Living and working on Tresco: Mel and Pete
Although their roots are across the world in New Zealand, Mel and Pete have chosen Tresco as their home for over two seasons. For them, nothing beats island life
Growing up in New Zealand, Mel and Pete are most at home in rural, natural surroundings. Therefore, their move from one side of the world to the other, in search of another peaceful and remote location, makes perfect sense.
After wanting to move to the UK and do something different, "we first discovered Tresco while looking at live in couples jobs," says Mel. "Tresco appealed to Peter and I as we wanted to experience living and working in a more rural environment." Pete adds that when people in New Zealand think of the UK, they think of London but he and Mel were set on finding something a little more special. So they hopped on the Scillonian at the start of the 2022 season and never looked back.
They were initially part of the Tresco Stores team with responsibilities including stacking shelves, working the tills and making shop deliveries around the island. However, unlike most seasonal workers who want to spend their winters elsewhere, Mel and Pete were keen to stay on island for the colder months too. This meant turning their hands to new skills and becoming part of other departments.
Mel ended up joining Gallery Tresco manager Anna Parkes. She spent the winter sorting works of art and finding every canvas the perfect home - you can even read about it here. Meanwhile, Pete joined the services team which meant repairs, electrics, plumbing and more all over the island. A vital job role, contributing to keeping Tresco in working order!
Today, Mel is a housekeeper and Pete is a cottage gardener.
"There is no long commute to work, which you come to appreciate very quickly! We cycle to and from work which takes 4 mins max. Peter has a morning brief of the day's duties which varies depending on the season and how many guests are on the island. During high season, a typical day would be prepping cottage gardens for arriving guests. Also with her mind on arriving guests, Melissa's day consists of cleaning and prepping cottages for incoming holidaymakers."
Although they work hard, evenings and days off are for exploring Tresco and the surrounding islands.
"We like to venture to other islands and go on walks. We also enjoy using the Spa membership for the Gym and Sauna almost everyday.
Most of all, our love of Tresco comes down to the tranquillity and natural beauty of the islands, the simplicity of day to day life, and the meeting of new and interesting people from different backgrounds."
"Thanks to our time on Tresco, we have made lifelong friends and have had the chance to explore one of the most beautiful places in the world. We will never forget first arriving and being awestruck by the natural beauty of the Isles of Scilly."
Between summer seasons and winters spent on Tresco, the couple have had the chance to explore Europe; Tresco has acted as the perfect UK base for them in between adventures.
"Peter and I have been fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to return to Tresco on multiple occasions. It has allowed us to go on many amazing adventures around Europe and see more than we could have imagined. We have created many lasting memories we believe would have not been possible without living and working on Tresco."
