Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

88-year-old distraught after tinnie boat stolen

By Kristin Edge
Northern Advocate·
26 May, 2014 08:35 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

If you can help find Rex's tinnie phone Paihia police on 09 4027130 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 11.

If you can help find Rex's tinnie phone Paihia police on 09 4027130 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 11.

An 88-year-old war veteran is heartbroken his tinnie fishing boat has been stolen from the front lawn of his Bay of Islands home.

Rex Sisley was preparing for a game of golf on Sunday morning and as he was about to leave his home in Te Haumi he noticed his boat was missing.

"Why pick on an old pensioner?" was his first reaction.

"I had it tucked away and it was just under the window where I was sleeping. There must have been three or four of them to lift it up and around the corner."

The 4.5m boat had a 15hp outboard motor attached and, unlike other tinnies, had a front helm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The tinnie was on a custom- made trailer and was originally used by rowing New Zealand staff to follow crews training on Lake Karipiro.

That was up until three years ago when Mr Sisley, a keen fisherman, decided it was the perfect size for him to launch for fishing and setting out nets.

"It will be hard to replace my tinnie. I could handle it myself ," Mr Sisley said. "Whatever they did, they did it very quietly because I'm a light sleeper."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Sisley served in World War II and then volunteered for the Korean War as part of the 16th Field Regiment.

On returning home he went to the family sheep and beef farm in the "back blocks" of Taranaki before moving to south Waikato to farm with his wife and two sons.

But it was the lure of the Bay of Islands, the warm climate and good fishing spots that saw him sell up the farm in 1984.

"I've caught some pretty good fish out of that boat including some 20-pound snapper in a spot just off Russell," he said.

Discover more

Ex-servicemen rally for mate

01 Jun 08:15 PM

He reckons he doesn't deserve to have his boat taken and all he wants is for it to be returned so he can catch some more big ones.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Court backs sacking of Northland doctor who sent 'flirty texts' to junior

06 Jul 09:13 PM
Northern Advocate

Far North Mayor calls on New Zealanders to vote for Māori wards in October

06 Jul 08:12 PM
Northern Advocate

‘Flying’ through the air: Grandfather's call for safer crossings after crash

06 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Court backs sacking of Northland doctor who sent 'flirty texts' to junior

Court backs sacking of Northland doctor who sent 'flirty texts' to junior

06 Jul 09:13 PM

The sexual harassment investigation led to the doctor taking 10 months' stress leave.

Far North Mayor calls on New Zealanders to vote for Māori wards in October

Far North Mayor calls on New Zealanders to vote for Māori wards in October

06 Jul 08:12 PM
‘Flying’ through the air: Grandfather's call for safer crossings after crash

‘Flying’ through the air: Grandfather's call for safer crossings after crash

06 Jul 05:00 PM
'Serious-to-critical': Crash shuts SH1 in Northland, delays expected

'Serious-to-critical': Crash shuts SH1 in Northland, delays expected

06 Jul 08:48 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP