09 November 2025
Free to Roam
Kei te Koraha. Off The Beaten Track.
WRITER: ARPÉGE TARATOA-RANGIKURA (NGĀI TE RANGI, NGĀTI RAUKAWA, NGĀPUHI, NGĀTI RĀRUA)
photographer: ASHLEIGH RYAN
Raewyn “Tommi” Gregory-Hunt (Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri) grew up on Rangihaute Rangiauria Pitt Island, part of Rēkohu Wharekauri Chatham Islands, enjoying a childhood defined by rugged, open landscapes, self-reliance and the deep connections that come from being part of a community of forty people. Now, the islands’ sole stock agent is following in her father’s footsteps and raising her daughter, Mikayla, the same way that she was – free to roam.
“I grew up looking at this view for most of my life, and it still takes my breath away,” Tommi says, describing the view from her childhood home. “On hot, sunny days, it’s easy to see it as beautiful. But even on the really wet, cold days, it’s amazing – you’ve got sea views for 180 degrees, outlying islands and, on really clear nights, sometimes you can see lights of vehicles on the road, far in the distance.”
Raised in a small and tight-knit island community on Rangihaute Rangiauria Pitt Island, Tommi’s upbringing was unlike anything most children in Aotearoa New Zealand experience today. There was no such thing as strangers – everyone knew and cared for one another. “There’s no separation – where kids hang out with kids their age and adults stick to their groups. Here, you hang out with anyone and everyone, and you have a great time,” explains Tommi.
For Tommi, the third of six siblings, it was a childhood full of adventure and freedom. At just ten years old, Tommi, now 31, and her younger brother went pig hunting alone. “We caught a pig and brought it home to Mum, who was equally proud and really, really terrified,” she laughs. “She was like, ‘What would you have done if it was bigger?’ And we hadn’t even thought about that!” Horse riding was the main mode of transport – push bikes weren’t practical, and petrol was an expensive commodity. But for all its wild beauty, island life had its limitations. There was no high school so, at thirteen, Tommi left for boarding school in Ōamaru, an experience she embraced despite the culture shock. “I went from an island of forty people to a class of thirty-six – and it was insane!” she recalls. While her two eldest sisters didn’t particularly warm to boarding school, Tommi loved it. “There was always something going on – hostel trips, games, sport – it was an active, fun environment.”
Sport quickly became a major part of her life at school. With an upbringing that was constantly physical – riding horses, hunting and spending time outdoors – she naturally gravitated toward contact sports. “I think growing up here made me pretty resilient. We grew up rough and tumble, always outside, always moving,” she says. “I was probably just stubborn more than anything – I was never the fastest or the flashiest, but I’d put my head down and get stuck in.”
She joined the rugby and hockey teams, and was selected for representative teams, competing at a high level. A humble woman, Tommi credits her success in sports to her coaches and teammates. “It was a huge shift from Pitt, where you just make up games at school and play with whoever’s around,” she says. “Suddenly, there were set positions, strategy, rules – it was a whole different world. I was lucky to have some great coaches and a strong team around me.”
Above. Tommi with her niece Morgan Edmonds, 11, and her husband, Tim. “That is the little plane, also known as ‘the Pitt Plane’ – aka ‘the 206,’” says Tommi. “The pilots – currently there are two – have a Messenger page specifically for the Pitt Island community to book the 206. It’s used for everything – it flies our mail over, and if we have anything at one of the shops on Chatham we can call or message the pilots and they will pick it up. When it’s rough at sea, it’s nice to have the 206 to get us to and from Chatham quickly – it’s only a fifteen- to twenty-minute flight.”
Continue reading the full story in our Kōanga Spring 2025 Edition.
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This story appeared in the Kōanga Spring 2025 Edition of Shepherdess.
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