A proud Scouser with decades on the tools, local builder Paul Christie has built more than just homes. Since arriving in Raglan in 2003, he’s also built a reputation for straight-talking honesty, craftsmanship, local knowledge and a strong sense of community.
Paul moved to Whāingaroa with his wife Robyn and daughter Lily, drawn by the pull of family. Robyn’s sister Jo helped them settle in, lining up a rental on Helen Place while Paul set about finding work.
“The first thing I did was put an ad in the Chronicle, one up at Petchells (now Fresh Choice), and one at the information centre,” he says. It didn’t take long. Rangi Kereopa, who was working at the i-SITE at the time, offered him a job.
Tools in hand, Paul’s first local project took him to Poihākena Marae, where the wharenui windows had long been nailed shut with large farm nails. “It was November, it was hot, and not one of those windows opened,” he recalls. “It was a special place to work, with all the photos of the ancestors watching over you.” By the end of the job, eight of the 12 windows were opening again.
When Paul started Christie Carpentry, there were only a handful of established builders in town. “Raglan was quite busy, so there was an opportunity for me to take on the smaller jobs while others were focused on the bigger projects.”
His journey to Raglan began years earlier. Paul first arrived in New Zealand in the mid-1990s on his OE, honouring his late mother’s dream. “My mum died suddenly at 62, and she’d always wanted to come to New Zealand. So I thought, I’m going to see it for her.”
During that trip, he met his future wife. “I went to visit a mate who’d just emigrated and met the girl next door,” he laughs.
At the time, Paul was only on a holiday visa and returned to the UK. “There was no internet back then, so we kept in touch by phone, and I came back two or three times.” Eventually, he invited Robyn to England, where they married and lived for a period. “I never really thought about living in New Zealand long-term, but being besotted with Robyn, I realised you couldn’t be in a better place.”
Settling in New Zealand meant relearning his trade. Trained as a joiner in the UK, Paul was used to working on traditional brick homes. “We build window frames, floors, roofs, and do all the internal fit-outs. So I had to learn the trade again in a Kiwi context.”
Earning his New Zealand qualification proved invaluable, not just for Paul but for others too. “I was in my mid-30s, and you can imagine, if you’re a Kiwi builder in your mid-30s and 40s, you forgot all that college stuff,” he says. “I could share that knowledge around codes and regulations.”
The birth of their son Sam prompted Paul to rethink running a one-man operation, and he took on his first apprentice, Gordon. Over the years, he estimates he’s trained well over half a dozen apprentices, along with offering work experience to Raglan Area School students.
Putting down roots in the district, Paul and Robyn eventually moved from town to a home he built on a lifestyle block in Te Mata. “It’s a great little community to raise a family,” he says.
The couple are proud of their children’s achievements. Lily is now working as a nurse in Melbourne, while Sam is building a solid reputation at Raglan Auto, Tyres & Marine.
Those early adverts that got Paul started in Raglan have carried his business through the highs and lows of the building trade. His approach has always been simple: do the job no matter how big or small.
“You might be in the middle of a big project and someone needs a door handle fixed – you do it,” he says. “It’s all part of being of service to the community and the little jobs lead to bigger ones.”
