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