Te Aroha | Westbrook, Waikato

“Interesting that you say that, because the first thing that pops into my head is probably not appreciating the value of growing up with your grandparents.

I guess that’s something that I miss the most, being a moko that was raised by her nanny and koro. Because when you’re a child, you just want to go and play. So, I regret not making the most of it and not listening, not taking in those moments, because now they’re not here, and I wish they were.

I’m thankful that I actually had the opportunity first of all, to have had my grandparents around, and I think what that’s instilled in me is that family is important. I myself, I have eight children, so I think that’s in my wairua, and I look forward to the day that I become a grandparent, because I truly value that part of my life. My poor kids. I’ll probably take their children off them and tell them to get. 

I grew up here down by the Utuhina river. I grew up with a couple of my cousins. Our house was like the marae of the whānau. So, we didn’t have to travel far. Everyone came to us. If someone came, cup of teas were on. There was one time where I made my aunty a cup of tea from the hot water tap, and she goes, Bub did you boil the kettle? So, I think she kind of knew. I just grew up here, Rotorua. Went to school here, intermediate here. I valued my intermediate years. I thought those were the best times in schooling, because you were too young to go to high school and too old to stay at primary. You really learn quite a lot in that transitional time, but I’m happy to be home. I went away for a few years, and I’m glad to be back, and I’m glad to be raising my children in Rotorua.”