Ken Tavui

Family life

I was born in Auckland of Samoan parents with four sisters and a younger brother.  I am the father of two adult sons (27 and 25) who both reside in Australia.  I have no grand children.

Current Occupation/Roles

I have worked for 13 years with Northland District Health Board, working in Mental Health & Addictions – 6 years in the Inpatient Unit (Whangarei Hospital), 4 years in Alcohol & Drugs Service (with methadone clients) and 3 years currently with Children & Adolescent Mental Health Service (Te Roopu Kimiora). 

I am currently paddling waka ama with the Parihaka Club and have done so for 3 months now.  I play rugby league for Marist and coach under 13 year old Marist rugby league as well as being treasurer for Marist Juniors Committee.  I am a trustee on the Northland Pacific Island Charitable Trust.  I play golf (still carding for handicap), I ref touch at Kamo and Blue Goose modules, cycle, fine tune at the gym, play squash, and enjoy watching all sports with remote in hand.

I am one paper off attaining a Bachelor of Applied Social Services degree this year through NorthTec.  I have been mentor with Tautoko Teina at The Pulse, but have carried this through at Te Roopu Kimiora with our rangitahi.

I am returning to my cultural roots with regular trips with my father (76) back to Satupa’etea village, on Savaii island, Western Samoa.  In June, together with my sons, father and brother – three generations will be journeying back to our beginnings.

Previous Occupations/Roles

I spent 20 years in the NZ Police working in South Auckland, Tauranga/Mt Maunganui, Mt Wellington, Auckland, and was involved in the Springbok tour in 1981 with red squad.  I was involved in routine report taking of historical crime(s) through to scene searching at crime scenes.  My duties included shift work general duties to task force in patrolling licensed premises.

Most Rewarding Aspect of Your Current Occupation/Roles

A common link with the Police and where I am now working, has been contact with the people of all denominations and backgrounds which I enjoy immensely. 

A highlight recently – apart from waka ama, and winning a golf trophy at the Hospital tournament - was witnessing our adult whaiora under mental health in the community participate in a touch tournament in Auckland against twenty other services, win three games making it to the final and coming second, which was unexpected.  An achievement they themselves owned and I enjoyed witnessing them outside clinical setting.