Before I continue my tales, I am going to share some random memories of my old ‘hood’.
We grew up as I have said, at the beach end of Mazengarb Road, number 12.
We were right next to what we referred to then, and still do now, The Maori Arch.

My older brother told me one day that behind the plaque which was screwed onto a wooden block set into the stone work of the archway there were a whole bunch of matchbox cars. All I had to do, was smash the plaque and the cars would be mine. A small Tomahawk from the garage, one swing, plaque in a hundred pieces, no fucking matchbox cars, just a brother almost peeing himself laughing.
If my memory serves correctly, I don’t think I ever got in trouble for this act of vandalism.
I would have been about 6 years old.

We were surrounded by other families most of whom also were long haul Kapiti folks.Most of us kids were all around the same ages so a lot of time was spent kicking around with the neighbours.

Random  memories:
Hadfield place was a dead end, with a dirt track heading towards the beach which led into the Mud Flats (The muddies) We used to spend hours as kids watching older dudes hooning in their cars and motorbikes.

Also from the end of Hadfield Place, but in the other direction was another dirt/sand track heading off in the general direction of Otaihanga.. a few hundred metres down this track was a big sandy area like a valley. This we called the Sand Bowl. Many hours were spent in there on push bikes, old car bonnets and later on, motorbikes and even cars.

Olive Terrace didn’t exist. that was called ‘Turners Track’ as it was pretty much a walking track that went straight through to manly Street. The Turners lived at the start of the track, hence the name.

Manly Street stopped just north of Ngapotiki Street, and Manly Street extension started just south of Watson Drive. There was no road linking the 2, this was to come later. The north end of Manly Street extension stopped before the seeping corner that is there now.

Rangiatea Street and Michael Road were dead ends – That part of Manly Street and Kotuku Park was was pretty much sand dunes and blackberries etc.

Mazengard Road stopped between Michael road and Walton road. Where Paraparaumu College is now, was the Polwart Farm.  At time this was probably most well known for being the venue for motor cross events.
It was also rumoured, although never actually proven or seen that if you were seen trespassing on this land the farmers son would shoot you!! Good enough reason for this kid to stay the fuck away from there.

I guess it was around 1976-77 and Paraparumu College must have been under construction, although I don’t really remember……more about that a bit later.

The KenaKena shops.Ngans fruit and vege shop, Ngans Fish and chip shop, the Post Office……yes, the Post Office, A book and toy shop, the butcher shop, and the dairy. That was it, and every one of those shops was able to survive back then…..how times have changed!

Funny, I don’t remember anywhere being called ‘KenaKena’ back then. When did that start?

Many many hours were spent outside the Ngans shops around guy Fawkes time.Double Happys, Tom thumbs, Sparklers, Jumping Jacks, Sky rockets. Sometimes up to about 30 kids letting off crackers and nobody seemed to mind!!!!
To the best of my knowledge and memory, nobody ever got hurt, although I may be wrong.

Te Atiawa Park didn’t exist. The whole area now occupied by Te Atiawa Park was horse paddocks, lupins and blackberries.
Where the BMX track is now, was just a playground….slide, jungle gym, swings, one of those awesome old rocking horse things that could hold about 6 people, and an awesome tree to climb. All of these things were capable of causing serious injury, and indeed they did many times although luckily never to me.
There was also a couple of decent grass areas that were the home of many an epic rugby test match involving many local kids.
It was at this park around age 11 or 12 that I discovered that I had a serious allergy to wasp stings.
I was stung multiple times when one of the fuckers got down the back of my t shirt, and within half an hour I was starting to resemble the Goodyear Blimp.
Long story short, Mum got me to the doctor, I got pinged up with antihistamines and adrenalin and came right fairly quickly.
The only other time I got stung by a wasp was on my tongue while swigging beer from a can which was much scarier and potentially life threatening……hard to breath when your tongue swells up and starts to close shit off where oxygen needs to get to!
That full story comes much later as i was in my 20s when it happened.

So, when I continue, I will be in form 1 at Paraparaumu Beach School.
This is around the time I started to have a crack at smoking cigarettes.
Hey, both Mum and Dad and all there friends smoked, it must be cool, right?