Leading from the front issuu

cheerfully because his heart was right in it.
Puketitiri has been a cool part of our lives for a long
time. ‘Prickle Bush’ or ‘Puk’ as we call it, is a very special
20 acre property in the foothills of the Kaweka Ranges.
It was part of a farm before Mum and Dad bought it from
a local character called Buster Wright in 1963. Buster
dressed like a cowboy and used to ride his horse in the
Puketitiri Hotel when he’d had one too many drinks.
We loved piling into Dad’s green Plymouth and heading
for the hills, eager to explore the bush and enjoy the
cosy bach once the fire was going; it’s pretty chilly there
in winter. If we arrived during the day, us six hungry kids
would run across the paddocks up to the Lewis’s farm
house, eager for Mary Lewis’ beautiful soft, fluffy scones
with jam and cream. Their own jam and cream! There always
seemed to be a pet lamb to feed and play with too.
On the way up we’d stop at Maxwell’s farm to collect
milk which came straight from their cow, not a bottle!
And if we arrived at Puk in the dark Dad would light kerosene
lanterns. We didn’t have electricity or a phone on
for years and I remember finding the key was often chalchapter
seventeen
MORE LOVE FROM
WHĀNAU & FRIENDS
A BIG PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES
by mary-anne magill
We had a lot of fun growing up with Dad in our
lives. One of my earliest memories is of sitting
on his knee while he sang, Row for the
Shore, Sailor. He would hold our hands as we faced him
and he’d row us backwards and forwards really fast and
there was always someone lined up, wanting to be next.
We had great times exploring Westshore beach and
going out in Ho mai, our little wooden dingy. We stayed
close to the shore and explored under the old lighthouse
near Perfume Point. Sometimes Dad took us all out in
the boat, which gave Mum a nice break.
With eight in the family there was always a lot going
on, especially at dinner time. We all helped and I remember
peeling a lot of potatoes! Fish was a favourite meal
and in winter Dad would come home and light the fire
for us.
Every morning he went for a long walk or a run along
the beach to clear his head before his busy day. And they
were busy days. As well as his work there was voluntary
youth work with the YMCA and helping set up the
Downtown Y, which took hours of his time that he gave
Mary Anne and Pat at a family celebration. Plenty of good times.
A big presence in our lives 239