Today we are celebrating Fathers Day, today we are interviewing local dad Jon Owen.
I’m a husband to an amazing woman (my childhood sweetheart) and father to two perfect girls, and we all live in Bondi. Originally from Wales, my wife and I fell in love with the Aussie lifestyle when we travelled for our honeymoon.
I love reading and cooking and I’m a keen surfer. I’m also a massive environmentalist.
Work is also a passion-point. I am starting a business that helps kids deal with climate change through positive action. As a dad, I have a hard time being ok with the fact that so many kids are growing up worrying about the future of the planet. So we’re developing a really fun app, but the beauty of Genus is our ‘Screen Time to Green Time’ model, that gets the kids out into the real world to perform mini-tasks that help the planet.
We’re crowdfunding at the moment on Birchal. If anyone likes the sound of what we’re doing, they can jump onto www.birchal.com and become a co-owner.
Where and how long have you lived in Sydney’s east?
Since 2016. Actually 8 years this month!
Three words that describe what it’s like to live in the eastern suburbs?
Expensive. Worth it.
How many children?
2 awesome little girls – Molly (10) and Eve (8)
Favourite Park:
Tricky one! Marks Park for the dog. But you can’t beat Centennial…it’s world class. A park like that in the middle of the Eastern Suburbs – truly amazing.
Favourite Beach:
Bondi for everything but surfing – I like Tama for that. Hermit Beach is pretty cool on the harbour side.
Favourite kid friendly cafe:
Depot’s always really good. I miss the old spot in North Bondi, but the new place is awesome too.
Favourite Coffee Spot:
I’m actually off coffee at the moment, but I do like Blair Street Dairy. My wife loves coffee and she eally rates Fika
Favourite date night place:
We went to Sean’s for our anniversary recently, that was excellent. Speakeasy in Bondi is a nice, intimate little place, with good wine and good music. We like it there
Where in the east have you yet to explore and would like to ?
One of the best things about living here is that there’s always something new popping up – a new café or a new restaurant. But I think top of the list right now would be to get inside the new Allianz Stadium!
What would you like to see improve in the eastern suburbs?
Sustainability – it isn’t always clear and easy for people to do the right thing environmentally, and I think the council should make it so.
Favourite Local Shop:
Pasticceria Papa has amazing deli food, I could spend a fortune in there!
Abode is go-to for cards and gifts, but I also love a good surf shop. Surf Culture on Bondi Road is awesome!
Favourite wet weather location:
Being at home, of the sofa with the kids, with a good movie. I spent my entire childhood in Wales in the rain, so I’m happy to stay indoors these days. We didn’t come to Australia to get rained on…which is happening a lot these days!
Favourite Local family Weekend Activity?
Summertime is beach time for us. If the weather’s not great, I do enjoy lunch and a cinema visit with the kids. Eating out has to be part of any decent weekend, rain or shine. When the kids were really little, I bowling an afternoon away at Bondi’s awesome bowlo was a firm favourite.
Work or SAHM?
Work, but I do the school runs, and enjoy helping the girls with their homework. I like to think I’m a very present dad, I enjoy being a father. The family is very understanding that I’m starting a business, but being a dad will always be number 1.
Fatherly advice?
My wife is a social worker and works with kids a lot, so she always has great advice and parenting tips. But my mum is a massive influence on how I parent too. All kids are different, but if you’re there for them, listen to them and love them, that’s 90% of parenting for me. I think people should have fun parenting too. I supposedlife gets in the way, but we should all look around and take it in. We only get one go, might as well enjoy it.
Genus details:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/genus.earth
IG: https://instagram.com/genus.earth
