Brian | Pakuranga
“Brian is my name, and I live up in Pakuranga. Many years ago. I had to keep my arm around a mate while we were floating around out at the Foveaux Strait after our boat went down.
We were paua diving, and we took a load of paua back to our boat, and we got hit by a couple of waves, and it sunk the dingy we were in. My friend was in a slight bit of panic, so I just kept my arm around him and made sure he wouldn’t let go of the dingy until we made it back into shore about an hour-and-a-half later. So that’s probably about the biggest thing.
I believe we need to brave, every now and again, but there’s a lot of people that never have to be in a situation where they have to step up like that. So, is it everybody’s cup of tea? Probably not always, but I think there are times when somebody’s got to step up and do something. My brother did it two weeks ago when he pulled over where a guy was beating up his wife and stomping on her head while there were other spectators there, but he pulled over and did something about it. So I guess, some people do and some people don’t.
Born in Bluff, raised in Invercargill, now as I said, I reside in Auckland. Family is the most important thing. Always has been. I think if you haven’t got a family, or you’re not close to your family, it’s a sad loss. So, I guess that’s the most important thing to me; family. Family and friends.”