Wirimu piritahi Rudolph

Our Father: Wirimu Piritahi Rudolph (policeman)
had a very strong character, he was of average height, thick set, fair skin, and hazel eyes, sometimes green, very funny and he had a very generous nature many friends, he could at times be forth rite and going beyond bounds to prove his point the local policeman. Mr Garbolinski, a friend, it was said this policeman deputized my dad as the local policeman for Pawarenga and from then on he became known simply as "Policeman" his command of English was excellent as was his Maori, his brothers and sisters the same, I enjoyed listening to them speak on the marae. he often read, even the best bets (horse racing bible) I detested Saturdays when he was listening to the races on radio, one darn't make a sound around him. He was a bushman, cattleman, fisherman and hunter, he worked in the Warawara Bush when it was allowed to fell timber. and a company had the contract to fell trees almost all the men in Pawarenga were bushmen.

He was the best fisherman in the whole of Pawarenga and would return with many fish, far to much for our family but he Knew that before he caught the fish, if the fishing was good he would continue to fish until he caught enough for most of the village, that's if the village didn't follow him to the coast. When dad decided to go fishing one could be sure it was the right time to go and that would be the next day he would tell us that evening before, to prepare the horses and things for a whole day-out, fishing lines and food (bread and drink) it was so exciting to be going out with my father to the coast, so much so I would hardly sleep the night before.

I used to marvel at my dad he knew exactly where to fish, another thing he was good at was netting. That morning early before sun up (dark) everyone was up, the milkers 4am 2-3 hours later we would head off, those going fishing, we would also take a bucket of skim milk with us and on our way-out to the coast we would stop at the kawhi at the inlet to the harbour dad would throw handfuls of skim milk into the sea feeding shoals of herring 2 people would get into the water with the small net and surround the fish then drag it in and in the net would be dozens of fish at least 6 inches long and 1-2 inches thick they would be used for bait for fishing at the coast and the remainder cooked, on a campfire, for lunch with crabs, mussels, boobo hot billy tea, and bread, when you had this at the coast it would be the best lunch ever, all that salt air made you so hungry....and it tasted so good.

It would take approx 1hour, to reach the coast, the horses would have to negotiate a narrow track gradually climbing the side of the hill the track was so narrow just wide enough for one horse at a time followed by the rest, at places on the track we would have to get of our horse and let the horse go on because parts of the track would have slipped away and the horses had better footing without the rider, and if they slipped, in some cases the drop to the bottom into the sea was about 100 feet, in all the times I had gone to the coast we have never lost a horse or injury to man or beast the track also followed the inlet which ran into the mouth of the Whangapei harbour, at the beginning of the track, a beautiful sight and at high tide on a fine day it was worthy of many a master piece painting, and also the start of Pawarenga from the west.

Just getting to the coast was exciting in it self when you got near to the top of the track after, clearing the brush (trees) and uncle Bob Hunia's house A big beautiful 3 brm house. Uncle, had built this house himself and his son Boy Boy hand carted all the material, by row boat from Pawarenga, down thru the channel then directly below where the house was to be, they would haul all it to the top of the hill, by horse, some 3-4 hundred ft. The house was made of the finest timber, Kauri, brick, (chimney) steel, and corrugated steel roof, It was a red roof, and most of the timbers painted creamy and the veranda and windows were green. as I already mentioned it was a beautiful house, when it was completed I'm sure, it would have rivaled most of the modest off homes in Auckland. I remember this house still standing when I was about 17yrs old, home for a holiday, I also remember a billiard table in the games room it had a large fire place in the same room, also there was a very flash stove in the kitchen it was painted cream with green edging I remember thinking it looked so big to a 7-9yr, it could have cooked a whole cow. To get that stove up the very steep hill would have taken skill, strength, and a lot of patience.

I remember saying to someone when we 1'st went in the house
"what are those"? pointing to the ceiling and being told they were to make light, those are light bulb's, and they were everywhere, electricity by generator, Whoooo!! and the house overlooking a magnificent view, the Tasman Sea and a beautiful sandy beach and also the Warawara native bush, which came all the way down to the sand and stretching south and in the far distance, and out of sight was the Hokianga Harbour , (SADLY THIS HOUSE IS NO MORE).

Dad would choose the spot before we descended down mainly on the rocky outcrop along the beach where good fishing, Te Pahi, or Otoi mussels and crabs could be had, and the kids would fish for Nga-koikoi.
My granny Ewa, dads mum had land at Hau-tuaru/Hauteru, my brother Paul and our cousin Moana Campbell built a batch there with bro, Johnny and I there as the gofo's. When completed this Batch one big room, windows and a big open fireplace and fenced off outside also later within the fence was a small garden mum had manage to grow some Verge's riwai, onions and cabbage.

