The Northcroft children pictured at the Jubilee The ‘City Lights’ tour was another high spot. Fascinated by the view from the top of Mt Victoria, they were entranced by the motorway. The children's party left them too weary for speech. They tumbled into sleep almost before they tumbled into bed. Their decision that ‘Wellington is much the best city!’, fell upon my ears as dew moistens the parched earth. Robert changed his mind later. He wrote that it was much too cold in the mornings. Tamihana told his parents that I and the fairies are ‘neat’, for between us we produced a shiny silver 10 cent piece to replace a lost tooth. Peter, individualist, tease, and oh, so soft hearted. Phylis, the littlest, and Ngaire motherly, sweet and reliable. My five little friends, haere ra. God go with you. Keep safely the large slice of my heart which you hold. My house is yours. Norine Standish

This article was written by Michael King, who has just had a book published about moko in the twentieth century. The book was the result of four years of research throughout the North Island and involved interviewing over 70 kuias with moko and other people with first hand knowledge of the custom. MOKO by Michael King Life, thank goodness, is full of surprises. When the Maraeroa Marae Association held a fund-raising day at Khandallah in Wellington this year, somebody asked me if there would be any kuias with moko there. I laughed. ‘Of course,’ I said. ‘Khandallah's full of moko.’ It was a good joke. I didn't even know any Maoris who lived in Khandallah. And, as everybody knows, the kuia with moko is rarely seen these days, even in rural communities. Well, the joke was on me. A group of manuhiri from Te Puke was called onto the Cashmere School playing fields and it was led by a kuia i mokotia, Ramariki Rangawhenua Kerei. It was exciting to see her come down the