Bay of Plenty hunting death: Tributes flow for victim Stuart Stobie

• Stuart Stobie has been identified as the man who died in a hunting accident in Minginui.
• The Kawerau Bowling Club, of which he was a member, has paid its respects.
• Police are investigating the incident, as is the coroner.

Tributes are flowing for a man who died on a hunting trip last week.

Stuart Stobie, of Kawerau, died suddenly on Friday morning in Minginui, Bay of Plenty.

Daughter Briar Stobie, of Melbourne, told the Herald she would be travelling to New Zealand on Thursday.

On social media, she said her father had been “tragically taken in a hunting accident”.

Stuart Stobie died on a hunting trip in Minginui in the Bay of Plenty on Friday, 21 March, 2025.

The Kawerau Bowling Club, of which Stobie was a member, wore black armbands as a mark of respect during a match against Te Teko RSA on Saturday.

Club secretary Angela Harris told the Herald Stobie was a “beautiful man, a nice personality and a great hunter”.

Harris said everybody got on with Stobie, who had only been a member of the club for about two months.

A notice about Stobie’s death said: “Stu will certainly be missed, and remembered by many for the great man that he was.

“He had a great love for the outdoors and went hunting and gathering whenever he could. Stu was undoubtedly one of those diligent men in this world.”

Stobie’s partner Kerry Swinton said he “uplifted me, gave me the strength to move forward” and remembered his kindness and intelligence.

Police were investigating and the coroner was “being advised and involved in the process”, a police spokesman said.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.

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