New Zealand's very first female weather presenter Christina Mei Carline (Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), better known to viewers as Tina Carline, has passed away following a battle with cancer.
The Māori presenter brought us the latest in weather on TV One weeknights from the 1970s until the early 80s and helped create a pathway for Māori to enter into the television industry.
Photo/TVNZ
Carline passed away last Thursday and a funeral service was held for her today in Southport on the Gold Coast of Australia.
Tina's son Lachlan Ngaparu Whydham Carline kindly shared his eulogy in honour of her memory.
Good Morning, I'm Lachlan Ngaparu Whydham Carline - Tina's son.
Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy lives to come and pay your respects and celebrate the life of my mother Christina Mei Carline. There are a lot of broken hearts out there and a lot of sad people who are stunned that such a beautiful person has moved on to the other world. She loved you and thanks to you for the love you had for her. I feel, the friendship and love you gave her before I arrived when she told you cute stories about me when she told you "the pain in the ass stories" about me. I love my mum, she is the best mum ever, I know we all say that however, she was really the best mum ever!
We are Māori, we are proud. Tina taught me to be stubborn. Tina taught me to be brave because she was always brave like our tūpuna (ancestors). Most of all mum taught me to love. Mum taught me to care. Mum taught me to laugh at myself. Mum taught me to take risks. Mum taught me to make other people laugh - at me. Mum taught me to love animals. Mum taught me to try and fix things. Mum taught me I can overcome problems, I can fix problems, and in return, the world will show me the same!
Tina is the oldest of two children, Tina is a sister to Allan Ngaparu, was a daughter to Barbara and Heuytou Ngaparu,, an aunt to Roman & Jazzmin, a great aunt to two beautiful boys, a friend, and my mother. Mum was the glue that held things together. Mum has passed and our hearts are breaking.
Tina is "Ngāti Tūwharetoa, she is world-famous in New Zealand, she was the first Māori female broadcaster setting the path for future Maori generations to come. He tangata manawanui ki te tangata! Having a heart matters, believing in others matters and you should always care about animals and people.
They say you die twice, the second time is when they stop mentioning your name. Don't ever stop talking about my mum!!!