Papatoetoe

Morning, bud.

Um, I had a, uh, a Zincalume roof reclad done on my house, uh, by a company out at Papatoetoe, uh, from Papatoetoe-

Yeah

...

Current Toa Samoa player, Francis Manulelea, is one who remembers where he was.

2022, I was back home in my room in South Auckland in Papatoetoe, uh, watching on my phone, and then as soon as he scored that drop kick, um, I ran outside and I started running in the streets screaming, waving my flag.

So yeah, that's where I was.

Over the last few years, a number of former Kiwis and Kangaroos have decided to return to their roots, switching allegiance to Pacific Island countries.

I'll put a flag or two on my car.

Paige has expressed that, um, Papatoetoe currently has flags on their cars as well.

Okay.

So they're representing the Rugby League World Cup.

His mum actually hails from the same, uh, area in Auckland as mine.

So, uh, she's from Papatoetoe.

So-

Oh, wow

... uh, we had a good laugh when he, when he mentioned that, uh, you know, his mum's from Papatoetoe.

And, uh, when he spoke on the phone you could just feel the passion, um, you know, the desire that he had to, to represent his mum's family, but also those that have gone before him from his own family and his Maori heritage.

So that was ...

Like this happened in local elections last year.

If you go to Papatoetoe, the main street of Papatoetoe, out of 35 shops, one or two, except one or two, all are Indians.

So last year in Papatoetoe local elections, five Indians, no political background, they just stood up and they won.

And then there were some allegations of irregularities.

So they stood again.

So I think unlike Ōtāhuhu, which was already established, and like we said, um, the fencibles were there.

It was a f- like a fortified, uh, you know, for the soldiers way back, and Papatoetoe was a well-established, um, that Great South Road, eh?

Mm.

So Ōtara, I think they s- um, at the end of the '50s, um, from what I've read is they, um, built it on the cheap in, in regards ...

That is, that's interesting.

Um- And I think, like, what you're saying today, like, I mean, good point is what we're bec- what's come becoming apparent in, like, parts of Auckland is you're getting groups now and, you know, not like back in the old days.

I suppose when I went to school, I went to Papatoetoe Intermediate, and it was like 80%, I'd say, uh, middle white New Zealand European.

And then you had, um, your Māoris, your Pacific, um, but when we- Yeah, Pa- Papatoetoe was a bit whiter, eh, bro? Yeah, yeah, a bit, bit, bit, bit whiter.