How did you meet?
Our parents were friends of friends. One summer, Nick’s family went camping with my family along the Mighty Murray River, just out of Torrumbarry. We were about 14 years old. It was all very exciting because my parent’s friends all had daughters, which meant there were never any boys to play with! So when Nick and his brother Marcus showed up one year, all the girls flaunted their best ‘river bathers’. They made sure to water-ski really hard past the camp site.
Where was your first date?
Nick asked me out via MSN on a first date. We went to the movies in Glen Waverley. Nick really wanted to dress up, so he wore a suit and I wore an orange spaghetti strap dress with heels! Many heads turned as these two goofball lovebirds waltzed into Village Cinemas in suits and heels.
Who made the first move?
Definitely Nick! We were at a friend’s 16th birthday party, Nicola’s parents were waiting outside the house to take her home. Nick asked me to meet him outside and we shared an embarrassingly quick kiss on the lips, followed by a really long hug.
What were your first impressions of each other?
Initially, I wasn’t really phased by Nick – he was a year younger, and that was a big deal back in Year 9! There were plans for me to set Nick up with one of my friends Liz. When those plans fell through, I realised I had had a crush on Nick the whole time! I thought Nick was wild, a thrill-seeker and a hooligan. He lived life on the edge and I was obsessed.
If your partner was a type of food, what would they be and why?
Nicola – Nick would be a decent sized jar of hot chilli, the kind that makes beads of sweat roll down your forehead. Nick always adds spice to our lives and never misses a chance to smother his meals in chilli.
What was the biggest thing that surprised you about your partner?
Nick always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He lost his favourite hat to the depths of the Marlborough Sounds, only to be gifted a new one a few weeks later by a significant New Zealand local hero.
When did you realise that you wanted to marry this person?
What is the biggest thing you have learnt from your partner?
I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Nick back in 2012. I stepped off a boat in Hvar, Croatia, to find a rather shabby looking, sun-kissed, dreadlocked Nicholas running towards her. Nick’s adventurous nature and laid-back approach to life is so contagious and he brings out the best in me, so it just makes sense to spend the rest of our lives together!
The biggest lesson Nick has taught Nicola is to always look out for number one (yourself). If you’re feeling shitty, everyone else around you will feel shitty. It’s a tough lesson, but prioritising yourself is pretty bloody important these days!
How did you propose?
I proposed to Nick on Boxing Day, 2020. Boarders were closed between Australia and New Zealand, sp we couldn’t fly home for Christmas. We decided to go bush instead. We had just finished our third day of hiking the Heaphy Track in New Zealand and had reached the wild West Coast. I asked Nick if he needed any Blistex (Nick is addicted to Blistex in those little tubs, and it had been a sunny day so our lips were cracking). He said yes, so I threw him the tub of Blistex. He opened the tub and saw something shiny fly out and land in the mud. He looked down at the ring in the mud and looked back at me. I hadn’t really thought about what I might say once Nick found the ring, so I just stood there in awe and mumbled “Well…?”. Nick finally said “Aren’t you meant to ask me to marry you?!”. I was too euphoric to say anything, we both just assumed it was official!
Nick wanted to create a piece for Nicole that represented her love of the environment. We worked together to source a unique Australian parti sapphire & raw diamonds to represent these characteristics to create a piece for her unlike any other.