They left Thames chasing opportunities, but Rob Comer and Shane Brealey haven’t forgotten their roots.
Each of the men have gone on to experience varied careers: one became a professional firefighter and private investigator, the other built transport stations, schools, and affordable housing across the country.
Now, a reunion is on the cards for the Thames High alumni, and they’re hoping more of the old crew will come along for a catch up.
For Rob, leaving school before getting his School Certificate was what he called a “stupid” move, but after a short stint at the district council, he went back to finish up and left for good in 1979.
From there, he went “from job to job” in Thames, and while volunteering as firefighter at the local brigade, he was inspired by a fellow member who’d become a professional firefighter in Auckland City.
“Something just clicked for me, so I started making plans to get fit and pass the necessary requirements to join as well.”
After his firefighting stint in Auckland – “definitely the best job in the world,” he said – Rob moved into the scuba diving industry, then worked with the New Zealand Police.
A few years later, he and his family relocated to the Gold Coast, Australia, where he set up a private investigation company. But while the weather was warm and the vibe was good, Rob said he quickly realised Australia had a “very dark underbelly,” especially in the investigative world.
After a decade in the P.I. game, he felt it was once again “time to change what I did”.
Rob returned to New Zealand and joined Air New Zealand’s long-haul cabin crew, later developing two accommodation lodges and moving to Waiheke Island, where he became a zipline guide.
Of his varied career, Rob said change happened when the timing was right.
He was also inspired by other Thames High alumni who had “really done well,” he said – like Shane Brealey.
Shane is known for establishing NZ Living, which developed and built 700 new homes in Auckland – sold to first-home buyers at a total of $30 million under market value to help more people onto the property ladder.
At one point, NZ Living was the largest provider of KiwiBuild homes, Shane said, and he later gifted the company to the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme.
Before all that though, he was a Thames High student, having done his schooling there from 1976-1980.
From there, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Canterbury, then spent two years working in Hawke’s Bay, followed by another two in London. He later worked with major Australian firms before returning to New Zealand to establish his own construction company, NZ Strong.
Shane told The Profile that over the next decade, NZ Strong delivered 74 projects, including 11 transport stations, five schools, the Tepid Baths refurbishment, Auckland Zoo Te Wao Nui, the MOTAT Aviation Display Hall, Pah Homestead, Lopdell House and Art Gallery, the Auckland Netball Centre, the Ōtāhuhu Recreation Centre, and many more.
He sold the company after 10 years and established NZ Living. Since 2021, he and his wife Anna have been working pro-bono running Simplicity Living, currently building about 600 new homes per year in Auckland and Queenstown to provide more affordable rental housing.
Like Rob, Shane loved participating in his school’s First XV rugby team, and both recalled Mertyl Lafferty as being one of their favourite teachers.
Rob, who is organising the reunion set for April next year, said the point of the get-together was to remember their roots.
“We were a tight bunch of kids and had such a great time together, so I want to stay in touch with these great friends,” he said.
The main reunion function will be held at 6pm on April 11, 2026, at the Thames Workingman’s Club. Attendees are then invited to Melbourne Cafe the following morning for coffee at 10am.
“I always say that if you know that the reunion is on then you need to reach out to the contacts you have if you would like to see them on the night,” Rob said. “Quite a few people don’t do Facebook, so hustle and find your old mates and let them know.”
DETAILS: If you’re interested in attending, contact Sharon Kennedy-Still at shazzak@xtra.co.nz or Rob Comer at robcomer61@icloud.com
BY KELLEY TANTAU
