Taupō farm vehicle death: Melanie Gaw, 52, described as an absolute gem

Melanie Gaw, 52, died in a farm vehicle accident near Taupō last week. Photo / 1st Taupō Scout Group

• Melanie Gaw, 52, died in a farm vehicle accident near Taupō on Saturday.
• Gaw was a cherished community member, scout leader, and known for her nurturing spirit.
• The Taupō scout group will honour her with a special campfire and attend her funeral in uniform.

A woman who died after a farm vehicle accident near Taupō at the weekend has been described as an “absolute gem” by a long-time friend.

She was Melanie Gaw, 52, from the Reporoa, Taupō area.

Emergency services were called to an address on State Highway 5 in Wairakei about 3.30pm on Saturday.

Police confirmed first responders found Gaw dead.

WorkSafe was notified and the death has been referred to the coroner.

Gaw’s long-time friend Ange Vomangisi Ruff told the Herald she was “extremely broken to lose such a beautiful pou (pillar)”.

“It was a terrible accident, doing something she enjoyed, that has utterly broken our hearts, especially her precious children.”

The Herald understands Gaw was a farmer, at work when the accident occurred.

“Melanie was cherished by everyone, but even more Melanie cherished everyone”, Ruff said.

“She seemed to have an endless supply of nurturing, and I think her superpower was her ability to slow the sun to make enough time in the day.”

Melanie Gaw, 52, of the Reporoa, Taupō area, has been described as an absolute gem following her death on April 19. Photo / Ange Vomangisi Ruff

She said there were no words to properly describe Gaw, but she was an “absolute gem”.

“There [weren’t] many schools around that Melanie hadn’t had a hand in creating or repairing, and she was an amazing weaver ... there wasn’t anything she couldn’t do.

“She was an avid scout leader and a massive supporter of her communities and play centre.”

Steve Comber, group leader of the 1st Taupō Scout Group, where Gaw volunteered for five years, said they were “devastated” to hear of her death.

In the scouting world, Gaw was known as ‘Banty’. She had been a Kea leader for children aged 5 to 9 at the Taupō group, and was coming up to 15 years service with Scouts Aotearoa.

Comber told the Herald her passion and care for youth “was second to none”.

“She had a heart, and such a desire to help the youth, and that always came first with her.”

When asked what the group might miss most about Gaw, he said her steamed pudding.

“She was famous for her steamed puddings at camps, and camps are just not going to be the same without Banty’s steamed pudding.”

However, what they would miss the most was her “huge heart and huge smile”.

Melanie Gaw, 52, died in a farm vehicle accident near Taupō last week. Photo / 1st Taupō Scout Group

To honour Gaw’s life, the Taupō scout group will attend her funeral in full uniform to pay their respect to a former leader.

They will also honour her life in their own way, by holding a “special campfire” between Rotorua and Taupō, as it’s where she spent most of her time, Comber said.

“To have a campfire, we gather around and tell stories and have little skits and songs ... it’s an important time of gathering and unity within scouting.

“We are going to hold a special campfire to celebrate Banty’s life with us.”

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