High honour for making dreams come true

HONOURED: Nora Rameka, MNZM, at her home at Takou Bay - never believe that anything is impossible.

Nora Tawhi Rameka has spent much of her life to working for the betterment of her people, especially in the fields of housing and education. And yesterday she was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday honours in recognition of that devotion to others.

Seventy-two-year-old Mrs Rameka (Ngati Rehia, Ngati Kuri, Ngati Kaitangata), born at Te Kao but now living at Takou Bay, said she had never sought recognition or reward, and was "blown away" by the honour.

"What has driven me is we've got to build a better future for future generations. You just do what you've got to do," she said.

She had felt especially honoured when she saw the list of people who had nominated her, all people she had high regard for and had worked with for many years.

One of her strengths is a refusal to give in.

"A thing about Maori communities is we tend to give up when someone says, 'It's not going to happen'. I'm not like that. You don't win them all, but sometimes you take big steps," she said.

Her 'wins' included establishing papakainga in the Ngati Rehia rohe. When she and her husband of 54 years, Waata (Wally) Rameka went home to Takou Bay there had been nothing but gorse. The first kaumatua flats opened in 1989; today there are 18 homes and more than 50 people.

She also led the restoration of historic Whetu Marama Marae and the construction of a public camp ground at Takou Bay.

Education, and being a good role model for her mokopuna, was another priority. Although she left school young, first working as an orchard labourer, once her children had grown up she took up learning again as an adult student. Later she helped establish Te Reo Te Taitokerau, the Ministry of Education's Ngapuhi education partner, and a wananga in Kerikeri for the education of Maori in the Bay of Islands. Other education roles include serving as a special adviser on Maori education at Waikato University.

Mrs Rameka initiated the Ngati Rehia runanga, and is the hapu's spokesperson on Treaty issues.

The great-grandmother also made a significant contribution to the multi-million-dollar Heritage Bypass project in Kerikeri, built to protect two of New Zealand's oldest buildings, Kemp House and the Stone Store, and helped gain historic places protection for Kerikeri's Kororipo pa.

More recently she helped bring low-cost GP services to Waipapa. She is now working with artist Chris Booth on a climate change-themed sculpture at Bulls Gorge. It would be educational and fulfil the wishes of "the old people" who wanted something to mark the entrance to Kerikeri, she said.

She urged others not to give up their dreams, no matter how often someone said it was impossible.

"When I first tried to bring something to Takou, when there was nothing, not even a road, and we had no money, people thought I was crazy. But when things look impossible, there is always a way," she said.