Spoken 23rd April 2020
Dad, my earliest memory of you is riding on a stump remover down the driveway in Koraha St, I remember the weekends Dee and I spent at Atkin Ave, we ran around the lounge, slept in our bunks and sung karaoke into your microphone. You taught us to eat properly with a knife and fork and let us play in the Mission Bay fountain much to Mums disgust.
I remember sailing to Bay of Islands just the two of us, coming into Kawau at night learning how to navigate by lights, catching ‘Yellow Tails’ that turned out to be undersized Kingfish on a lure somewhere off the coast of Northland. Once we met Mum & Dee the fun started this is when I realised you were a purist and protein couldn’t be bought on the boat but had to be caught, turns out buying bait was the easy way out. You set up Dee and I with jig lines with cheese and pasta to catch bait, we weren’t that skilled and resulted in us eating squid caught in the dingy with nets until near the end of the trip you finally landed some fish for dinner. There was the holiday to Great Barrier, with the miraculous appearance of a large string of mussels one night, the many trips to Kawau and the ‘His & Hers’ races we competed in.
We have been lucky to inherit your love of the ocean and music, from learning to sail to owning larger boats I have always felt the pull of the seawater and salt air with comfort knowing my father had spent time on boats in areas I was anchored. You encouraged our music and always enjoyed it so much when we played.
It has been amazing to witness the joy Pearl has bought to your life, I know she will miss you but she is so loved by us and will be taken care of absolutely.
I am proud to be your daughter and love hearing all the stories of your kind hearted nature and how you did so much to help others, all your adventures and mischievous missions. I will think of you when I drink coffee or Corona, when I am near the ocean or looking up at the clouds or the night sky and whenever I pick up a guitar. You were taken so suddenly and too soon but I know you will be watching over Dee and I for the rest of our lives, I love you and will miss you so much Dad. I am so so grateful for what time we have had and the memories we have made and shared. All my love xoxo