Owhiro Bay Residents Association
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  • Home
  • Us!
    • OBRA
    • Who, Where, What
    • Community Bustle, Business and Groups
  • Images of the Bay
    • Lynsey Sutton Images
    • Werner Kaffl Images
  • Our People, Our Stories
    • Creatives of the Bay
    • Share Your Story!
    • Share Your Enterprise!
  • Media
    • Articles
    • Video
  • Action Station
    • Latest OBRA News
    • Coming Events
    • Join OBRA
  • Contact

Share Your Story!

Introducing: Aino Krumins - Audio Interview

Today I interviewed a very special Owhiro Bay resident. This person has childhood resonance for me, but until a week ago, I had no idea she lived in the Bay. She has lived here for 51 years!

Aino Krumins is 84 years-old. She was a school teacher at South Wellington Intermediate for 13 years. She was very beloved by countless students over the years. Certainly by me.

'Mrs Krumins' was my favourite teacher ever. When I was 11, she was my form 2 form teacher. That was the year my mother died and Mrs Krumins (still hard to call her Aino) was a tower of strength to me. 

It was a privilege to interview Aino today. She is as sharp as ever, and can still speak 4 languages. We were joined by Aino's neighbour of 13 years, Alison Forrest.

​The audio interview is below. Just below that is my class photo from when I was 11. I'm sporting one of Mum's literal bowl cuts (a couple of months before she died), 3rd from the left in the 2nd to top row. And Mrs Krumins is there, just exactly as I remember her.

​Enjoy the interview.
Audio Interview with Aino Krumins
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Introducing: Ann Barrie

I moved to 156 Ōwhiro Bay Parade in February 1976 not longer after I turned 29, I’d fallen in love with Bill Barrie who’d recently bought a cottage here as a bachelor pad.

We married, had two children and turned the cottage into a substantial two-storied house. Bill died in October 2015. I've seen many changes over the years and enjoyed the wild beauty of this Bay.

I plan, a little reluctantly, to put my house on the market in January in order to downsize. I hope another family will live here and enjoy the house as the Barries have done.   

Introducing: Debbie Rawson

My partner Graham Hanify and I have been living here since 1978 when we bought our house for a song.  No one wanted to live at Ōwhiro in those days and the property had been on the market for months.

​We fell in love with the house and the Bay instantly and have no Intention of leaving ever. The wild unspoilt nature of the coast, the proximity of the beach, the ocean, and the city are reasons for our deep love of the place.

When we first came here there was little sense of community. The vibrant and supportive community that we now enjoy, came as a bonus. Each new resident (and some wild natural catastrophes) have contributed one way or another to form a rich community fabric. This is another standout reason for our love of the Bay. 

Introducing: Eugene Doyle

As we know, living on the sea is not without its challenges … but there’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be. 

I love sitting up on the hill above our house, having a coffee and soaking it all in.  I love living in a community where a walk along the coast is a social event.  

As we know, our community faces an unusually large number of issues and challenges but I’ve loved seeing us turn into a community of activists, and seeing us turn out in large numbers when people need help, stoats and weasels need trapping, or sausages need sizzling. 

Through all this, we’ve built much better links between us but also connected with all sorts of people and organisations around the region. I like hearing the sea at night, I love living on a marine reserve. I want to feel safe swimming in the whole Bay.
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Want to Share Your Ōwhiro Bay Story with Us ?

Hi, I'm Justin. If you are one of us with a story to tell about your or your family's experience of living in the Bay, we'd love to put it on the website! 

​Want it to appear? Share it here. 
Email Justin
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Website created by Cheeky Upstart. 2020