Our family
Two divers, one island, and the pāua
Mike and Antonia Radon met diving off Northern California. In 1993 they bought a farm at Whekenui Bay on Arapaoa Island, and in 2001 they started farming pāua with four tanks.
They raised and home-schooled three children on the island. Today Jacob, Sarah and James work the farm with them, and the pearls they grow are set by master jeweller Corey Broughton.
How we got here
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1964
Mike starts diving for abalone with his father in Morro Bay, California, aged 13.
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1992
Antonia joins Mike's dive boat as second diver.
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1993
They buy the farm at Whekenui Bay, Arapaoa Island.
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1998
Twins Sarah and Jacob are born. James follows in 2002.
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2001
Pāua farming begins with four tanks, one for pearl experiments.
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2018
167,000 juvenile pāua raised for reseeding after the Kaikōura earthquake.
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Today
400 tanks, with pearls growing in the pāua.
The people on the farm
Everyone has a job here
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Antonia Radon
Managing director
“You never know what is around the corner, make each moment count.”
Grew up in the North Island, fished salmon in Alaska and dived for sea urchins in Northern California, where she met Mike.
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She home-schooled their three children on the island, sketches ideas for new jewellery designs, and looks after the accommodation. Book a consultation with Antonia.
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Mike Radon
Managing director
“Every day is a great day.”
Started diving for abalone in California at 13. Came to New Zealand in 1987, dived for pāua in the Chatham Islands, and set his sights on farming them.
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With Antonia he bought the Perano farm at Whekenui in 1993. The farm now runs 400 tanks. He was an executive of the PAU3 Industry Association before handing the role to Jacob.
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Jacob Radon
Farm manager
“It is all about the magic of Arapaoa Island and the pāua, beautiful, unique and fragile.”
Starts each day after sunrise cleaning the tanks, then collects, cuts and feeds seaweed to the pāua.
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Has taken over from Mike as an executive of the PAU3 Industry Association, the fishers' group for the Kaikōura and Canterbury coasts.
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Sarah Radon
Beef & sheep farm
“I've realised that the more I learn, the less I know.”
A fisher, diver and farmer. Runs the beef and sheep side of the farm and dives for pāua in Cook Strait.
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Owns a commercial fishing operation in Bristol Bay, Alaska, where the family spends June and July each year.
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James Radon
Mechanic & skipper
“There’s always something to fix and another adventure ahead.”
Dives for pāua in Cook Strait and keeps every engine on the farm running.
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His love of the sea extends to Bristol Bay, where he owns his own boat.
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Hayley Radon
marketing & E-commerce manager
“Capturing stories while helping grow them.”
Manages our website and digital marketing, helping people discover our pāua pearl jewellery, island stays and tours.
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She moved to the island to be with James and now captures island life and shares our story online.
From the tank to the setting
Corey Broughton, master jeweller
“If you can dream it, we can make it.”
Corey has made jewellery for more than 30 years. He selects the pearls from each harvest and designs a setting for every one.