Tairua Care &

Friendship Club

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OUR DRIVERS

We have a wonderful group of volunteer drivers based in Tairua and Pauanui.

You can get to know them in their own words below! And if you'd like to volunteer please get in touch.

If you need to book a trip give us a call or click on Contact Us and fill in our enquiry form. As much notice as possible is appreciated, and a small controbution may be requested to help cover fuel and running costs. Our aim is to keep services affordable for everyone.

Our drivers use either their own or Club vehicles. They are friendly locals, and community minded.

Please be aware that you must be able bodied, or have a carer with you. Our drivers are not able to provide mobility assistance (with the exception of the wheelchair accessible van)

Adele M.

Coming soon

Ben & Donna G.

My wife and I are both retired and both volunteers for Tairua’s Care & Friendship Club.

Donna is part of one of the Tuesday Community Lunch cooking teams rostered on once every six weeks. Her team are ‘crazy ladies’, her desserts are world famous in Tairua.

I am one of the Club’s drivers. I am rostered on for a 5 day week once every six weeks. It is an easy gig. I usually drive two or three days in my week and can swap my week or individual days with other drivers if there is conflict with other things Donna and I do……..family or travel plans or whatever.

I don’t mind the driving. The Club’s vehicles are new and safe and easy to drive.

I really enjoy meeting the people I take….. a huge variety of seriously interesting people. Sometimes it is me mostly listening to quite remarkable experiences and things I know little about. Often it is just sharing things in common.

Both Donna and I are involved because we see the importance of what the Club does…… the fellowship and comraderie of the weekly lunches…..the providing of essential transport for people unable or hesitant to drive return trips to Thames or Hamilton themselves.

Bryan F.

I have lived in Tairua since 2005 and have been a community vehicle driver since 2013. The reason I joined was to assist in providing a valuable service to the Tairua/ Hikuai and Pauanui Communities.

John P.

I have been driving for friendship for about eight years with some breaks including doing the Tuesday lunches which is a bonus because you get a bloody nice meal to take home.

The day the road closed we went over to Hamilton in the morning, the stop/go guy said the road was getting worse but we carried on. Dropped the person at the hospital no problem then Marnie calls and she had the great news they have closed the road. So began the long drives through Waihi. At least a change of scenery.

Michael P.

Coming soon

Sandra M.

I have worked with our community's seniors both in their homes and the local care facility. On retiring I felt the need to give back to the village. No better way than to become a volunteer driver for our Care and Friendship club. I'm one of the new crew helping transport our locals to appointments. I love been able to help and support our community in this manner, it's both a social and rewarding position to be involved with. Sandra Macdonald 22 years a local myself.

Alan M.

Coming soon

Bill P.

Ground crew member in the RNZAF where I gained a comprehensive list of driver licenses.

Trainer/tutor in automotive industry over many years.

Lived and taught in Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea.

Varied driving - truck and trailer, bin trucks - asphalt roading, hay carting, stock carting, bus driving - school children and groups...

Volunteer driver in Tairua because I am aware I may need the service myself in the future!

Chris J.

Driver for 12 months. I Volunteered to give back to the community and help others

Many funny and fascinating stories about peoples lives and experiences. The most astonishing observation is how incredibly brave they are while they are going through such tough times.

It's such a privilege and extremely positive to be helping someone else when things are difficult.

Les S.

Coming soon

Peter W.

For quite a few years I was an academic and researcher in countryside and community management. I always enjoyed taking minibus tours for university students both in NZ and the UK. Travel has been a draw card for me. I’ve been living in Tairua for five years and wanted to put something back into the community. So taking local people to both Thames and Hamilton is just ideal. I meet so many friendly clients of Care & Friendship this way. In my spare time I volunteer for our Tairua Heritage Society.

Sarah J.

Coming soon

Annie S.

In mid-2019 my husband and I shifted to Tairua, one of the reasons for the move being to locate closer to family.

On moving here we saw how much they relied on the Tairua care and friendship club especially for the transport provided to and from hospitals and medical appointments.

We were really grateful for this service and the fact that it enables people to keep living in their homes and be independent.

This was the motivation for becoming a driver.

It’s hugely satisfying to be part of this service. I’ve met some lovely locals, had some great conversations and enjoy being able help people in this small way.

Bob B.

I have been driving the Community Shuttle for 26 years, I think only just beating Peter Caverhill’s record of driving.

I volunteered in order to give something back to our community in retirement.

My most interesting drive was coming back from Waikato Hospital with a passenger to drop off at Pauanui only to find the road closed due to flooding.

The Civil Defence were in control, and I was able to convince them that I needed to get my passenger back to Pauanui for his medication, also that the vehicle was

4-wheel drive. I was escorted to Pauanui via the Forestry tracks between the Whangamata Road and Pauanui, which after the heavy rain weren’t the best in the Ford Transit van. When I got to Settlement Road the escort vehicle waited whilst I dropped off my passenger who by that time was quite pale after the drive through the forestry and possibly needed a toilet! Then of course I had the return trip back. It took quite a while to get all the mud off the van the next day with a high-pressure hose before Laurie saw it!

Cliff A.

I've been a member for approximately 2 years.

I had the need of the service 9 years ago and believe it is a good way to give back to the community.

Mark B.

Driver since 2020.

I decided to become a driver after returning to NZ from many years abroad, and speaking with a neighbour who also drives. My family goes back four generations in Tairua so it was a great way to give back a little bit to my community.
One of the most memorable trips was a short journey taking students from Central Kids Tairua Kindergarten to Hikuai School. The children were so excited to be going to a big kids school, with lots of chatter both going there and coming home.

Sue M.

Bill and I returned to New Zealand after 12 years living in Queensland in Oct 2019. We live around the corner from our son Eric, Anna and three beautiful grandchildren.

I was driving Pauanui primary school students to/from Tairua school until 2021 then I retired properly. So I enjoy driving for Tairua Care & Friendship, chatting to our Tairuans. and it's giving a little back to our wonderful community.

Rowan A.

Coming soon

John P.

I have been driving for friendship for about eight years with some breaks including doing the Tuesday lunches which is a bonus because you get a bloody nice meal to take home.

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My wife and I are both retired and both volunteers for Tairua’s Care & Friendship Club.

Donna is part of one of the Tuesday Community Lunch cooking teams rostered on once every six weeks. Her team are ‘crazy ladies’, her desserts are world famous in Tairua.

I don’t mind the driving. The Club’s vehicles are new and safe and easy to drive.

Give us a call!