Rob Rattenbury is retired and lives in Whanganui. He recently published a book about his years with the police.
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![Rob Rattenbury: Dating days are a distant memory](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Dating days are a distant memory
OPINION: Five decades since his dating days, women are still a mystery to Rob Rattenbury.
![Rob Rattenbury: Granddaughters changed our lives](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Granddaughters changed our lives
OPINION: Some may say they are spoiled. Well, just a bit.
![Rob Rattenbury: Why New Zealand is a great place for road trips](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Why New Zealand is a great place for road trips
OPINION: Road trips have always been our thing.
![Rob Rattenbury: Fishing is an age-old human activity](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Fishing is an age-old human activity
Rods, lines, reels, bait, waders, nets, boats. The list is long for the keen fisherperson.
![Rob Rattenbury: Cycling through the memories of a great sport](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Cycling through the memories of a great sport
OPINION: I'd never get rid of my bikes.
![Rob Rattenbury: A truant of some repute](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: A truant of some repute
OPINION: I do not remember much about my fourth-form year.
![Rob Rattenbury: Life on Whanganui’s East side](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Life on Whanganui’s East side
OPINION: We never set out to live in Whanganui East but that is how it turned out.
![Rob Rattenbury: New fridge a chance to start afresh](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: New fridge a chance to start afresh
Rob Rattenbury: All was not well with the great white monster.
![When wood fire was everything in our homes](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
When wood fire was everything in our homes
OPINION: The wood box in the lounge or living room had to be kept full.
![Rob Rattenbury: Annoying potholes a symptom of a far bigger issue](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Annoying potholes a symptom of a far bigger issue
OPINION: Big government needs to take responsibility at times.
![Rob Rattenbury: A public engagement](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: A public engagement
'We knew it was coming... they both turned up late morning with a bottle of bubbles.'
![Rob Rattenbury: We want the best treaty outcomes](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: We want the best treaty outcomes
OPINION: We all want our country to thrive.
![Whanganui’s town centre can amaze visitors](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Whanganui’s town centre can amaze visitors
OPINION: People from outside of Whanganui are really surprised
![Rob Rattenbury: Years seem to be rolling around much quicker](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Years seem to be rolling around much quicker
OPINION: I would expect our politics to dominate the news for a while.
![Rob Rattenbury: How mentors shape our lives](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: How mentors shape our lives
Comment: Others help parents raise their children without often even being aware of it.
![Rob Rattenbury: Times have changed but fish n' chips are still for me](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Times have changed but fish n' chips are still for me
What's your favourite takeaway?
![Rob Rattenbury: A sleepy hamlet and a beautiful lake](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: A sleepy hamlet and a beautiful lake
OPINION: "Everywhere one looks in Whanganui, one sees history".
![Rob Rattenbury: Matthew Perry was a friend to us all](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Matthew Perry was a friend to us all
OPINION: All too often, we see shining bright stars fade away long before their time.
![Rob Rattenbury on Israel-Hamas war: I'm worried about where this will end this time](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury on Israel-Hamas war: I'm worried about where this will end this time
'The history of both sides is tragic, to say the least.'
![Rob Rattenbury: Every politician has their day](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Every politician has their day
OPINION: Politicians come and go, they have their moments in the sun then usually fade.
![Rob Rattenbury: Remembering when we were all joggers](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Remembering when we were all joggers
OPINION: The streets were filled with people running here, there and everywhere.
![Rob Rattenbury: Participating in the election not to be taken for granted](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Participating in the election not to be taken for granted
OPINION: We all know change can take forever, even in our little democracy.
![Rob Rattenbury: Schools entrench strong networks](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Schools entrench strong networks
OPINION: We knew all the stories, the jokes, the traditions.
![Rob Rattenbury: What Six60′s Pepeha means to me](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: What Six60′s Pepeha means to me
Being a New Zealander can be a complex business.
![Rob Rattenbury: It’s a matter of faith](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: It’s a matter of faith
OPINION: Many in New Zealand society have moved on from active religious worship.
![Rob Rattenbury: Shopping a doddle with quieter pace of life](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Shopping a doddle with quieter pace of life
OPINION: A bad traffic day is when Rob Rattenbury gets two red lights at the city bridge.
![Rob Rattenbury: At some point you find a home forever](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: At some point you find a home forever
OPINION: 'I put Supertramp on the stereo and wound it up. We are here and here to stay.'
![Rob Rattenbury: Lest we forget](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Lest we forget
Rob Rattenbury pays tribute to those who serve so we can live in freedom.
![Rob Rattenbury: Morvin Simon dramatically shifted my horizons](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Morvin Simon dramatically shifted my horizons
A course in te ao Māori was a gamechanger for Rob Rattenbury.
![Rob Rattenbury: US is a beautiful but complex nation](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: US is a beautiful but complex nation
The investigation into the attack on the US Capitol is well underway
![Opinion | Labour looks soft on gangs, dithering on law and order](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Opinion | Labour looks soft on gangs, dithering on law and order
OPINION: There's a lot going on for Labour heading into an election year next year.
![Rob Rattenbury: Pākehā need to be trusted with referendum on He Puapua](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Pākehā need to be trusted with referendum on He Puapua
OPINION: We need a referendum on He Puapua, because progress depends on public support.
![Rob Rattenbury: Climate change is a sleeping giant that needs our attention](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Climate change is a sleeping giant that needs our attention
Opinion: By the time the world cottons on to climate change it may be too late.
![1981 Springbok Tour: Former cop recalls being on duty for Hamilton match](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
1981 Springbok Tour: Former cop recalls being on duty for Hamilton match
"The few police on the embankment were brushed aside like feathers."
![Rob Rattenbury: How pervasive is white supremacy in NZ?](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: How pervasive is white supremacy in NZ?
OPINION: White supremacists do exist in our country, though hopefully not in great numbers
![Rob Rattenbury: How New Zealanders could show their patriotism](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: How New Zealanders could show their patriotism
"I love my country... but I have never felt the need to shout it from the rooftops."
![Rob Rattenbury: A reckoning is coming over the history of New Zealand](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: A reckoning is coming over the history of New Zealand
COMMENT: Many will feel ashamed about what they learn, writes Rob Rattenbury.
![Comment: What a mission getting in and out of Wellington](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Comment: What a mission getting in and out of Wellington
Our two-hour journey can be increased to nearly three if we pick the wrong time to travel.
![Rob Rattenbury: Why names are important - it's about respect](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Rob Rattenbury: Why names are important - it's about respect
This is not about a cultural difference; it is about respect and thoughtfulness.
![Best of 2020: Don't deny it: White privilege still exists, and it's ugly](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Best of 2020: Don't deny it: White privilege still exists, and it's ugly
Most Pākehā, when told about this concept, are shocked and go into denial.
![Comment: Why it's time to ditch the royal family](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=795)
Comment: Why it's time to ditch the royal family
Comment: Having a Head of State who is a foreigner seems archaic in a democracy.