There she met and married a fellow journalist, George Koea of Te Āti Awa.
[3] Since then, she has been a full-time writer; she has received a number of literary grants and fellowships, and produced novels, short stories and memoirs.
[3] Recurring themes in Koea's writing are personal relationships and their difficulties, and men's and women's roles in the family.
Male characters are often oppressive, and females initially helpless; after a period, however, the women eventually take charge of their own destiny.
[3] Her narratives have been likened to those of fellow New Zealand writers Katherine Mansfield and Frank Sargeson, which also centred on familiar characters and situations.