Bertha Yerkovich, 81, of Karikari Peninsula, holding a photo of her beloved Te Kao kuia and kaumātua, on the morning of their visit with Queen Elizabeth II at Waitangi in 1990. Photo / Myjanne Jensen
Bertha Yerkovich, 81, of Karikari Peninsula, holding a photo of her beloved Te Kao kuia and kaumātua, on the morning of their visit with Queen Elizabeth II at Waitangi in 1990. Photo / Myjanne Jensen
Karikari resident Bertha Yerkovich says she'll never forget the day she received a concerned phone call from her beloved aunty more than 30 years ago.
Yerkovich (nee Everitt), 81, and her Aunty Hapai Wiki - both originally from Te Kao - were living in Auckland at the time, when her aunty asked her to come by after work.
"I was working at Housing New Zealand when she called, sounding very worried," Yerkovich explained.
"It wasn't until the afternoon that I finally got to her place and soon as I got there, she just pointed to this letter on the mantelpiece.
"Once I saw it, I said, "Aunty! This is a message from the Queen!"
Yerkovich said the envelope's royal seal was instantly recognisable and filled her with excitement and intrigue at what the letter entailed.
Her aunty explained a group of Te Kao kuia and kaumātua (the Rev Puti Murray, Maringinoa Wiki aka Aunty Booby, Lucy Wiki, Rangi Karena, Matehira Natanahira, Glass Murray, Wini Murray, Pia Ihaka, Joe Wiki, Apotoro Paihere Brown and Manu Heke James had been invited to attend a special 150-year celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, on February 6.
The year was 1990 and the momentous occasion would be made even more special thanks to a visit from Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
The royal couple were set to visit New Zealand and would attend the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, before making the trip north.
"Straight away, I said, 'Aunty, I will take you'!" Yerkovich said, who was determined to make sure her aunty and elders got to their destination safely.
Yerkovich and her Aunty Hapai made the trip to Paihia on Waitangi Day eve, where they spent the night with Yerkovich's brother, Joe Everitt.
She said the rest of the kuia and kaumātua met them in Paihia, with everyone on a high about their great adventure.
"The darlings never slept all night, they were so excited!" Yerkovich said.
The Te Kao kuia and kaumātua, all immaculately dressed and excited to meet the Queen. Photo/Bertha Yerkovich.
"The next day they were all dressed in their most beautiful clothes, they were simply gorgeous and laughing hysterically about each other's makeup.
"Oh it was such a lovely day, like being with a group of happy children, words can't describe it."
The group left in an entourage of about three or four cars en route to Waitangi Treaty Grounds the next morning and got as far as the Waitangi One Way Bridge.
Yerkovich recalled it was a magnificent summer day, with not a hair out of place on her kuia and kaumātua, as they made their way to one of the most important days of their lives.
At the bridge, they were stopped by an army official, who saluted them and advised they could not proceed.
"I told him, excuse me Sir, but we have invitations from the Queen, so we need to get through," Yerkovich said.
The guard looked at the invites and told the group to wait, before clicking his heels and marching towards the Treaty grounds.
He eventually returned and ushered them forward, where they were met by air force officials and then navy officials who escorted them to a large marquee.
It was there Yerkovich was told she would not be allowed to go any further and would have to wait outside until the ceremony was over.
"I said, but I can't leave, I have all their sandwiches and drinks!"
That was not enough to convince the officials this time and was made to reluctantly wait outside on the porch of the Waitangi Treaty House.
That position proved rewarding, however, when moments later the Queen emerged from the house and came within arm's length of Yerkovich.
"I was standing out there by the rail all by myself when the Queen suddenly walked out, along with Sir Kingi Ihaka and the Governor General Sir Paul Reeves," Yerkovich said.
"I was so elated and my God, the Queen was so beautiful, I'll never forget her peaches-and-cream complexion.
"The Duke was also the most handsome man I've ever seen!"
She said her moment of joy was quickly turned to frustration, when a barrage of media stormed past, shoving their way around the Queen and blocking her view.
One of the photos Yerkovich took of the Queen as she emerged from Waitangi Treaty House in 1990. Photo/Bertha Yerkovich
"I was so upset at this man who stood right in front of me," she said.
"I was so close to her I could have touched her, but that man got in the way and ruined my photo!"
Yerkovich managed to get two clear photos of the Queen that day that she's cherished to this day.
Seeing the late Queen Elizabeth II was a proud moment for Yerkovich and her family and a story that has been passed down through the generations.
Yerkovich said as far as she was aware, all the kuia and kaumātua who attended that trip had now died and she, therefore, wished to pass the story on to their descendants.
"This is not just my story, it's all of their story and something I know their children and grandchildren would no doubt like to know," Yerkovich said.
"I started writing the details of this day down around the time of the Queen's coronation earlier this year, but it was her recent passing that made me think I needed to share it wider."
Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 on September 8.
Her trip to Waitangi in 1990 was one of many she had made to the sacred grounds, with that particular trip marking the sesquicentennial of the Treaty of Waitangi.
As part of the 1990 visit, the Queen was supported by several Māori dignitaries, notably Governor-General Paul Reeves and Sir Kingi Ihaka.
Her barge was also escorted by the ceremonial waka (canoe) Ngātokimatawhaorua.
Upon arriving at the grounds, Her Majesty was met with protesters, one of whom threw a black T-shirt at her.
With protesters chanting "honour the Treaty", the Queen addressed the crowd, saying, "today we are strong enough and honest enough to learn the lessons of the last 150 years and to admit the Treaty has been imperfectly observed".
