Tara Gregory's grandparents Bunny and Ross Linnen and mother Catherine at the funeral. Photo / Paul Estcourt
A star by name, a star by nature and a star by destiny - this is how Tara Gregory's mother will remember her only child.
The "quietly determined" 16-year-old was the last of the seven victims of the Mangatepopo River tragedy to be farewelled.
Several hundred turned out
to her service at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Otahuhu, crowding into the church, adjacent hall and under tarpaulins in the car park.
They came from the 16-year-old's church, from Elim Christian College where she was a student and Waiuku College, where she had many friends.
There were tense scenes as Tara's estranged father, accompanied by about 40 whanau members from Northland, arrived at the church.
Tara's mother, Catherine Linnen, refused to allow them in. Later, she said she and her daughter had been alone for 13 1/2 years.
As Tara's coffin left the church, a group of children and teenagers from St Andrew's sang Amazing Grace, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with her photo and angel wings, as mourners threw rose petals on to her casket.
During the service, Tara was remembered as a loyal, caring young woman who planned to study engineering at university and do volunteer service abroad.
She had already travelled extensively to North America, Asia, the Pacific and Europe.
She loved sports, particularly soccer and trampolining, and relished new challenges.
Catherine Linnen said Tara was a private person who would have "hated having her photo plastered all over the TV and newspapers".
She said the name Tara meant star, "and she was a star - by name, by nature and by destiny.
"Keep shining brightly, Tara."
Tara's neighbour Karen Blakeley compared her to the fireworks she loved, quiet at first but then "so bright, energetic and full of colour".
Friends remembered songs they had sung together, her competitive streak when it came to sports and the way she organised those around her.
"She had grown into such a lovely girl," said her mother. "All six of them were lovely kids and the world is a poorer place without them."
