I’ve always had an interest in history and recently decided to delve into my own background. All I knew was that my great-great-grandparents lived in the Whangaroa area and their graves were somewhere near the harbour. Missionary James Shepherd arrived in New Zealand in 1818 to be joined by his wife Harriet some years later. [...]
The foothills of Mt Taranaki are formed by the Pouakai and Kaitake ranges, remnants of a large volcano. They lie to the north of the symmetrically shaped volcano that is Mt Taranaki. Both ranges were the source of kai (food) for local Māori a factor reflected in their names. Pouakai means the pillar or source [...]
It’s 25 years since Jassy Dean’s life was tragically cut short when she died from meningococcal disease just as her teenage years debuted. Jassy was, by all accounts, a sunny, intelligent girl who made an impression on all who met her. Living as she did in a close-knit community for most of her young life, [...]