Martyn Evans. Photo/Stephen Parker
With his preference for tea over coffee barely established Martyn Evans launched into a history lesson on Britain's tea trade with China.
It came with an explanation of how, in the 18th century, opium replaced silver as payment for the 'exotic' commodity.
This voluble man from deep in the valleys and collieries of Wales who's become Maori by osmosis (hold that thought) has an encyclopaedic handle on facts and figures. The origins of Ngongotaha's Operiana St's name's a prime example.
According to Martyn it's as close as Maori could get to combining O'Connor and O'Brien, early local Pakeha mill owners.
All this comes before he's settled with his tea and we begin to uncover a multi-dimensional man with two cultural passions, his native Welsh and the Maori he's immersed himself in since his New Zealand arrival 41 years past.
This is where those words 'Maori by osmosis' come into play, they're fitting for a chap with a BSc who's assimilated the culture of a society he sees as parallel to that of his homeland. Kohanga reo's total immersion ethos is the example he supplies.
In his native Aberdare Martyn attended a similar learning institution from the age of 3, it was established to preserve the Welsh language from extinction.
"Welsh was all we spoke at home, my English was so appalling I failed the 11-plus exam [the then UK test to determine what type of secondary school pupils would attend]."
Regardless, he was a boy with a brain and a fascination with science that carried him into Cardiff University, graduating with that BSc.
Set on a teaching career, he moved to London to study for a Post Graduate Certificate of Education.
In London he retained an ingrained wariness of the English.
"There was a pub across from my bedsit, I never once went in, it was full of English people."
His teaching years began at Surrey's Epsom College.
"Pretty well every other science teacher had a PhD but I connected better with the kids once they got over my accent."
Within six months he found himself speaking "like a British army officer - the language of the school".
He was at Epsom when he met Kiwi wife-to-be Joy Presswood, a Kaitaia girl who'd won a piano scholarship to the Royal College of Music.
New Zealand wasn't a foreign land to rugby-mad Martyn.
"When I was about 17 I followed Wilson Whineray's [All Black] team, saw the legendary Don Clarke in action. "I've never got over the size of his feet."
In 1999 he was at Cardiff's newly-opened Millennium Stadium to see hero Jonah Lomu playing in the All Blacks Rugby World Cup side that vanquished Wales.
Well before that Martyn and Joy had married in Aberdare's Anglican church. "I was very much a Welsh Baptist boy, in my village there were 14 chapels, I think that's why I enjoy Maori services so much, listing to that beautiful language and music."
Two years into married life Martyn applied for a job in New Zealand.
"They asked where I wanted to go, I said 'somewhere remote like Pembrokeshire', they said 'ah, the East Coast', I ended up in Gisborne."
The couple's daughter, Bronwen was born there. He insists we take note of the spelling.
"The New Zealand spelling's totally incorrect."
Our spelling faux pas didn't stop Martyn becoming Kiwified. "Very soon I was wearing shorts, jandals, tee shirts."
Initially teaching at Gisborne Girls' High he took time out to study at Waikato University to become a guidance counsellor, returning to Gisborne and Lytton High.
"There my eyes were totally opened to Maori culture, its rituals, symbolism. I joined the cultural club, picked up te reo through singing, a beautiful way to learn."
Rotorua drew him inland, joining the then Community College (now Toi Ohomai) he ran courses for tutors, before becoming a Career Services consultant.
Friends encouraged him to become involved in preserving the history of the Maori Battalion's B company.
"I was the cameraman, lighting man, recording these amazing fellows' reminiscences."
The work's the basis of the display held by the museum.
With Martyn's parents' health failing the Evanses returned to Wales, initially for a year, Martyn working as a Welsh language supply [relieving] teacher.
Disaster struck; Joy suffered a stroke at 52.
"It was pretty desperate times for us, we had this mantra 'hardships are only temporary' but that stroke wasn't temporary."
The couple remained in Wales, Martyn became Joy's full-time carer.
A self-confessed doodler, he took up art.
"Mine's a lineal art born from looking down a microscope, I was told I had talent, a successful artist asked if I wanted to be like Hockney and sell one work for millions or an American artist whose work was in 50 per cent of US homes, I said the latter."
He hit gold when a newspaper featured his Christmas card collection. Much of his work featured his native valley's architecture.
In 2007 the Evanses returned to their Ngongotaha home. With family members caring for Joy, Martyn spent a year shuttling between Ireland and Wales, working on, and displaying, his art.
Joy's health deteriorated further, breast cancer set in, she died two years ago. For anyone wanting the inside running on a DIY funeral Martyn's your man.
"We did it all ourselves - even pushing the button on the cremator [furnace]."
Art remains his passion, he specialises in therapy for those with mental health issues.
"I started with drawing Celtic animals but kept being asked 'where are the Maori pictures?"
They've since become his signature style.
"I've begun painting Rotorua's history starting with the Fenton Agreement signing. For some reason that made some people angry, the cafe displaying it had to take it down. I didn't realise my art could do that.
"I guess it's true, art's interpreted through the eyes of the beholder."
MARTYN EVANS:
Born: Aberdare, Wales, 1949.
Education: Locally, University of Cardiff, London University (teaching diploma), Waikato University (guidance counselling diploma).
Family: Widower, daughter Bronwen (Tauranga).
Interests: Art, growing native plants, taking Maori culture into local pre school, politics. "I joined Te Parte Maori , am gutted to see it gone". Rugby (captained his school's 1st XV), reading news online. "I haven't listened to a radio since 1999, don't watch TV." Drumming, plays the African Djambe.
On his art: "It's an aid to story telling, visual clues to make the story complete."
On Rotorua: "I love the Maoriness of the place, admire Te Arawa's business sense."
On the All Blacks: "Magnificent but when they play Wales I support both sides."
Personal philosophy: "Treat others as I want others to treat me."