I was born beside the Wairau, but I've been lucky enough to spend much of my life in Taranaki. It is beautiful, a deeply spiritual, exciting, and tranquil place to be. The story of my little settlement is typical of many. While it's always been a place of bounty, colonial settlement and land confiscation have left their scars. It was once a thriving township with a school, a pub, a dairy factory, a saddlery, and even a train station. Over the years, we've seen valiant entrepreneurs come and go: butchery, furniture maker, sports store, petrol station, and cafes. I remember the shock of going for a run late last year and seeing the local community hall being put on to the back of a truck. Along with it, the clubrooms for the disbanded cricket club, and a few months ago the reality of COVID-19 saw the local cafe closed for good.