Hokey pokey ice cream. Fish and chips. Summer sun. 

That’s what Williams Randall CEO Gerry Randall got to experience back in January when he returned to his hometown of Wellington, New Zealand for a few weeks. 

Gerry wanted to take us along with him but since our team couldn’t all fit in his suitcase, he agreed to humor us by sharing some of his trip highlights and photos here. 

The trip began with a drive to Chicago where Gerry got on a plane to San Francisco before flying to Auckland, New Zealand, and then going on to Wellington. 

Once there, Gerry spent the next few weeks staying at his siblings’ houses, catching up with family and high school friends, and getting to know new additions to the Randall family. 

His favorite part of the trip was getting to spend time with his siblings. It was his first trip in five years so they had lots to catch up on! He was also glad to eat some of his favorite foods again. He frequented several fish and chip shops throughout the trip and even wandered into one called Moby Dick’s, where when asked for his name, Gerry said, “Call me Ishmael.” Always the jokester, that one!

Gerry also enjoyed getting to visit Patuna Chasm, a property tucked away behind a farm in Martinborough, Wairarapa. There, visitors can take walks through the river, hike the forest, check out waterfalls, and grab photos on Wave Rock (an aptly named hillside formation). 

Those of us in the office got a little taste of delicious New Zealand cuisine too as Gerry brought back chocolates for us all to enjoy. 

Check out some of his favorite snapshots below!