Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Triplets call early night

By Lin Ferguson,lin.ferguson@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
Whanganui Chronicle·
31 Dec, 2012 06:27 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Triplets Elizabeth Porima, Rona Larsen and Ruth Brandon didn't have any special plans for their 81st New Year celebration last night.

In fact, they confessed they wouldn't even bother staying up to see in 2013.

The trio will turn 82 on February 27 and believe they are the oldest Maori triplets in New Zealand.

The three women sparkle - they look years younger than their age, and say life is for getting out and living and laughing as much as you can.

Between them they have 20 children, 45 grandchildren and 54 great-grandchildren.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There are four set of twins in the wider family, they said.

Their bond has remained strong during the years despite them each going their own way. They catch up a few times a year and are always on the phone to each other, they said.

"Oh yes, well, we have to know what's going on," Elizabeth said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When they were born on Stewart Island in 1931, their mother thought she was only Quiet night as triplets, 81, welcome a new year

having one small baby, Elizabeth said.

"I was the eldest by three hours then came Rona followed by Ruth within five minutes of each other."

Their mother went on to have 10 more children, Elizabeth said.

The triplets spent their first six years living in Oban, Halfmoon Bay, on Stewart Island where their father was a fisherman and one of New Zealand's first deer cullers, she said.

The family moved to Bluff for the children to start school and that's where they grew up before marrying and leaving home, Rona said.

Elizabeth lives in Kawhia in the Waikato and had 10 children. She has 26 grand children and 36 great-grandchildren.

"We all have wonderful families we're so fortunate," she said.

Rona lives in Rotorua and had six children, has 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Ruth lives in Wanganui. She had four children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I love Wanganui. I would never want to live anywhere else, it is a lovely town," she said.

Last night, they planned a quiet night in and conceded they would not stay up until midnight.

"No we'll be in bed long before them ... might watch some basketball but no, we won't be up late," Elizabeth said.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Chaos as Ruapehu council rejects officials' advice on water

10 Jul 03:15 AM
Whanganui Chronicle

Strong winds bring weather warning and watches

10 Jul 03:00 AM
Whanganui Chronicle

'Values-led' construction company takes top prize at Māori Business Awards

10 Jul 01:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Chaos as Ruapehu council rejects officials' advice on water

Chaos as Ruapehu council rejects officials' advice on water

10 Jul 03:15 AM

The officials' recommendation was estimated to save the community $40 million.

Strong winds bring weather warning and watches

Strong winds bring weather warning and watches

10 Jul 03:00 AM
'Values-led' construction company takes top prize at Māori Business Awards

'Values-led' construction company takes top prize at Māori Business Awards

10 Jul 01:00 AM
Whanganui missing child safe and well

Whanganui missing child safe and well

10 Jul 12:05 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP