WELLINGTON, New Zealand (28 Jan 2007) -- Pairs of shoes covered the path to Peter Hakaraia's front door as family and friends gathered to remember the diver, rugby enthusiast, te reo student, stellar cook and friend. Mr Hakaraia, 57, died while diving for paua on Wellington's South Coast on Friday. The Island Bay resident had snorkelled at the same spot hundreds of times during the past 20 years, going to collect his quota for his special-recipe paua fritters. He was fit and strong; conditions were perfect. His wife Tina and daughters Ariarna, 26, and Haley, 22, were struggling to understand what went wrong. "They say he drowned. I can't come to terms with that. He knew the area, he was a safe swimmer," Mrs Hakaraia said. The ocean looked calm from Mr Hakaraia's bedroom window yesterday, as whanau and friends gathered in his home and the phone rang continuously with shocked people telling tales of how he touched their lives. A photolithographer by trade, and later an assistant care and social worker at Epuni Residential Centre in Lower Hutt, his outside interests also earned him many friends and admirers. They spoke of a man who would print struggling students' work for free, who would feed numerous hungry nieces and nephews for "Pasta Sunday", and who would tease his daughters, but drop anything to drive them where they needed to go. "Although if the rugby was on, we might have to wait till half-time," Ariarna said. He was a long-time member of Poneke Football Club, and player, coach and selector for Wellington Maori Rugby. | | TRAGIC END: Family and friends are struggling to understand why experienced diver Peter Hakaraia died while diving off the south coast of Wellington. He carried a pen and notebook in his front pocket to every game to note any talent. His family left it with him in his casket, "in case he spots anyone", Hayley said. He had a passion for Italy, and had planned to visit there in May. And in the past few years, he had begun to explore his Ngati Raukawa roots. His funeral arrangements have not yet been finalised, but will be announced in The Dominion Post death notices this week. SOURCE - StuffSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
