Almost exactly five months ago I met two typical but very special teenage boys, who'd known each other since they were babies, and spent much of their childhood together.
They're both 16 and much about what they did was normal teenage stuff, as we sat and chatted together. They laughed and ribbed each other as they talked about an exciting adventure they were planning. Well, Callum Turner had pretty much planned it - he'd heard his friend Daniel Baxter talking about eating his way around New Zealand on a kind of Taste New Zealand Kiwiana tour. Daniel wanted crayfish in Kaikoura, pies wherever he could, whitebait from the West Coast, oysters from Bluff. He wanted to eat the best of the food New Zealand had to offer. And Callum wanted his best friend to have all that.
Strange thing for a 16-year-old boy to want... isn't all they think about how to sneak a beer and get it on? Didn't Daniel have his life ahead of him for his gourmet pursuits?
Well he did, but Daniel knew he didn't have much life ahead of him, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer last September, not long after his 16th birthday. He'd been treated for it since January and seemed to have beaten it, but cancer has a way of spiting a person's best efforts.
Daniel Baxter, who lives in Beach Haven and goes to Rosmini, is the eldest of four boys. His younger brothers are Caleb, Jordan and Logan. His mum Chrissy and dad Guy are lovely caring people who, once they knew their boy had cancer, decided to quit work and spend as much time as they could with him. Money was tight... but that wasn't the case for long, after Callum and his mother Chantall Turner set up the My Mate Daniel Facebook page to fundraise for the Baxter family and their trip of a lifetime together.
They couldn't have guessed at the support they would receive. And when The Aucklander published Daniel and Callum's story in November we were inundated with messages for them and, later, people wanting to know how Daniel was getting on.
Thanks to the generosity of New Zealanders, and even people overseas who followed his story on Facebook, along with CanTeen and Make-a-Wish, Daniel got his wish. He and his family spent six wonderful weeks touring from Auckland to Wellington to Bluff in a Maui campervan, fulfilling Daniel's dream of visiting Lord of the Rings sites and production areas, all the sites of beauty around the country, and of course eating.
The generosity of New Zealand restaurateurs and chefs was astounding. Before he'd even gone on the trip, his classmates at Rosmini College had collected enough money to take him and friends in a Hummerzine to Wildfire on the waterfront. They had the money to pay, but the restaurant wouldn't let them. Daniel had the feast of his life - more meat than you could poke a stick at.
Then on December 5 the family headed off on their excellent eating adventure. For a while they had thought they might not get there, but Daniel's determination seemed to click his health into a gear that meant he could. It was a trip that lasted 44 days and took in so much more than they ever dreamed. Daniel's dedicated mum Chrissy even kept a blog about it on the NZ Herald site as well as the regular updates on the My Mate Daniel page, which now has more than 2900 followers.
They travelled to Hobbiton first and although it was a tiring day Daniel said: "This is what I came for and I'm doing it. I don't care how tired I get."
Then it was prawns in Taupo, cheese and icecream in Lindale, down to Wellington for a feast at Logan Brown restaurant, more Hobbit adventures at Weta, before heading across on the ferry to the biggest part of the trip, a week after they'd left home. (You can see every day here or by going to nzherald.co.nz and typing in "Daniel Baxter" (in quotes) in the search.)
I kept an eye on it each day and the photos were fantastic and it was great to read that on their last day in the South Island they got to see not one, as they were hoping for, but five sperm whales out on a trip with Whale Watch Kaikoura. "Rex our captain made sure that the whales were on Daniel's side of the boat so he didn't even have to leave his seat, and Paaki made sure no-one got in his viewing space. We were out on the water for 2 1/2 hours," wrote Chrissy. It was a special day.
As well as having a special time together, Chrissy actually did a good job for NZ tourism I thought. There were plenty of places I'd never been to but want to go to after seeing their pictures and reading about what they did there. There were lots of comments on the Facebook page from people saying the same.
I talked to Chrissy during this time. "It is wonderful, we are so grateful for it, and I just have to keep enjoying every day we have with him. We have to just try and forget about why we are doing this trip."
When they returned home on January 18, it was time for a bit of a rest. Callum came round the next day and Chrissy wrote: "Daniel spent the day with 'His Mate Callum' yesterday and I haven't heard him laugh so much in a long time. It reinforces the power of special friends and friendships."
But Daniel still had one place he really wanted to knock off his bucket list. By now his health had deteriorated and it was a bit of a balancing act getting his medication right to ensure he would be well enough to enjoy it. He did however manage to join the DINZ drift train cars in early February and also sample a few delights at Euro restaurant on the waterfront where celebrity chef Simon Gault treated the whole family to some delicacies. Then it was up north, Kaitaia, Paihia, Kerikeri for those oranges, Kai iwi lakes and Cape Reinga. Daniel had really wanted to go to the far north as well as his South Island adventure. He did it.
All along the way the My Mate Daniel Facebook page was updated, sometimes by Chantall, sometimes by Daniel's brothers, but mostly by his mum Chrissy. On Holy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, came the saddest entry: "Daniel's condition has deteriorated, "his circle of men" gathered around him today along with family and friends. He is a courageous young man heading towards the end of this chapter of his incredible journey. Daniel we love you, you are in our hearts forever " Daniel's circle of men included his dad and brothers, along with Callum and his brothers Josh and Dorian.
Later that night Chantall wrote: "My son is sitting beside "My Mate Daniel" - thick as thieves right from the beginning- right through till the end. I am so proud to be his mum and I am so privileged to have Chrissy, Guy, Daniel, Caleb, Jordan and Logan in my life Just sitting here reading all the warm thoughts and overwhelming tributes on My Mate Daniel's page - their journey has touched so many people, I am so glad that through the school communities and FB Daniel experienced the time of his life and memories have been created - thank you "
Earlier this week I talked to Chantall. She told me Callum, as promised, had been with Daniel as much as he could. "He's even doing things like scratching his head for him, and you know what teenage boys are like they don't want to do stuff like that."
But as I saw when I met them, being friends for your entire life is a special thing. Callum is pretty much Baxter family. The Baxter family themselves have been amazing. The Facebook page that started out as Callum's tribute and fundraiser for his mate, became a mother's open and heart-warming, and then heartrending, account of her first born's trip and ultimately his life voyage.
Daniel, true to form, told his mother on Good Friday that he wasn't leaving yet. "He told me he's not ready to go yet," wrote Chrissy. "Not sure what he's waiting for but Josh thinks it's to see who wins the D1NZ round at Hampton Downs tomorrow. Daniel had predicted Mad Mike. As he did in life he will decide when the time is right."
Daniel's time was right at 4.20am this morning, Easter Sunday. Rest in peace Daniel Baxter.
See Daniel's photos of his amazing trip with his family (make sure you click on See All)
1982 crash victim's sister: “It’s just like, ‘you bastard, you brought it all up again’.