals on the rocky shore beyond the trees, you approach projects differently.

There's a particular kind of problem-solving that comes from living where ancient rainforest meets wild ocean. When the nearest full-time neighbour is a kilometre away through the bush and the nearest city is four hours of winding road, you learn to be resourceful, patient, and thorough. These aren't just life skills – they're exactly what your digital projects need.

Where Wild Meets WiFi

My clients often joke about getting emails “from paradise,” but there's substance behind the scenery. This location demands excellence because there's no backup plan, no easy fix, no calling in favors from the office next door. Every solution has to work the first time, every system has to be robust, every design has to be purposeful.

The West Coast teaches you respect – for the ocean, for the weather, for the power of getting things right. I bring that same respect to your project, whether it's a simple website refresh or a complex digital transformation.

Built to Last

Like the geology that surrounds me, I believe in creating digital solutions that endure. While trends come and go like storms across the Tasman, good design principles remain as solid as the rocks beneath my feet. Your website should work as reliably as a lighthouse, guiding your customers through any digital weather.

From the edge of the world, the view is remarkably clear. Let's build something together that's designed to last.