Nestled above the sandy sweep of St Clair beach in Dunedin, Derek and Rachael Morrison, have built a life as vivid and windswept as the waves they love.

Words Campbell MacPherson & Lucinda Diack, Photos Georgie Daniell & Derek Morrison

Derek and Rachael Morrison are a true creative partnership and a joy to spend time with. Where Rachael is quiet in her success, Derek is proudly her biggest advocate, delighting in every opportunity to shine the light on her talents and beautiful creations.

It is a love that goes both ways with Rachael a happy supporter of Derek’s other great love in life – surfing. The creator behind weekly blog Box of Light, Derek lives and breathes surfing, citing his home city Dunedin and its surrounding rugged coastline, as ‘one of the most beautiful places in the world to surf. For those who can stand the cold!’.

Derek’s pathway to becoming one of New Zealand’s premier surf photographers wasn’t uncovered until he went to University, where he discovered the twin passions that would define his career. A passionate photographer with a penchant for writing and a natural love for the outdoors quickly transformed into a career pathway for Derek that saw him travelling New Zealand and Australia for adventure sport media outlets and culminated in founding the New Zealand Surf Journal in 2018.    

His work is deeply authentic, capturing the characters and communities that embody the Kiwi surf dream, which has been celebrated in his book, Surf Dreams: New Zealand Surf Culture, a stunning visual and written tour of the country’s most cherished surfing enclaves. Whether he is documenting a remote break or swimming out to capture the action from the water, Derek’s art is driven by a need to be in the elements.

Whereas Rachael is driven by a desire to share. ‘My biggest influence is the coastline and providing people with something uniquely individual to wear.’ Having left school to pursue an apprenticeship in jewellery-making she is humble in her description that she has dedicated over twenty-five years to a deep love for designing ‘shiny things.’

From her home studio, a converted laundry space, she handcrafts fine jewellery, specialising in bespoke engagement rings, wedding bands and one-off pieces that draw direct inspiration from her surroundings. ‘One of the things I love is remakes,’ she says. ‘Working with the gold, or the stones that someone already has and giving new life to a family heirloom. It is very special.

A passionate photographer with a penchant for writing and a natural love for the outdoors quickly transformed into a career pathway for Derek.

‘The process is often as rewarding as the final product,’ she says, ‘it can be very meditative, and there is something really special about getting to know someone; their story behind a piece and being part of it coming to life.’

The couple laugh that while it sounds like a peaceful occupation, the reality is far from it. ‘There was a period that we thought we would work on the road,’ says Derek. ‘The dream was to have a motorhome with a trailer on the back for Rachael’s jewellery and travel around the country. I could write and photograph, Rachael could create, the kids could experience everything the country has to offer. But for Rachael, creating is forming metal. She is beating and hammering it repeatedly into shape. There is dust, it’s loud and transporting everything around just wouldn’t have been sustainable.’

While the couple first met in Dunedin, where Rachael grew up, they have spent time living in Raglan and Sydney, where Derek worked for an adventure sport publication and Rachael honed her skills in some ‘incredible design studios.’ Despite switching his writing focus from surfing to mountain biking while in Sydney, Derek still found time to enjoy the surf on his doorstep. Believing he enjoyed it more since it was separate from his job, ‘I’d go out every morning and surf until Rachael would come out on the balcony to call me in. It was amazing.’

Property prices, and the desire to be closer to family with two young children and another on the way, saw them return to Dunedin after eight years across the ditch.

As in their work, the family rhythm is about blending individuality with togetherness. While Taya (20) has left home to pursue a university degree, and Rewa (18) plans to do the same in 2026, they, like brother Keo (16), possess a natural flair for creativity and adventure sports – lovers of both snow and surf. ‘At one stage, they were all top 10 in New Zealand [for surfing],’ shares Derek with a smile.

Surfing isn’t just a sport for this family – it is a grounding force. ‘No matter where you are in your headspace,’ says Derek, ‘you go for a surf and you always end up in a really good place.’ For Rachael much of the love of the sport comes from watching, ‘I do enjoy being out there but I am more of the support person. The person with the food and the towels,’ she laughs. ‘A critical role.’

As in their work, the family rhythm is about blending individuality with togetherness.

While the mental and physical wellbeing benefits are high, as Derek points out, we have a long way to go in New Zealand when it comes to supporting young surfers. ‘If you make it into the New Zealand team you then have to pay a lot of money to be there. So there are a lot of talented young people who don’t represent the country or go on to compete professionally because they can’t afford it.’

Spending time with this family it is apparent daily life is filled with a lot of fun and laughter, which is rounded out by the chaos of fourth ‘child’ Remi; a beach-loving Kelpie. ‘He just loves being at the beach,’ chuckles Derek. ‘He runs around and around and knows all the competitive and local surfers, so he’ll go and just hang out with them.’

While Remi has been known to give the board a go, like Rachael, he prefers his paws on the sand.

Whether they are supporting each other’s artistry, raising adventurous children or savouring the wild Otago coast, Derek and Rachael embody an enviable way of life where work, play and passion intermingle.