He Tāngata: Francesca Bonventre of the Chatham Islands Hotel

Francesca Bonventre at an albatross colony on the Chatham Islands.

Elisabeth Easther talks to the marketing manager of the Chatham Islands Hotel.

I went to high school in a town just outside Rome where the philosophers of the past made their poetry and opera. For holidays we often went to Sicily because my father's from there. In Europe the culture is all about monuments and seeing what men have done over the past thousand years, but in New Zealand, it's all about nature, the sea life and bird life.

I love Barcelona. I love how Gaudi's art has given colour to the monuments and streets. And when I think of Holland, what I love are the streets and the houses with huge windows and no curtains, so everyone can see in if they wish. They have a different concept of privacy and people are respectful there anyway, so you feel there is nothing to be hidden.

I came to New Zealand because I needed a holiday. I'd just finished my studies in law and I was overwhelmed and tired. Because I had a meaningful connection here, I flew to Auckland and then directly to the Chatham Islands, the furthest place in the world from Rome. Prior to that I had only travelled in Europe and the idea of catching a plane for 24 hours was scary.
Going from an enormous international aircraft to the Air Chathams 1957 Convair was an experience and, on a windy day, we were bumping up and down and all I could do was hold the hand of the kind passenger sitting next to me. It was very cold with no sun, and I was coming from 40C in Italy. My first thought was that I was absolutely in the middle of nowhere, it was rugged and remote, and that there was nothing around me, only sheep. In the next few days, the colours of the island started shining to my eyes: the blue of the sea, the black and orange of the native birds on the white sand, the green and pink of the paua shells, and the brown of the seaweed waving off the rocks.

Now I have lived here for four years. Fishing and hunting are the main activities, and visiting the Moriori petroglyphs and rock carvings. The geological formations on these islands go back millions of years and people can also look for fossilised shark teeth in the lagoon.

My family can't believe I've stayed so long but they see I am happy so they are happy for me. They always wish that I come back to the civilised life but I feel so safe here. In Europe, without realising it I was living in a constant state of fear, but here I feel like I am in the safest place of the world.

In New Zealand, people go hiking and trekking, but in Italy, unless you are a really passionate person for the outdoors, you don't really do that. We live in cities and towns; the way we dress is for city style, rather than rain jackets and gumboots. I was never an outdoor person and this will seem funny, but the scariest things for me have been climbing fences and walking on rocks. I never had to do that before.

The Chatham Islands reminds me of my grandparents' stories of their lives. Here we are 50 years behind; we have the modern technologies and open-mind thinking, but the lifestyle is so connected to farming and fishing. That is how it used to be in Italy but now everything there is about office work, while here the connection with the land is still very strong.

Tourism is just beginning. Hotel Chatham is the only hotel, the only pub and the only restaurant with basically no competition. My employer is a very brave and pioneering woman. She wants to succeed in tourism and I'm helping her promote her family-owned business. Everyone goes to Rarotonga and Fiji, but here it's absolutely beautiful. Yes they are cold islands but there are so many beautiful things to see.

My love for this place and its beautiful community, and for my partner, makes me not want to leave. People are spontaneous and relaxed, and they care for each other. I hope the peace I've found, when eventually I go home, will help me live in a better way.

For information: see hotelchatham.co.nz