Kaitaia almost came to a standstill on Tuesday for the funeral service for courageous teenager Te Amo-haere Ella Rudolph.
Te Amo-haere, or TA to those who knew and loved her, died last Thursday at her home surrounded by her family.
The 18-year-old won widespread admiration for her amazingly positive attitude in the face of terminal cancer.
The Kaitaia College student had been involved in many community organisations and won the school's Clifford Matthews Award for community service, academics, culture and sport.
She was much loved by her family, community and the many friends who rallied around her to make her life as positive as possible.
That community had come together many times to honour Te Amo-haere and they rallied to raise funds to help send her to Europe last year as it was her dream to visit Italy.
The fantastic effort started when fellow Kaitaia College students, including Jane Harvey, Hannah Wetzel, Allana Yerkovich, Kate Timperley, Erana Punshon and Heavon Levi launched a fundraising campaign to get her to Europe to realise that dream.
Te Amo-haere, her mum Annie and a group of fellow students went on the trip last January, visiting Dubai, Barcelona, Paris, London, Germany, Venice and Rome.
The trip was partly thanks to a great community response to the fundraising efforts.
There were quiz nights and auctions, a special performance of Emma Dolfing's anti-bullying play Prejudice by the college's drama students and a host of other activities all designed to get behind this remarkable young woman and make her dreams come true.
It's the sort of community effort that Kaitaia, and the Far North, can be proud of and shows that when it comes to one of their own, this community can work together to make things happen.
Tuesday's service at Te Ahu was packed with hundreds of people, including many of her Kaitaia College colleagues and students from other schools in the area, all wanting to pay their respects to this courageous young woman who made a big impact in her 18 years.
Te Amo-haere lived a full and active life, despite her cancer.
She was involved with surf lifesaving at Far North Surf Rescue - her coffin was brought into Tuesday's service in an IRB from the club - St John, and multiple sports.
She was also Kaitaia College's youngest ever student representative on the Board of Trustees and was the 2017 Head Girl.
She was the obvious and most deserving candidate to be Head Girl, Principal Jack Saxon said.
Te Amo-haere was farewelled on the school fields on Friday afternoon. She was taken to Kaitaia College to be farewelled by her teachers, friends, whanau and past and present students ahead of Tuesday's public service.
Te Amo-haere Rudolph and her Kaitaia College support crew.
Te Amo-haere insisted that there be no tears of sadness at her service, only joy. And it was with joy that this fun-filled young woman was remembered.
The service was conducted by Reverend Michael Withiel and Canon Dennis Urquhart, with eulogies and tributes from many, including her English teacher Hal Walker, Mr Saxon, Angela Jones, John Rudolph, Dr Lance O'Sullivan and Olly Ifopo, as well as some of her friends who have supported her, and been inspired by her, all the way.
All spoke of her inspiration and how her legacy would last and influence many, and all talked of what a fun, caring person she was, always more concerned about others than herself and how she could light up a room with her smile.
Te Amo-haere's short life should serve as a lesson to us all, on the power of aroha and a smile, and how one person can mean so much to so many and change people's attitude.
During Tuesday's service dreamcatcher mobiles hung from the walls of Te Ahu.
The mobiles were fitting, as one friend said, Te Amo-haere made everybody realise that no dream is unattainable, no matter how big a dream it is.
That's a remarkable legacy for anybody to have left, let alone a young woman aged just 18.
