Dave White was the effective founder of KAKA (Karameans Advocating Kahurangi Action).  He loved life and lived it well – as a loving father and husband, a hunter, fisherman, publican, and a lover of fine food, bad rum and cricket.   Quick with a joke, he had an infectious laugh, a sharp twinkle in his eye and a killer smile. He was a bloody good mate to a whole lot of people.

Dave was also a staunch N.Z. patriot who loved Aotearoa and devoted a good part of his life to making sure his family, particularly his beloved daughter Jessy-May, could continue to enjoy New Zealand’s natural beauty and wildlife.

Dave’s love of the outdoor life led him, like so many other New Zealanders, to feel deep distress about the indiscriminate use of the toxin 1080 across the country by the Animal Health Board and the Department of Conservation.  He was deeply concerned about its impact on his beloved bush and the potential for longer-term harmful effects on his family’s health.

Dave didn’t just wait for somebody else to do something about 1080.  He was instrumental in founding KAKA, giving the communities of Karamea and Little Wanganui an organized and powerful means of voicing their concerns about the broad-scale, indiscriminate use of 1080 poison in their backyard and elsewhere across the West Coast.

His influence and leadership led him to extend his support to other communities along the West Coast.  The petition he distributed in 2008 revealed that anti-1080 sentiment was widespread among Coasters and brought many of them closer together to fight against the use of 1080.  He was proud of KAKA and we are proud of him.  He made a difference.

Dave is sorely missed by his family and friends.  But he is also missed by a host of others, many of whom never had the opportunity to meet him in person and experience his wonderful hospitality.  His passing is a great loss to all, including anti-1080 activists and groups across the country.  He won’t be forgotten.

Rest In Peace Big Fella.

back to top