Dedicated dad Simon Poynting drops his kids off to school and picks them up every day.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
In between he is a chef at Rochester’s Shamrock Hotel, but he treasures his time with children – Bodie 10, Ruby 9, Livarwen 7, Quinn 5, and Loki 3.
He has an extraordinary partnership with wife Fiona that allows him to play a big part in the daily lives of his children, while fulfilling his role at the hotel.
He has spent 10 years at the Shamrock, completing his lunch service and dinner service in between continuing his daily commitments to his children.
Three of his children are at St Joseph’s primary, while Quinn is at pre-school and Loki is the last child at home.
Simon said he normally worked on Father’s Day, catering for the demands of the Rochester community on what is a rather large “dining out’’ day.
“I am always cooking on Father’s Day. With a change to our hours due to COVID I will get to spend the Sunday night with them, which will be nice,” he said.
Fiona said being married to a chef had its perks, among those the fact that her husband did the bulk of the cooking.
“I don’t need to cook. Most days Simon makes the kids breakfasts and lunches,” she said.
After picking up the children from school he will walk them home and cook them an early dinner, before returning for dinner service at the Shamrock.
"They have dinner early. As they get a bit older I may have to teach Fiona a bit more about cooking,” Simon said.
“We all sit as a family and eat.”
As for Father’s Day gifts, Simon said it had mainly been socks over the years.
“I love all the handmade stuff that the kids make,” he said.
“They are all very good at going shopping with mum for individual presents.”
The father of five said he enjoyed dropping the kids off and picking them up from school.
“I get to find out about their day,” he said.
Fiona was a backpacker from Manchester who was only planning to visit Australia on holiday.
"We met at South Melbourne and a friend asked us to come to Rochester for work,“ Simon said.
“We haven’t left.”
Fiona’s dad came to Australia two years ago and the couple renewed their vows, because he couldn’t be there the first time.
"We had all the kids dressed up and I organised Tracey Kyne (celebrant) to be there. It was surprise for them all,“ Simon said.
Simon said Rochester had been a great community in which to raise the children.
“The school and community are great, and the Shamrock is ticking over well for food,” he said.
As for the names, Bodi was named after the couple watched Point Break the night before his birth.
“Ruby is named after my favourite Aunty,” Simon said.
“We are tragic Lord of the Rings fans, so Livarwen is named after Liv Tyler and Princes Arwen.
"We always wanted a bear, that is where Loki Bear came from.“
Three’s a breeze
Shane Connelly has three daughters, but there were not too many dolls or prams in sight when I arrived at the riverside High Street family home.
The owner of Rochester Electrical, married to Megan, has willing, and able, outdoor enthusiasts in five-year-old Alice, eight-year-old Sophie and 10-year-old Ruby.
A successful small business operator, Shane and his daughters share a passion for camping, four-wheel driving, boating and just about anything else that allows them to be outdoors together.
Alice explained that she likes “going in the buggy”, an all-wheel drive vehicle of which she is a more than willing passenger.
Sophgie explained that the girls enjoy taking recent additon, Scout the dog, for walks.
“I like going down the river in kayaks and being in the boat,” Ruby said, pointing to the river at the back of the property.
She also explained that the girls enjoyed doing projects with their father, among them making an elevated cubby house.
“We are now making a new kennel for Scout,” she said.
All the girls attend St Joseph’s Primary School, the same school as their father attended.
As for Father’s Day...
“We normally make him something and sometimes we cook a seafood barbecue on Father’s Day,” Ruby said.
Breakfast for champion
Rochester First Brigade First Lieutenant Brett Kyne has 10-year-old Sophie, Heath, 12, and 13-year-old Blake regularly in tow when he is at the fire station.
On Father’s Day it is a eggs and bacon breakfast feast and quite often tools are on the gift list for the handyman.
“Someone keeps losing his screwdrivers,” Heath said.
A chopping board was a popular gift from a recent year, allowing the part-time cook to maintain his hobby.
The two younger children attend St Joseph’s and Blake is at the secondary college. Together with mum, Catherine, (his wife of 16 years) the day is always special for the family.
Brett as been a 26-year volunteer with the fire brigade.
New and old
Darcy Taylor and Will Hayes are two of the newer dads in the region.
Will was in his canola fields with his daughter, who is already showing signs of wanting to pursue a life on the land.
The Atley family is well known to the sporting and education communities. At a special event last week the grandsons of Peter Atley spent time with the elder statesman of their family.
Rochester Football Netball Club president Jeff Bright will be another to have three generations represented this Father’s Day, with the recent arrival of son Mitchell’s boy – Vali.
Our other dads featured in today’s front page collage are among hundreds worthy of acknowledgement in the region.
To them all, we say Happy Father’s Day.
On today’s front page (from top left) is Chef Dad, Simon Poynting, with children Bodie 10, Ruby 9, Livarwen 7, Quinn 5, Loki 3; Tradie Dad (top right) Shane Connelly with children Alice, Sophie and Ruby; Farmer Dad Will Hayes with daughter Ava; New Dad Darcy Taylor with daughter Piper; Grand Dad (centre) Peter Atley with son Brendan and grandsons Shaun, Joe and Jacob; President Dad Jeff Bright (Rochester Football Club) with son Mitch and his son Vali; Fireman Dad Brett Kyne with children Sophie, Heath and Blake.
Contributor