Before my journey through Form 1 and 2 continues, I have been reminded of some more old memories.

Some time I’m guessing around the time of the destroying of the plaque on the Maori Arch, there was another incident worthy of note.
As kids, we frequently made the trek through the track from the end of the Maori Arch section through to the Donavan Road park/playground.
As the track was through the lupins and blackberries etc that were where Te Atiawa Park is now, there obviously were quite a few hazards such as prickles.
One day, my older brother – thinking he was doing a good thing for his 2 younger brothers – went back home and returned with a box of matches!
This was something he had watched Dad and uncle Pete do back on the farm at Emerald Glen with gorse and the like.
A controlled burn off.
Well, a burn off, yes. Controlled, no.
We spent the next few hours watching the local fire brigade trying to stop the scrub fire consuming the whole of the future Te Atiawa Park!
Again, from memory nobody ever got in trouble for this incident.
It seems we are already developing a knack for ‘getting away’ unscathed……….
This must have been some time around 1970ish, although I may be wrong.

As the years progressed there were in fact quite a few fires started by various neighbourhood kids in the scrub although none came close to the epic scale of my older brothers effort.