The lake was alive with kura (fresh water crayfish). "They were this long [she indicates a good 10cm], we'd put them in kete, dip them in the hot water three times then eat them ... oooh, so delicious."
If she wasn't in the water Miri was on it. With the whanau farm at Kawaha Point a boat was the only way to reach it. Once berthed, access remained challenging. "We had to get up this really steep hill called Parihooroo, 'spooky hill', on Dolly the horse, three of us at a time, usually I'd be the one on the back sliding off."
Miri's parents milked cows and grew potatoes on the headland. "We'd follow Dad's horse-drawn plough planting our crop from kete that Mum made for us and we slung around our necks."
Her schooling began at Ohinemutu's St Michael's Convent; during her time there it moved to Ranolf St, the site of the present St Mary's.
Although her academic education ended at 14 Miri went straight back, spending three years learning shorthand, typing and bookkeeping.
Her proficiency diploma made her a sought-after commodity in the workplace; her first job was with Te Arawa Trust Board, transferring to Maori Affairs five years later.
Between the wars a slew of overseas naval men visited Rotorua "we always welcomed them at Tama [Tamatekapua meeting house], they were so handsome in their uniforms".
Once World War II broke out Rotorua was chocker with servicemen, either training or taking time out on "R&R", Miri played tennis with them and was among the girls roped in to entertain them at the Catholic Armed Services Club. Came the day friends "encouraged" her to ask a young Pakeha "fella from the air force" to dance. He walked her home, telling her his name was Robert Groves and the next day was his birthday.
"He was from Morrinsville so didn't have any family to celebrate with. I said I'd ring him and wish him happy birthday."
But there was a stumbling block, Miri hadn't asked where he was staying. She took a punt on Brents Hotel "a lot of the servicemen were billeted there luckily Robert was one of them".
They chatted and that appeared to be that, however like all good love stories there's a happy twist. Some days later both were having lunch at the Arawa Street Tearooms "he walked past my chair and said 'do you want to go out tonight?' I said 'I suppose so'".
They dated several times before Robert returned to Morrinsville, but he was soon back in town. "One day I was in my bedroom, looked out and he was outside my window, he said 'marry me or I'll jump in the lake'."
Miri was 30 and insists her parents had "given up" on her marrying. "I arranged my own wedding, our reception was at the school [St Michael's] hall."
Another couple's tiff provided the Groves' with their first home close to the whare of her birth. "It belonged to my oldest sister and was vacant because the people living there had a scrap, she threw his bag in the river [Utuhina Stream] and walked out."
The Groves later moved to Lynmore where their four children grew up. When they were at school Miri went to work in the probation office.
Some years on Robert bought land at Oripi, building there. Miri would have been happy to remain but developed health problems. "We were at my nephew Richard Charters' [former Rotorua lawyer] wedding, his bride, Barbara, had been an exchange student in America, her host father who was a medical man was at the wedding; he said to my son 'take your mother to see a doctor' but didn't say why."
A GP diagnosed thyroid gland troubles.
A sister, married to a Wellington specialist, insisted she go there for treatment. "There was no radium in New Zealand at the time, I had to wait six months, got a job typing at the post office, stayed 10 years."
Since then she's lived in Coromandel and another 10 years in Perth but Rotorua always retained a magnetic pull. In 2011 the nonagenarian returned to resume the mantel of Rika whanau matriarch.
"This is the place where I had a fantastic childhood, grew up, got married, how could I not come back?"
MIRIATA GROVES (NEE RIKA)
Born: Ohinemutu, 1916.
Education: Ohinemutu Convent, St Michael's School.
Immediate whanau: Three daughters, one son, five mokopuna, five tuarua (great moko).
Interests: Whanau, tennis, netball "I started the Catholic
basketball team", the All Blacks "I never miss a game".
Reflecting on a favourite childhood activity: "Sliding down Pukeroa [hospital] hill on a sack."
Personal Philosophy: "Where's there's a will there's a way."
