
Dear David, I've been away walking Te Araroa lately, scratching the belly of the fish, as Hone Tūwhare used to say. It's had me thinking about us all as a people. You have, too, I suppose. I happened to be in Russell the night of the election, caught the Ōpua ferry with Winston Peters the next day. On the way through Kerikeri, I stayed for a night with Kipa and Susie, two of the most blessed souls you're ever likely to meet. Kipa is from Ngāti Rēhia. He told me you whakapapa to there. I envy you for that.
Thirty years ago, I went to live in Te Tii, the home of Ngāti Rēhia in the Bay of Islands. I stayed in an old tin shed by the beach. I rented it for $30 a week from Kipa's brother, John, although everyone called him "The Hood". He lived on a small hill above me with his partner, Kuia. Aunty Rangi lived beside them, with Milton and Erehi. Uncle Buck and Aunty Maraea lived one house over, and Aunty Bloss was in front.
On the beach in front of me lived Tom Kelly and his four daughters. The girls ate my chocolate biscuits while I nailed the corrugated iron into the bottom plate to stop the mice getting into the shed. And then again when I made a shower from roofing battens, polythene and a small water tank.
Soli lived beside me then. And on the other side of him lived Aunty Tiniwa, and Gracie, her daughter. Gracie and I watched Shortland Street together most nights. Afterwards, I would help her with her homework.
In the house beyond that, at the end of the beach, lived Aunty Rongo. She is my most constant ghost nowadays. I live with her chatting on my shoulders.
Uncle Bill and Aunty Kare lived on the other side of the community. I visited them most days. Aunty Kare wanted to baptise me. Uncle Bill wanted someone to tease and to ride shotgun with him through the wild west of his memories.
Esta historia es de la edición April 6-11, 2024 de New Zealand Listener.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición April 6-11, 2024 de New Zealand Listener.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar

A hint of mermaids
Erin Palmisano's latest novel once again has food and romance at the heart of its well-plotted story.

Execution over innovation
Big and bold ideas are fine, but being the best beats being first.

Something's wrong with all of them
Engaging dissection of the 20th-century novel likely to send the reader in search for the book under discussion.

Cell warfare
A NZ trial using immunotherapy to beat a form of blood cancer is expanding after promising results – and it's hoped the 'gold standard' treatment will soon be widely available.

The virus that stole all the smells
In this edited extract from The Forgotten Sense, Jonas Olofsson traces the rise in anosmia as a result of Covid-19 infections.

When caring is ‘woke'
Some years ago, I sat in a small plane circling over Punta del Este in Uruguay. There was a delay and we sat in tense silence until we began our descent. Outside the tiny airport, a taxi ferried us past private Lear jets; these had been the cause of the hold-up. The driver pointed to two planes side by side. \"This one is a Trump plane.\"

Getting along swimmingly
The presenters of Endangered Species Aotearoa spend a fair bit of time on and in the water in the second season.

That clingy feeling
Our pets display the same types of attachment behaviours as we do, or so it seems.

The famous furred
A peaceful little spot in LA is the final resting place for the pets of some of Hollywood's biggest names.

Gone girl
She wandered in on Thursday morning looking very wan, and climbed into her bed. I sat on the edge and stroked her back.