Homeless Exhibition
Boydie
I met 59 year old Boydie in Queen Street waiting for a bus home, and had less than a minute to chat and ask him back to the city next day so I could photograph him. An imposing character with a haughty laugh, from a Mongrel Mob background, he arrived on the bus next day in the cold rain with his crutches (crashed his Harley) saying "I didn't know what to wear bro" but smiled when I said "I'd like you to take off your jacket, shirt and beanie!" He shot very straight and it was pretty clear he could easily look after himself. He's had a life laden with trouble right from an early age. Told me "I've got 5 sisters,7 kids, 21 grand children, 1 great grandson and 200 Mob brothers, and I represented NZ in Taekwondo". A cousin did his full face Moko tattoo which he has the right to wear being the oldest living family member, King of the tribe, it represents family roots.”
Patrick
Patrick told me he’s always loved looking up at tall buildings. But with virtually no sight in one eye and only part vision in the other, “Everything is a bit of a blur now. I don’t like drugs because I don’t like what they’ve done to me. I left home at 14 and became a junkie, and very soon had my Masters Degree in Heroin.” Born and raised in Cambridge, his dad was a chemist and a pillar of society. “He was a classic Jekyll and Hyde, drinking at night and beating my mum up, she had a stroke after one attack.” His dad wanted him to be a chemist too. “I knew a bit about chemistry .... would wait till he was drunk then sneak into his work and nick medical - quality cocaine.” Patrick was in and out of various boys homes and Borstals for years, then prisons. “I added it up a while back. With various offences I was sentenced to 65 years worth of prison time and ended up serving 17.5 years. In between got married, fathered a daughter, partied, overdosed a few times, woke up unconscious in various ditches, went to festivals, lived on ‘jack and jills’ and thought the good times would never end. Now at 58 years old I’m terminally ill, in the last stages of liver cancer and nearly blind.” I met him up at the Auckland City Mission. He was warm and friendly with a big smile, a great communicator. All his possessions were in one small back pack .
Amanda
Amanda is 34 years old and sits on her rug on the pavement in the same street every day and has done for the last 8 years. "I've had a life of hell, me and my sister were both abused by our father, I've been stabbed in the stomach when pregnant and nearly died, all over a packet of cigarettes, (she lifted up her pyjamas top under her thick jacket and showed me an ugly 10 inch scar) I've had 2 kids from street relationships, both adopted out, I had a job once as a nurse." Unlike others in the street she has a small room in a lodge up the road, benefit money covers rent and take away food. "I'm trying to forgive my father, I'm a Christian now. I miss my kids ..... there's nothing you can do better in life than give love”.
Cookie
51 year old Cookie was sitting outside McDonalds in the city at 9am talking to 2 undercover policeman who were looking for tip offs from town and around. When they left I stopped for a chat and he said 'every cop in town knows my history and in my Mongrel Mob days we certainly didn't behave like angels!' He spent a number of stints inside including 9 years in Paremoremu for aggravated robbery. His traditional Moko tattoos were done by a fellow inmate. Worst part was being beaten up by the wardens. He robbed banks a few times but says 'not any more, too old for trouble now'. He sleeps anywhere he can out of the cold rain.
Hori
Hori Winiata Whiu Te HereHere Herangi Heramaia Kuri Is 56 years old and born in Hokianga up North. His friends call him George. Each of his names come from his ancestors, going right back to his great great great grandfather Heremaia Kuri. He was adopted and bought up by his grandfather, and various uncles and aunties. In his early out of control years he was a member of the Stormtroopers gang in Auckland, before marrying and having 6 children. A Rastafarian tattooist in Ruatoria did his intricate full face Moko 11 years ago. Now he lives in the bush up North in a small shack with no power, and an outdoor long drop. "I get water from the streams, live off the land, catch eels, mullet, rabbits and venison, my best friends are the Kereru (native wood pigeons) which are always around me" I finished our chat by asking him what was his life's highlight .... "every day is a highlight bro, appreciating that I wake up to see another day .... good or bad". He was laden with character.
Jack
61 year old Jack has his spot on the pavement opposite the Town Hall in Queen Street, arriving each day as early as 5.30am! He keeps enough food for himself from what he collects, giving the rest to those less fortunate at the City Mission where he's a part time volunteer helper, "if I've got it I give it". He's a Good Samaritan, "if there's trouble on the streets with any of the 'rough sleepers' I help sort it out, I treat all streeties as family". 3 years ago he graduated from University with a diploma in Social Work, and told me proudly "and I thought that sort of stuff was for clever people". Born in the Hokianga up North he farmed oysters and did 6 years in the army. "My parents, grand parents and great grandparents are full blooded Maori, so that makes me one too". He's lived on and off the streets for some years, sleeping by the library in the summer. This winter his oldest brother said "you've gotta pull your arse off the streets bro, you're too old for this", so now he's staying with a niece. He is a humble caring soul with a beautiful warm smile that lights up his face.
JD
42 year old JD was born in Whangaruru up North. His chest tattoo is a bold statement. Ngapui is the largest Maori tribe in New Zealand, their territory stretches from the Hokianga Harbour to the Bay of lslands then down to Whangarei in the South. "My mum bought me up in Wellington, the old man did a runner when when I was a young boy. Been in Auckland a while now, lived for 2 years in the Domain under a tarpaulin." I asked where he was sleeping now. "Are you a cop bro? you're asking me too many questions .... I live in the shadows, where I stand is where I stay." His journey has been rough. "I did 10 years inside for doing bad things that still haunt me now." He reads lots of books. "I know lotsa stuff, a good memory is my greatest gift, I was molested as a child ..... I remember everything, I forget nothing bro.”
Moa
I've photographed Moa before, but this time as number two of my 'Homeless in Profile' series. He's been living on the streets now for 10 years. I asked him where he actually sleeps and he replied 'anywhere I can lay down'. He survives on food scraps from city rubbish bins. I asked also where he is originally from - 'nowhere in particular'. His words were few and he wandered off quietly, head hanging so low his neck was almost parallel to the pavement.
Pa
I met Pa walking up the Queen Street at lunchtime. Asked if he minded me photographing him on the iPhone, he quickly replied ' no one takes my photo ' but for some reason he agreed and walked back down the street with me a couple of blocks to an alleyway with good background walls. We talked while we walked. He's been on the streets for years, I asked where he slept and how he survives .... 'sleep out and about, and there's no answer to survival on the streets man, I survive on faith‘.
Speedo
I spotted Gordon while driving through Waihi, he was walking slowly up the Main Street in the hot sun, bare chested, with a splattering of good basic tattoos showing. His friend Rarei who works in the local supermarket calls him Speedo, his father was president of the Hells Angels, who call him Tiny Man. His mother was a groupie with Fleetwood Mac. "I was conceived at a Bob Marley concert in 1967 at Western Springs in Auckland, my body is made up of Harley Davidson parts, I was adopted out at an early age, not sure if I've got any kids, but my brother is called Handlebars, he owns a Trident. Way back I was shot in the head at Te Aroha. I'm a christian now and famous around here". He wanted to know when I was coming back through Waihi so we could talk some more. "I've got so many good stories to tell you" …..
Taylor
Taylor is 22, she's been living on the street for five years, getting blankets and food from the City Mission. She told me "I sleep in doorways or in the park, anywhere that's warm will do". Out of all the homeless I pass in Queen Street she looks the saddest, sitting on the pavement hiding under her hoody and blankets with dark eyes looking nowhere. Her face lit up when I stopped to talk and for a second I glimpsed the beauty that once was, before being quelled by circumstance. "I was born in Calgary, and came to New Zealand when I was 2 years old, never knew my dad, and my mum and stepdad don't have much to say to me now, my real family are the streeties, getting to know them, that's the best thing, and I always welcome the new ones, worst thing was being smashed over by 5 drunken party girls”.
