Who I am
Kia ora tatou
Ko Rangitoto te mauna
Ko Hauraki te awa
No Tamaki ahau
Ko Carbines toku whanau
Ko Ellis toku whanau
Ko Cherie toku ingoa
My family goes back many generations in New Zealand, and I was born in Devonport. My first school was in Albany and I grew up on ‘the Shore’. Since then I have lived all over the world, returning here to Auckland which has always been my home. We moved to Greenhithe so that our daughter could go to High School in Albany which feels like a full circle.
As a Kiwi woman I am proud of the fact that it was our Kaumātua who started the journey which resulted with women having the right to vote around the world. Because of this I feel profoundly compelled to vote whenever and wherever I am eligible to do so.
I am a partner, parent, grandparent, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin.
I am politically and religiously agnostic, preferring to support my community without fear or favour.