Linda Hall: Bay still wonderful place to live

After my week in Australia I was all set to write about how much I loved living in Hawke's Bay and what a wonderful place it was.

Then the news broke about the 87-year-old widow attacked as she checked her mail at her Frimley home.

My heart goes out to her, and her family and friends. When something so absolutely horrible as this happens, the ripple effect is felt far and wide. Not just by family and friends but by complete strangers like you and me, who feel so outraged that a vulnerable member of our community has been the target of a hideous crime.

I know it's not just in Hawke's Bay. The past week has seen three attacks on the elderly. The latest one at 4am yesterday, when an elderly woman confronted a group of young burglars in her Whangarei home.

She was brave enough to shout at them and told them to get out and called the police, who luckily happened to be in the area.

These kids were aged just 14-16 and are thought to be responsible for a spate of home invasions, most targeting older victims.

The third incident last week was much more violent. A Pukekohe couple were tied up and robbed in their own home.

How frightening for all these people and how cowardly are the perpetrators of these crimes.

Whenever something like this happens in Hawke's Bay, it is heartening to see people rallying around the victim and family. We have excellent support groups in the Bay.

However, it's not just people like Victim Support and counsellors who reach out to help. It's friends and friends of friends, neighbours and strangers, who want in some small way to offer their support and comfort.

We do live in a nice place, where 99.9 per cent of the people are kind and caring and wouldn't dream of hurting anyone.

Good things have been happening in Hawke's Bay.

It's amazing what can be done when people rally around and decide enough is enough.

Take Hastings CBD for instance. About three months ago the cry went up to "claim back our streets". The Hastings District Council listened to the people and employed city ambassadors to patrol the streets. I don't know about you, but I think the atmosphere in Hastings CBD has well and truly changed for the better.

The Night Market held on Thursday was incredible, there were people everywhere. The mood was light and cheerful, and both young and old seemed to be having fun.

On Saturday, I went to Napier. The place was buzzing. The Dawn Princess was in port and there were stalls outside the i-Site centre, a couple of old cars parked in front of the Masonic Hotel, and people decked out in Art Deco gear.

We spotted the Art Deco bus outside the aquarium and on the spur of the moment decided to jump on board. It cost just $6 for an hour-long trip that took us down Marine Parade, past the port, where we got to see the cruise ship, through Ahuriri and out to the Westshore Hotel, where we turned around.

So yes, Hawke's Bay is a great place to live and, although I love visiting my family in Australia, I have no desire whatsoever to live there.

The traffic would drive me mental. I always get really anxious on the day I'm leaving as we discuss what time we have to leave for the airport. "We have to leave at 6am, Mum, because the traffic will be bad if we leave later and then if there's an accident we need to allow plenty of time."

My two daughters, however, love it. I doubt they will ever come back to New Zealand to live.

Oh well, I guess I get the best of both worlds, trips to Aussie and living in sunny Hawke's Bay.

Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.