Dokta
Stan's nickname is Dokta, he lives out West in his old van with his pug bulldog also called Dokta. "I called her Dokta because it was easy for me to remember,". He is articulate and well spoken. His mother passed away when he was 9. "My whole world collapsed, I had one sister and four brothers, we were all passed on to the Whanau, but no one could handle us. I was taught way back that I was a Hori not a Maori. Me and my younger brother became patched Mongrel Mob members as young teenagers, all our uncles and cousins are with the Mob". He was a member for 30 years. "I spent 26 years in prison, where all my tats were done. I've seen lots of trouble and shit go down, I've been bashed and stabbed. As you get older you get bullied, there's heaps of power struggles and big wars between chapters, every gang has the same shit bro. I woke up one day and thought I'm finished here". Now at 57 he calls himself a man of peace and is involved in counseling and helping young troubled rebellious woman, teaching them new life skills and giving them a chance. This is a far cry from his Mob days where all woman were hated by the gang and treated with total disrespect.
Peter
50 year old Peter met me on the dot at 11am as planned, three days after meeting him in the supermarket. "washed my hair and had a shave bro, hope I look ok". His full face Moko tattoo was carved by his friend in Hawkes Bay. "It's all about my whanau, I'm going to spend Christmas with my mum, sister and my daughter, she's 32 and looks just like me except she's white with black hair. I'm a grandad too now". Four generations of his family live in Pukehou, it's tattood on his chest. "I was a member of CHB Mongrel Mob for 20 years, got into a bit of trouble, could have got into more. Did 10 years inside, never going back there, keep away from temptation and bad people now, no drugs, no pubs no alcohol." Peter suffers from schizophrenia, "the medication makes me sleepy all the time, I used to be into sport, tennis, basketball and rugby league, I trialed for the Junior Kiwis in 1985." I gave him some money for his bus trip back to the Bay for Christmas …
Victor
I often see Victor in downtown Auckland ... because he stands out as being different from the other many homeless, kind of smartly dressed in his dark but tired suit jacket , and In a way distinguished looking, though very shy and softly spoken with eyes that seem to look everywhere at once. He told me he's 58 years old, and when I asked him where he lived he looked at the ground and replied, "I've lived outside for a few years now.”
Lloyd
This is the second time I've photographed 58 year old Lloyd or sticks as they call him, this time as number 3 in my 'Homeless in Profile' series. His whanau still live close to the mountain in Taranaki where he was born, lots of them in gangs and in trouble so he keeps away. He's been homeless here in Auckland for over a decade, wandering in bare feet with his waist length matted dreadlocks, dressed in the same multi layer of clothes summer and winter. For nearly three years now he's slept in the same doorway of an empty shop right next to a noisy busy bus stop, with his small suitcase of belongings padlocked to a pole next to his umbrella and rolled up blankets. He never begs but gets given enough money to survive, and buy his food from the supermarket. His weekly highlight is going to a small Internet cafe where he pays a little to the owners so he can watch movies. He's a regular customer and always seems to smile a lot.
Victoria
56 year old Victoria comes from way up North, her father was a well respected Maori gentleman and her mother Scottish. Told me she had two kids and lots of cousins, most of them mischief makers except one who's in parliament. She's never had a job and has lived on the streets for 12 years saying any sheltered door way will do me, I'm happy there long as I'm left alone, sometimes I get booted out, all the cops know me". She mainly keeps out of trouble but a while back was banned from lots of the downtown liquor stores and has done a few stints in rehab. "On a good day on the pavement with my cup I get about 100 bucks". Sometimes she goes to an Internet cafe and watches movies for hours. She told me her story openly with her beautiful infectious giggle and toothless smile.
Arama
Arama told me he’s had too many years on the street to count ... “At 60 years old I’ve done a few”. Originally from Wellington, he’s only been in Auckland one and a half years, sleeping rough in shop doorways at the top end of Queen Street. “Been through a few rough spells with drug and alcohol addiction, fighting and trouble with the cops - nothing too serious though I’ve been in the can once or twice. Now I spend lots of time up at the Mission, always get a feed and watch the tele”. There are lots of new faces on the streets now, since l last had the time to look, including a few timid looking teenagers with their coin cups and rugs. Last night I spent some time talking to Lloyd, (who was the first of my series three years ago) and sitting with him at pavement level gave me a completely different perspective of life (in more ways than one) - outdoors in the cold and the rain as the passers-by simply did just that ... looked the other way.