Marlborough readers, meet Reporter Evan Tuchinsky

I have an accent. More than the cut of my jib or the nationality on my passport, the way I speak gives away my newness to NZ.

“Where are you from?” - I get that regularly. California, though I sometimes answer with “Brisbane, can’t you tell?” and gauge the reaction. My pronunciation (BRIZ-bun) fools no Marlburian.

I am here because of my wife, Amy. She is a paediatrician recruited to Wairau Hospital; I ride her coattails. We arrived in mid-August, settled into a house in Blenheim Central, then stretched our wings.

As my presence suggests, journalism is my profession. I have worked for 37 years as a reporter, columnist and editor, at both daily and weekly newspapers. I continue as a correspondent to the States, with a feature titled “View From Down Under” running every other Sunday (in NZ, Monday). Marlborough Weekly and Marlborough Magazine offered opportunities to contribute.

Now, with William Woodworth on sport radio up north, I have a regular spot in the newsroom. I glean more about Marlborough every day. The learning curve is steep; hopefully your patience runs deep.

The community may be new to me, but adapting is not. This marks the fifth move I have made with Amy. This first: to her hometown in Northern California, where I arrived ahead of her as editor-in-chief of a 30-year-old weekly with 100,000 regular readers. I knew as much about Chico then about Marlborough now.

I met people. They shared local history and issues. I joined Rotary. I served on government boards. I learned granular details on education, groundwater, land use, and public meetings.

Please forgive the foray into “tall poppy” territory. I mention all this for context, not congratulations. Point is, if you give me the chance to grow, I may well grow on you. Thank you for your readership!

Reach reporter Evan Tuchinsky at [email protected]