More True Tales of Whangārei Heads launched

Jan Boyes has just launched More True Tales of Whangārei Heads. Photo / Michael Cunningham.

A second edition of True Tales of Whangārei Heads launched this week after the first edition prompted locals' memories.

True Tales compiler Jan Boyes said the response to the first book, published in 2016, had been fantastic. The 1500 run of books was snapped up and since reprinted.

The second book - More True Tales of Whangārei Heads - was the same size as the first and launched on Sunday with overflow from the first edition, plus new memories from people who had come forward.

Small girls and a big fish from the Philpott bach story, Pataua.

These include the development of the tracks up Mt Manaia, childhood memories from people of helping to build and then enjoying their baches, the "harshness" of life in the early farming days and scratching a living from bush-clad hills. Many of the stories are water-based, about Mokohinau Island lighthouse, sailing trips, drownings, the Craig Line ships and shipwrecks. There are also some stories about the local Māori "whale-whisperer", the Musket Wars and depopulation of the area in the 1820s.

Tamil bell found at Tamaterau.

The last story in the book is the relatively unknown tale of the Tamil bell, a broken bronze bell, believed to have been found in Tamaterau by successful printer turned missionary William Colenso, when he came across Māori women using it to boil potatoes on the beach in 1839.

Boyes said script cast into the ship's bell has recently been reviewed by leaders of the Tamil community in Wellington who have placed its origins in Sri Lanka in 17th or 18th Century.

"Shirley Peterson of Kiwi North and I had discussed getting the older students at Parua Bay School to study the story as there was lots of local consultation being undertaken about the bell," said Boyes. "Katie Cooper, curator at Te Papa, arranged for the bell to be scanned and the digital file was emailed to Josh Clark, technology teacher at Whangārei Boys' High School. The resulting 3D printed copy is being used in education sessions at Kiwi North. Shirley spoke at the book launch and the 70 people there could see and touch it."

She added: "The randomness of the stories amazes readers. They read stories about things they never thought they would be interested in. Photos help of course."

Boyes herself has an article in the first volume.

"My parents bought a section at Taurikura before WWII. When my father came back, they started to build a small bach on it and I took my first steps in it about Xmas 1947. The story of it, and the day we pulled it down to build our house there is in the previous book. Our experiences were different, for example, we only had to endure the dusty road occasionally, not every trip! Lots of us bach kids now live here permanently."

More True Tales of Whangārei Heads can be purchased for $35 from The Deck, Parua Bay Gas, Onerahi Book Shop and the Book Inn in Kamo.