They couple may have really busy work lives but it is their unpaid work in the community that has earned them a Pride of New Zealand nomination.
Des and Tracey have worked with different iwi and hapu in the region, assisting with Treaty claims and lending support and catering at land hui, celebrations and tangi.
Tracey from Wanganui and Des from Patea were teenage sweethearts who became teenage parents and Des said they had to grow up in a hurry and work hard.
"We both come from households where there was alcohol and violence and we had to learn to do things differently ... we worked some tough jobs - we have been commercial cleaners and I did scrub cutting and a stint at the freezing works."
Des has also survived cancer and said it changed his outlook on life and gave him new appreciation of how precious it is.
"We are at a good place in our lives now, we have a great daughter and son and four lovely mokopuna with another one on the way and we are still young enough to enjoy all of it."