M\u0101ori healer Dion Freeman is guiding Matthew Ridge on their journey Healing Aotearoa. Photo \/ Healingaotearoa.co.nz <\/p>\n
\u201cI met Dion 20 years ago, and when I met him, for a reason I don\u2019t know, I poured my heart out to him,\u201d Ridge says. <\/p>\n
Freeman appeared on Ridge\u2019s podcast The Brink a year ago, which he co-hosts with his Monaco-based friend, fellow Kiwi David Ring<\/a>. It\u2019s billed as a \u201cboundary-pushing\u201d conversation in which the pair \u201ctackle the tough stuff\u201d. <\/p>\n The chemistry and banter between unlikely friends Ridge and Ring<\/a> quickly found a loyal audience. It evolved into a show in which the hosts and guests shared honest accounts of their lives, and both Ring and Ridge spoke openly about past addictions and how they got through life. <\/p>\n In Freeman\u2019s appearance, he explained his healing practice, called honohono<\/a>, which he says was passed down to him through his ancestors and which he has practised since he was a child. <\/p>\n He fully committed himself to the practice in 2008, and began guiding others in 2013. Freeman says it involves him tuning into people\u2019s spirits and relaying messages their bodies and souls are trying to convey. <\/p>\n After his podcast appearance, Freeman joined Ridge and his family a few months later on the French Riviera, at a time when Ridge says they were going through a time \u201cof uplift\u201d, spiritually, mentally and physically. <\/p>\n Ridge and his French-born wife Chloe moved there in 2022 with their young children, Kenzo and Lola, wanting to immerse themselves in French culture. <\/p>\n He says that having Freeman with them was an amazing experience for the whole family, and it ignited a strong desire to return to New Zealand and discover himself and the spirituality of home. <\/p>\n The Healing Aotearoa trip started around Arthur\u2019s Pass, where Ridge and Freeman visited the ancient site Castle Hill\/Kura T\u0101whiti, followed by the West Coast. Ridge was gifted a taonga at Bonz n Stonz in Hokitika, where you can carve your own pounamu. They then road-tripped through Aoraki\/Mt Cook National Park to Queenstown. <\/p>\n They met Freeman\u2019s extensive whakapapa, visiting w\u0101hi tapu (sacred sites) and mixing wellness and fitness with other physical techniques, such as jiu-jitsu and Tibetan Rites, a type of ancient, low-impact yoga exercise. <\/p>\n For Freeman\u2019s birthday last week, the pair were joined by Ridges\u2019 son, Boston. They enjoyed a hike in the bush and Coronet Peak, followed by contrast therapy at Dominic Bowden\u2019s new sauna experience, Watershed on Lake Wakatipu. <\/p>\n Ridge\u2019s ex-wife, Sally Ridge<\/a>, joined the boys for lunch at her partner John Darby\u2019s restaurant, Amisfield, near Queenstown. Their meal took place days before the news broke of executive chef Vaughan Mabee<\/a> leaving the business after complaints about his behaviour towards some staff. <\/p>\n This week, Ridge and Freeman have been to Stewart Island, before they take their h\u012bkoi of healing to the Far North. <\/p>\n Christchurch-based Freeman has been calling on his contacts to help with the journey. Eyrewell Forest Motor Company (EFMC) has loaned a red Range Rover Sport for the road trip, with company director Andrew Farrow telling Society Insider that he has known Freeman for a few years and is a big fan of what he does. <\/p>\n Scenic Hotel Group<\/a> is providing Freeman and Ridge\u2019s accommodation. <\/p>\n Group head of product and innovation Ali Smith says Healing Aotearoa mirrors Scenic\u2019s vision. <\/p>\n \u201cDion and Matthew\u2019s healing journey speaks strongly to what we stand for. <\/p>\n \u201cSlowing down, coming home, and reconnecting not only with place, but with self, culture and community.\u201d <\/p>\n Freeman says he is documenting Ridge\u2019s journey to showcase what healing can look like for men, in the hope of inspiring others to start their own healing processes. <\/p>\n Ridge is expected to head back to rejoin Chloe and their children at the end of the trip in June. <\/p>\n Ridge\u2019s older children \u2013 London, from his earlier relationship with former popstar Carly Binding, and Boston, the son he shares with ex\u2011wife Sally \u2013 are both settled in Auckland. Boston\u2019s older sister, Jaime, is based in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n Boston has run his father\u2019s car-washing business, Carf\u00e9, since Ridge moved to France. <\/p>\n The three children are understood to have visited Ridge in France during his time there, with Ridge also returning to New Zealand when he can. Ridge also visited in 2023 to film the second season of TV series Designing Dreams<\/a>. <\/p>\n Party People of the Week <\/p>\n Cathay Pacific x The Nightcar <\/p>\nMatthew Ridge and his The Brink podcast co-host David Ring. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
M\u0101ori healer Dion Freeman is guiding Matthew Ridge on their journey Healing Aotearoa. Photo \/ Healingaotearoa.co.nz <\/p>\n
Dion Freeman visiting Matthew Ridge in France. Photo \/ @Healingaotearoa <\/p>\n
Chloe and Matthew Ridge with their son Kenzo in France. Photo \/ @Healingaotearoa <\/p>\n
Matthew Ridge on the South Island\u2019s West Coast at the start of his journey. Photo \/ Instagram @Healingaotearoa
Matthew Ridge received a taonga from Bonz n Stonz in Hokitika. Photo \/ Instagram @Healingaotearoa <\/p>\n
Matthew Ridge hiking in Queenstown. Photo \/ Instagram @Healingaotearoa
Matthew and Boston Ridge last week at Amisfield near Queenstown. Photo \/ Instagram @Sallyridge<\/p>\n
M\u0101ori healer Dion Freeman is guiding Matthew Ridge on their journey Healing Aotearoa. Photo \/ Healingaotearoa.co.nz <\/p>\n
Matthew Ridge taking a cold plunge. Photo \/ @Healingaotearoa <\/p>\n
Matthew and Boston Ridge in front of Carf\u0113 <\/p>\n
Matthew Ridge on his TV show Designing Dreams <\/p>\n