Community grieves for popular teen

Ada Morton (left) and Sharlene Thompson mourn for grandson and son Rawiri Wilson. Photo / Greg Bowker

For residents of the Matangirau Valley - a place hemmed in by native bush and farmland - this weekend will be much quieter than usual.

Not far from Whangaroa Harbour, it's the kind of place in the Far North where whanau members cross clear running creeks to visit relatives.

The small community is reeling from the loss of 16-year-old RawiriWilson, who was hit and killed by a police car last Saturday night near Ohaeawai on State Highway 1.

Grandmother Ada Morton, 69, raised Rawiri and his 14-year-old brother. After his grandfather David died two years ago, Rawiri had taken on the role of man of the house, his uncle Trevor Wilson said.

"He was headstrong. We used to growl at him 'pull your head in', but he was stepping up for Nan - doing the things she needed. He was starting to become a man, sprouting up all over the place, it was really good to see."

His father died when he was young but there were plenty of male role models around who took the boy under their wings, Mr Wilson said.

Uncles were always taking him bush not far from home, a place the keen pig hunter regarded as his "supermarket".

"He understood that old saying "no work, no kai - matekai [you'll get hungry] you die".

The teenager with "hands like shovels" wanted to join the Army once he was old enough, but in the meantime he was doing odd jobs and farmhand work.

"He'd done a possum-trapping course. Thought he was going to make lots of money, but then realised you have to skin a lot of possums before you're a millionaire.

"He loved being outside. You didn't have to ask him twice to come and help at some old person's whare."

His brother, Hamuera, 14, witnessed the accident but so far has refused to open up to his family about it. Another cousin, Gideon Porter, 16, was also injured. Ms Morton said it hurt her to see Hamuera stewing in anger: "He's getting sick of us asking questions about it."

She wants Northland teenagers to think a bit more - Rawiri wasn't the first to walk to a party on dark country roads and he won't be the last.

"Get a ride, find a sober driver and play it safe, be careful."

Family was everything to Rawiri - he was only 20m or so from a property where an uncle's 60th birthday party was being held when he was hit about 11.30pm.

Ms Morton said her "moko" was "determined" to go that night even though she wanted him home.

It's a spot where, on a clear winter's night with the moon out, a person can see for miles across the Taiamai plains. It's fertile farmland scattered with scoria - a reminder of the region's volcanic past.

Car lights break the brow of the hill before cars are seen headed south and they're heard long before they pass the spot where Rawiri died.

The boys had walked down the little rise out of Ohaeawai south towards Moerewa and were on the flat. Orange spraypaint marks tell a story of angles and circles, but police have not told the family what they mean.

Mr Wilson said the family would have welcomed a police presence at the tangi. However, that did not happen. They were waiting for police to contact them before they speculate on what went on that night.

"There's no use doing the haka-boogie, firing out accusations. That's not fair to anybody and it doesn't help."