Katikati Community Patrol volunteer Murray Tom, 90, takes a break from his hobby rebuilding cars and caravans. Photo / Rebecca Mauger
Katikati Community Patrol volunteer Murray Tom, 90, takes a break from his hobby rebuilding cars and caravans. Photo / Rebecca Mauger
Vintage car enthusiast and Community Patrol volunteer Murray Tom shows no signs of slowing down.
The community-minded 90-year-old is not only still driving, he still holds a class-four driver’s licence, fixes up vintage cars and volunteers with Katikati Community Patrol.
“I moved here 18 months ago, I like it here and want to stay so I should be doing something for the village,” Tom said.
After meeting local community patrol team leader Ross Sutherland, Tom offered to give a few nights every month as the “eyes and ears” of the police.
“We need to be looking after our community,” Tom said.
He was concerned with the number of burglaries in Katikati, especially in the rural areas.
“The patrol is effective alright, just the fact that patrol car is there. You’ll be around at night and see a car that doesn’t look like it should be there ... you pull up beside it and nine times out of 10, it drives away.”
Euan Neil and Ross Sutherland from Katikati Community Patrol. Photo / Rebecca Mauger
Tom lives on a lifestyle property on the outskirts of Katikati town.
He spends his days toiling away fixing up vintage cars, caravans and tractors with pal Gideon de Lautour.
The two Tauranga Vintage Machinery Club members were working on rebuilding a caravan.
His fleet included a 1914 Dodge, which he bought and drove across the United States and shipped back to New Zealand. He also rebuilt an old Jaguar which was a “trailer load of rusty bits”.
There was also a 1917 Dodge Roadster and a 1937 Plymouth. Two tractors were waiting in the wings next for a rebuild. All the finished cars had a Warrant of Fitness.
Katikati Community Patrol volunteer Murray Tom, 90, takes a break from his hobby rebuilding cars and caravans. Photo / Rebecca Mauger
Tom said he rebuilds classic cars because they were “quality you can’t get these days”.
He has lived a full life with multiple careers including farming, sales, fisherman, sheep shearer and has owned various businesses. He had a serious accident as a young man getting a digger off the back of a trailer.
He was lucky to survive and was in hospital for a long time with a broken spine and ribs. Unable to walk at first, doctors feared the damage was permanent. Tom was “pretty hacked off” at this, but after much work he walked again.
He lost a lot after the accident, including his farming career, so started again as a stock and station agent.
Tom said the secret to a longer life was good food and to keep moving.
“Fresh air, red meat and a few spuds. You don’t need fancy food. The more they process it, the shorter your life.
“And if you sit down and retire, that’s when you go. So if you have a project that’s a bit difficult; I think it does a lot of good for you.”
Night owl volunteers from Community Patrols of New Zealand keep watch in the shadows as the eyes and ears of police.
Katikati Community Patrol looks after the area from Tanners Point to Morton Rd and goes out on various nights and some days of the week for three-hour shifts.
The idea is to prevent crime and minimise harm through the presence of trained patrollers. They do not leave the patrol car, which is decked out with technology to keep in touch with police.
CPNZ runs a Pathway to Police programme for potential police recruits.
The local patrol is housed at 33 Middlebrook Dr and is always looking for more volunteers. Phone 021 301 339 or email: katikati@cpnz.org.nz.
