Hi there. I’m Renee Hapimarika van de Weert. I whakapapa to Ngati te Whiti, I’m 58, I’m married to Rene Emile (yes, truly!) I’m a JP, and I work for Parliament. I’ve been stock taking lately; how did I get to where I am, now? The route has been circuitous. If I were to try to map it, I reckon, it’d look like the scribbles of a very young child. Yet looking back, I believe none of it has been wasted and everything is proving useful now – despite my wondering often what I was doing and why?
I’ve been employed, self-employed, contracted, freelancer, under and over employed. As a married woman, technically I’ve never been unemployed but Rene was made redundant several times in the late 80’s, a horrible experience that changed both of us for ever.
I left school at 16, met Rene at 17, married him at 19 and now, 40 years on, with two kids, and three grandchildren, we’re off on a NEW ADVENTURE – more of that, later.
I started work as a receptionist in a children’s book importers. A couple of years after that, I was a sub-editor at a book publishers. Many years later, I wrote my own children’s book, The Last Whale/Te Tohora Whakamutunga, which was shortlisted in the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards. More of that, and a collection of my columns, too, later.
I worked in a printing factory, and I cleaned people’s homes and did their laundry.
I’ve been a laboratory assistant and a vet clinic assistant. I’ve picked and packed tomatoes, gherkins and kiwifruit. I’ve been a scrubcutter and a lousy rousie. I’ve been a stable hand and I’ve done the night shift foaling beat on a thoroughbred horse stud.
I’ve been a hobby farmer, a small farmer, a sheep and beef stud farmer, an eco-tourist and hunter’s farmstay host, an Agricultural Journalist and Columnist. Again, we’ll get back to that… later.
I’ve been a Staff Trainer, Budget Adviser, a budgeting, adult literacy and creative writing tutor.
And finally, over the last few years, I’ve been working for Parliament, supporting several MPs, Janet Mackey, Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Hon Parekura Horomia, Martin Gallagher and Di Yates, in particular. Now, I’m working in Harry Duynhoven’s office.
So that’s me – for starters, anyway.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: elections, maori, nz politics, rural
Tena Koe Renee
Where were you when we moved here in similar circumstances to yours?
With your varied range of skills and experiences you could have been very helpful to us. (Have you also done gibstopping,plastering and tiling by any chance?).
Aren’t animals totally uncooperative when you’re trying to do something for their own good?!
Cows that won’t stand still for pour on, a phsycopathic buck goat with murderous tendencies that the benefits of drench are completely wasted on!
We too bought a derelict house that has the ability to soak up money like a sponge and give nothing back when squeezed, however the whole new roof looks nice glinting in the moonlight covered in dew which is the only moisture we have as we are now in the grips of a drought.
All next winter’s hay has been fed in the summer. Now we’ll have to pay double the going rate to keep them going through.
Ahhhh, the joys of small block ownership!
Looking forward to the next instalment….
Hi ECS, how exciting to have a response to my blogging. (I’m calling what I do Boggling actually, it’s all v. high tech to me.) I have a facebook page too – if you’re interested – you could be my friend? I’d be honoured!
At work, last week, I got a phone call from a sheep and beef farmer, over here in Taranaki, in tears over the drought and the difficulty getting stock away to the works and the miserably low prices being paid for stock despite the high costs of meat in the supermarkets.
I was horrified to hear how desperate she was. And they had kids. When I asked if Working for Families was helping she said her husband won’t let the family apply!! Why would you not want your tax rebate for having kids and helping your country meet its future work force needs? Go figure!
Is it very bad where you are ECS? How are stock prices? What’s the feed supply like? And how are you holding up?
The only murderous animals I’ve had to deal with was 1. a neighbour’s steer that bowled me and kicked the glasses off my face! I wasn’t hurt – dunno how not – and I reached supersonic speeds heading in zigzags for the nearest fence. Given I couldn’t see a thing I reckon I did well to find the fence before the steer hunted me down and finished me off.
And 2. one of our own Simmentaal cows, Agnes, who bitterly resented having her calves taken off her. She even tried to climb onto the back of the ute with me and the dogs when we were taking her new calf to a safer place than where she calved down. Mad as maggots!
Hello there Renee
It’s astounding that someone would qualify for WFF and yet not take advantage of what effectively is a tax cut! Yet, we would surmise that they would be the first to squeal for a tax cut and vote against the Govt on the premise that the Govt does nothing for them!!!
The drought here has broken but it was pretty arid here a fortnight ago.
Being only lifestylers (playing at farming), our mixed menagerie of animals came through very well because we treat them as humans, however it’s easy to sympathise with farmers who want to do the best for their stock when the weather is against them and feed is short.
We were lucky to be able to buy hay locally at a reasonable cost.
No dramas with the animals this week…all going according to “their” plan!
Cheers
Hi there Renee.
I am a Labour voting constiuent of Taranaki – King Country. (From Te Kuiti). Was very interested to learn more about you, so thank you for getting online and setting up a blog. I was looking out for you at congress this year, but no luck. Best wishes for the campaign.
Kurt.
That’s great, Kurt. Hope to catch up with you next month in TK – we’ll be starting to get out and about meeting people from June onward.
I have a Facebook page too you may want to check out.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1117131088
Keep in touch.
Let me know if you have any issues or questions – I’d be happy to try to find the answers for you.
Keep on keeping left,
Cheers,
Renee