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Home / Northland Age

Letters: Bob and Edith Dunmore of Kaitaia Taxis true professionals

Northland Age
24 Jan, 2018 11:30 PM2 mins to read

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Some of the Kaitaia Taxis drivers in January 1972. (Names are proving elusive - anyone who can help is welcome to contact the Northland Age).

Some of the Kaitaia Taxis drivers in January 1972. (Names are proving elusive - anyone who can help is welcome to contact the Northland Age).

Your article about the winding up of Bob and Edith Dunmore's taxi business (January 23) brought back a few memories.

In March 1988 I was a reporter sent to Northland to cover the impacts of Cyclone Bola. Photographer John Selkirk and I flew into Kaitaia Airport as the cyclone bore down (the flight being another story in itself). We called for a taxi and Bob turned up.

He then drove us to Mangonui to look for some trans-Tasman race yachties who were seeking shelter. Edith was in regular contact via radio, and relayed messages to our Wellington newsroom.

The half-hour trip took more than an hour as we had to negotiate partly swept-out bridges and remove fallen trees as we went.

Bob was the ultimate professional, displaying courage and caution at all the right times.
I vividly recall one stretch of road which had water lapping the verges on both sides — frogs covered the road like a tremulous slick.

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Interviews done at Mangonui, we returned to Kaitaia as conditions worsened. I believe Bob was happy to be back in time for his dinner.

After filing our words and photos, I heard a 70-year-old solo yachtie, badly banged up, had made landfall further down the coast. Bob again took the job, getting us there and back in atrocious circumstances. I understand he and Edith charged the newspaper standard fare for the journeys.

EDWARD ROONEY
Auckland

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