Ātiamuri fatal crash victim Joni Tuhakaraina remembered as ‘incredibly loyal and loving’

Joni Tuhakaraina, 53, of Tokoroa, died after a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 30 at Ātiamuri on July 25. Photo / Bruce Tuhakaraina

A woman who died after a crash in Ātiamuri, southwest of Rotorua, is being remembered for her “rugged elegance” and “fire”.

Former Rotorua woman Joni Tuhakaraina, 53, of Tokoroa, died following a two-vehicle crash on July 25 – a day after her 32nd wedding anniversary, and just a week before moving into her new home.

Her husband, Bruce Tuhakaraina, said he considered his late wife his best friend and he would miss her deeply.

“She was bubbly and beautiful, and we always made jokes and had playful banter,” he said.

“She loved me despite all my faults.

“She stuck with me through thick and thin, just an incredibly loyal and loving person.”

The couple met when they were 18 and 19 at a music jam in Rotorua. Tuhakaraina was a guitarist for a band, while Joni came along with a friend on a date.

“I think she took a shine to me at first, but I didn’t think much of her, and then through mutual friends we got to know each other more.

“She was a people person, and it’s a bit of a cliche when they say that somebody’s the life of a party, but that was her.”

In 1993, they tied the knot, and the night before the crash, they celebrated 32 years of marriage.

Bruce said he was happy to have reached that milestone, but he was sad about the things Joni would now miss.

For the past six months, the family had been looking for a new home in Tokoroa, and Joni had finally found the one she wanted, Bruce said.

Last week he and their two sons moved in.

“She missed out. That’s sad because the house we’re living in is her home. This is what she wanted.

“I tell all the visitors that we’re in Joni’s home.”

The day of the crash

Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash on State Highway 30 about 5am on July 25.

Joni died at the scene, and their 19-year-old son broke his collarbone in the crash.

Joni Tuhakaraina had a big passion for photography. Photo / Ava Bock

“My son was half asleep, but he remembers the car spinning out, and then being pulled out of the vehicle,” Tuhakaraina said.

“He’s home and physically, he’s coping well. We’re just supporting each other.”

Police said inquiries into the crash were ongoing.

‘The shock hit hard’

Ava Bock from Oregon, in the United States, said she remembered her friend as a “radiant, kind, grounded, generous, and deeply wise” woman.

“Every time I saw her face, she had a smile. Her laugh was genuine, loud, and utterly contagious.

“She carried a rugged elegance and a fire that made you believe in goodness.

“That’s the Joni I knew. That’s the Joni I’ll miss. I’ll always be grateful that she was a part of my life.”

Bock met Joni in 2014 at an American online photography course – Trey Ratcliff’s Arcanum, The Magical Academy of Artistic Mastery.

Joni had a “big” passion for photography, Bock said, and the Arcanum was a “judgment-free space where we could talk not just about photography, but about life”.

“Joni spoke with a quiet wisdom and warmth, and when she did speak, everyone listened. I knew I wanted to know her better.”

They became close, learning about each other’s lives in their respective countries, bonded over motherhood, marriage, and the responsibilities of being women.

Joni Tuhakaraina and Ava Bock in New Zealand.

In 2016, Bock stayed with Joni in Rotorua. She said she remembered how she felt like she “had come home”.

“She was waiting by The Lord of the Rings statue at the airport, arms wide, ready to hug me like I was already family.”

Joni took her everywhere from beaches to parks, forests, and sculpture gardens, so both could put their photography skills to the test.

“I introduced her to the chaos of American everything, especially nachos. She cooked handmade pasta. I embarrassed myself over Vegemite.

“We laughed endlessly.”

Bock had planned to return to New Zealand last year until her father’s health declined, and Hurricane Helene uprooted their lives.

When Bock was reaching out about visiting again recently, she received the message that Joni had died.

“The shock hit hard,” she said.

Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.