Alistair McIntyre

Alistair McIntyre is the man behind Doug the Digger, a series of educational children’s books about the construction industry. Alistair suffered a debilitating work injury and decided to use his love of machinery to help school children.

Mr Mac, as Alistair is affectionately known, tours schools spreading the word of Doug the Digger and the construction industry and hopes to entertain, inspire and educate children through his life experiences.
Congratulations Alistair.

Daniel Walters of Dargaville

Rugby in Dargaville is synonymous with the name Daniel Walters.Daniel has spent his whole life dedicated to rugby not only in Northland, but the whole of New Zealand. Daniel has been responsible for running the Dargaville Old Boys’ Rugby Club, coaching the Dargaville Women’s Rugby team, being part of Northland Maori’s overseas tours and looking after the general welfare of all his players.

Dorothy Quaife of Paparoa

78 year-old Dorothy is and has been the official voice and ears for the North Kaipara Volunteer Coast Guard for the last 17 years.Her service to her community goes well beyond this though.

Dorothy and her late Husband Ansel Quaife, along with good friends Fred and Noreen Mays set up the Kaipara Marine Radio Group in the early 1970’s and together they self funded and set up the first Marine CB base station on Pouto Point.

For 40 years Dorothy has been manning the radioofficially for the Coast Guard for the last 17 years, eight hours a day seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year.

Dorothy has watched over hundreds if not thousands of families who fish and play in the waters of the Kaipara Harbour and Northland coast.

Dorothy is also heavily involved with other community groups and projects including the Wearable Arts event in Paparoa, the A&P Show, the Community Library, the Paparoa Medical Society, St John’s Ambulance, the Returned Services Association, Hospice and the Country Woman’s Institute.

Elizabeth Van der kaay

Elizabeth Van der kaay has been an active volunteer in her community for over nine years dedicating countless hours of service to the Citizens Advice Bureau in Whangarei. She is a past president and is currently on the management committee of the Bureau. Elizabeth performs a wide range of roles for the Bureau including volunteer training, fundraising, office work, publicity and promotion.

Quite simply whatever needs doing Elizabeth will roll up her sleeves and get it done. Elizabeth has been a tireless worker for her community and without her willingness to help; the Whangarei Citizens Advice Bureau would struggle to do the good work it does.

Rodger Beatson of Ahipara

Serving the Ahipara’s and Kaitaia’s best interest is what Rodger Beatson has done and will always do. Rodger is in his 50th year of serving as a volunteer fire fighter at Ahipara, thirty seven of which he has been Chief Fire Officer.

He has also instigated the establishment of the Far North Surf Rescue Unit which covers the West coast from Hokianga to the North Cape. Rodger has also been an honorary Wildlife Officer protecting wildlife, fauna and flora for thirty two years. Another major Roger has been involved in was building a Rotary fourteen bed tuberculosis ward in Labasa, Fiji.

All of this in spite of suffering of bowel cancer at the age of, 33. He is regarded in the community as an icon, a legend and a role model for young people.

Rodger was a finalist in the Senior New Zealander of the Year Award 2011 as part of the New Zealander of the Year Awards.

Rosalie Miller of Warkworth

Rosalie has given 50 years of her life to the Warkworth region in a number of ways. Her duties have ranged from voluntarily playing the organ over 2,000 times at the Warkworth and Snell’s Beach Methodist Church to carrying out secretarial and treasure duties at the Rodney Aero Club for 47 years. And these are only two of Rosalie’s achievements. She was a founding member of the Snell’s Beach library and has volunteered there weekly for over 30 years.

More recently she has volunteered at ARC Tawharanui Regional Park, policing the predator fence. There is little Rosalie has not been involved with in the Warkworth region.

Roseanne Crawford-Hunt Dargaville 

Roseanne wholeheartedly embraces every opportunity that comes her way.  Born with specific learning difficulties into a dysfunctional family, Roseanne’s future was indeed very bleak until she was placed in the care of Stan Hunt & Marion Crawford-Hunt at the age of sixteen. 

Roseanne has grown and blossomed, rising above circumstances that would emotionally cripple many people. She has become a positive role model to other young people, as evidenced by her contributions through ATC Cadets, as a prefect at High School and as a young woman working in the field of engineering in the small community of Dargaville. 

She is a Sunday School leader, volunteering many hours to support the Methodist Church of Dargaville and their Outreach to Children which is a huge contribution to the community of this rural township.

Trevor Brljevich of Maungaturoto

For the past 50 years Trevor Brljevich has worked tirelessly to benefit the community of Maungaturoto. Trevor was a founding member of the Maungaturoto Order of St John in 1955, was named a Paul Harris Fellow for his significant contribution to the Maungaturoto Lions Club and has won the Dix-Penning medal for contributions to plant breeding.

Trevor is described as a stalwart of his community who is always willing to lend a hand to help the people of Maungaturoto.

Yvonne Judge 

Yvonne owns and runs Ruakaka's second-hand shop Scavengers, the proceeds of which are distributed back to the community. More than $200,000 has been generated by the store since it opened in 1998. Scavengers (supporting community avengers) began as a fundraising effort for the resource rooms at One Tree Point School and has since raised important funds for community groups such as the SPCA while also providing funds for food for young mothers, and support for the elderly.

Other than attending funerals, Yvonne has only missed one day of work in 12 years. Yvonne runs the business out of a warehouse she purchased and gives everything she earns away while herself living on a pension.

When she was young, Yvonne was in NZ's first all girl rock band, the Fair Sect, and then joined Noazarc. She is a much-loved character in the Ruakaka community.