How we got to the batch was by truck (moana's) via Pangaru& Mitimiti I think
this way was the first time we went there to camp the truck was used to get the heavy stuff there and that's where it all stayed for further camping, otherwise by horse and via the "Golden Stairs" as mentioned above.

we use to have some of the best ever times there, I remember after being out fishing and collecting kutai, kotere-moana grabs, and mum making bread, in the big umu, rewai,& kotere-moana curry stew, fish, and kutai, and crab and corned beef (salted meat) with cabbage, big kai, then play, then horoi then bed and sleep to sound of nga ngaru (the waves) crashing on the sand and knowing you'r in your bed all snug and warm, and your whanau nearby. What more is there to life for a little Maori boy.


I remember as a very young lad going to the bush (Warawara) with dad and at a safe distance watching huge trees being felled I think they were kauri, and also watching the men, pit sawing the timber, this was done by one man on the log and the other in the pit directly below and with a long saw, handles on both ends, splitting the timber with the saw and someone else hammering wooden wedges into the timber as it was being sawn, all this was really hard work, this and much of the other work all done by a lot of men and beast My uncle Formby Rudolph, and uncle Swampy Wikitera, both had a team of bullocks these were magnificent beast very powerful, and also quite docile, uncle Swampy had the most in his team about 10 in all at least 2 were kept out of the pulling, not sure why, every one of the bullocks had a name, I remember Barney and Darky, uncle Swampy would call out their names individually, and also using the stock-whip, when more effort was needed to pull on the one huge log. I was aged about 7-9yrs it was was all so amazing watching these bollocks pull huge logs out to the clearing, thru the mud, water, and scrub, I would sometimes be allowed to ride on the log to the clearing and a waiting truck by a bank or what I learned later were skids to which the logs were hauled onto it, then onto the truck, when I say logs only 1 log at a time was hauled out by the truck they were so big. My dad later became the driver of this truck him, mom and I would sometimes all go together to take the log to the timber mill in Broadwood sometimes we stayed in a hut in Broadwood, and I remember eating the best sausages ever for our kai there I still recall the taste of those delicious sausages I think they came from the butcher shop in Broadwood
or from Jim Dotchins shop.

Quite often it was too dark to travel back to Pawarenga, because the lights on the truck were so weak our candles back home were brighter, according to my dad.

He was also the bus driver for the local school bus run by uncle Suru Peri I would sometimes go with him to pick the children up for school, which in those days the catholic school by the beach, next to rabbit Island, I would yet be of school age
4-5yrs I thought this was such a flash bus, it had 3 doors down the side 1 on the rt for the driver when one got into the bus you got in from one of the three doors and
slid along the bench seats to make make room for others 15-20 passengers

I remember an incident when still a child,coming home at night in a car my dad was driving, from the Herekino pub, my mum, dad I and some others I think uncle Reg Stephens was with us (him and my dad were very close friends) everyone happy all singing, and dad turning to me whilst singing a song (he enjoyed singing) when suddenly bang!!! we hit a bump in the road, next thing we are are in a big drain sideways, trees sticking into the car thru the open windows after climbing out, I was alright a few scratches had by the rest
after awhile everyone was laughing and they continued drinking and singing
I think someone came to tow us out eventually.

When the timber mill shut down dad went to Auckland for work, and leaving most of the family in Pawarenga, I remember that day it was very sad, especially for me I think my father spoilt me a little being the youngest .

Much later as I grew older I heard my dad was father too 18 children 13 to my
mother and 5 too 5 different women from Pawarenga.
One in particular was a pakeha women who ran the local shop Her name was Alice? and her son was Clive, first/last time I saw Clive was at the "Pawarenga
Sports Day " 2002 it was like looking at my dad same built, same eyes and
colouring (fair skin) Clive would have been in his late 60s early 70s then.
Clive past away in 2006 Kataia, where he lived with his family.

My Mother: Erina Wiripo Maihi, (mama)
was the only child of Wiripo (1st) and Merania Maihi( Marsh) as a child she lost her father in the 1st w.war, her mothers brother in-law Anaru Marsh, eventually became her adopted father whom we all loved, years later,he was killed while crossing Karangahape rd Auckland, they said saving his mokopuna, kare (my sister) from a speeding car. He was sadly missed by all
much so by our Ganny (our mums mum and his whangaied daughter, my mother whom he loved very much.

Nga Maumahara o nga wa o mua.....Tommy Rudolph