Kaitāia has changed a lot over the years.
I went to school at then backblocks Kaitāia, over the Gorge, Primer 1 to Form 6. Attendance – 100%.
Actually, I didn’t start till age 6, because of a long, steep, one-mile (1.6km) Clough Rd walk with my siblings and cousins.
There were 12 of us walking to catch the Church Rd school bus. The driver was neighbour/farmer Mr Bert Cowie, of strong Scottish accent.
The six Cowie children went on to notable community and teaching careers. I remember Jean and Don; Colin was later principal of Kaitāia Primary.
It was the war years, and Mr Cowie, with other farmers and locals, and our dad Alleyne Holder, paraded every Saturday up Victoria Valley and Larmer’s Rd for the Home Guard, preparing to protect us from the Japs, who could easily land on the Ninety Mile Beach, any time now.
All bridges had huge logs and rolls of barbed wire at the ready to stop tanks if the enemy arrived. The Home Guard practised with guns, marching and throwing hand grenades. Mr Cowie had an arm blown off. But he could still drive the bus, and be our friend.
My Primer 1 teacher was Miss Tulloch, kind and gentle. We all seemed to be happy and obedient, eating our Marmite sandwiches wrapped in greaseproof paper, and apple, brought of course from home.
We had some memorable long-term teachers, along with awards for “Best in Class” etc. Prizes were classic books, of course.
The most notable teacher was the late Garfield Johnson, author of an inspired bicultural social education project in the 70s-80s with its roots in Northland and Forum North.
Sadly, the Government of the day did not implement this caring proposition. The Johnson Report was basic to the project Te Mauri Pakeaka, A Journey into the Third Space, by local author Janinka Greenwood and Arnold Wilson, published in 2006. It addresses our burgeoning mental health crisis. Many good ideas go wasted, sadly. We get what we set.
I have some of these book-prize treasures from schooldays. I’ve just reread one – One Thousand Beautiful Things by children’s author Arthur Mee, published in 1923.
Yes, it is indeed 1000 snippets of beautiful literature, stories, humour, wisdom, philosophy, some famous paintings of children, lives and deaths, biographies, all the author’s personal choices and favourites.
Thank you, Arthur Mee. What simple but profound gems for happy, peaceful living this book contains. It refreshes the spirit, and offers timeless gentle truths, not trite dross.
But hey, forward to today’s coalface – it’s 2025, and we live with the reality of our era – a frenetic, too-busy, over-connected, confrontational and warring world. Huge issues of human survival are at stake.
Unless we take firm hold of our personal daily choices and lifestyles, and become usefully in charge of our one life, here and now, for the better, we could become overwhelmed, and feel rather useless.
But what you and I believe about our lives, wholistically – heart, mind, body and spirit, determines our happiness, health and loving relationships.
Yes, if our life philosophy has a basic hope-filled, human purpose, this leads us firmly on to positive outcomes.
We, personally and collectively, can do much better! Progress starts with ideas, planted in the mind. We do have choices. And simply living in wonderful New Zealand gives us the greatest head start.
Two contrasting newspaper articles hit me recently – one, “disconnect from the tyranny and victimhood of tech demands – ie, ditch your cellphone, regain control of your humanity, and talk only face to face; two, the latest mod craze is to pay vast sums to clever salespeople to attend overseas luxury leadership celebrity retreats to be taught the value of – wait for it – the virtue of silence. How gullible some. can be.
On my last school day, the acting principal of the newly opened Kaitaia College, up Redan Rd, Mr Donnell, shook our hands as we passed on our way out. His words to me were “And what are you going to do with your fine brains now?’
Me - “Oh, I’m going to be a nurse.”
He – “Don’t you think you should be extending yourself further?”
Me – “Oh no; nursing is fine!”
Career counselling at our place went like this.
One evening at the dinner table, (friendly/formal, manners, Grace, linen serviettes, elbows down, eat everything on your plate) – over pudding, our fairly mild mother said, “ Well, girls [four of us], one school teacher in the family is quite enough. The rest of you can all be nurses.”
So we did. One teacher, three nurses. Simple! Probably best, though, was two parents who provided a stable home. What great good luck.
Life has happened since, pretty rich and full. Today’s world is both exciting and scary. Connection is vital.
It takes a village to raise a child. Every Monday now, I’m the Meet & Greet volunteer at the public hospital.
I love this opportunity to connect with all and sundry from over Northland. I know quite a lot of them, or their roots. Human need for a smile, kindness, personal interest and care is just the same today, as way back in our more formal, hands-on, white uniformed nursing days.
Connection is also about contributing to community. There are various ways.
Something in my DNA has made me a continuous writer from school days to right now ... through farming, family, community groups, travel, leadership, business, social education, life celebrant, youth advocate, churches, more ...
And our early influences, especially parents and school teachers, are our roots. Yes, I was born lucky.
Website: gwendolynneedham.com