Tiny oak gift from stricken quake city | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

As the saying goes - "Mighty oaks from little acorns grow."

Which is what the new entrant-year children at Puketapu School will see take place for themselves with a little tree they have all made promises to keep, look after and protect.

It is no ordinary tree, as teacher Ali de Lange explained to them as they gathered in a far field of the rural school yesterday to be greeted by a police officer bearing a gift - a gift of remembrance, of life and of promise for the future.

Police Sergeant Nigel Hurley, of the Eastern District Highway Patrol, was among the first contingent of the region's police support teams that arrived in the shattered centre of Christchurch five days after the February 15 earthquake.

"It was a remarkable experience," he said.

"We were doing long hours ... I think the shortest day I did was 15 hours."

Over the period of eight days he logged about 130 hours.

"A lot of the crew did more."

It was while he was on cordon duty in Latimer Square, which had been badly hit, that he noticed nuts and acorns scattered across the ground.

"I started picking a few up," Mr Hurley said.

A local woman approached and asked what he was doing and he said he wanted to take some back to the Bay to plant on his rural property.

She went away, but returned a short time later and held her hat out - it was filled with acorns.

When he got back home he put them aside, but after about a month when the conditions were right, he potted several dozen - and over a period of time about a dozen eventually took and began to grow.

Slowly re-emerging like the city they had come from.

And growing like the ones he had seen grow from seedlings at the school he had had his children attending, at some stage, for 14 years.

Puketapu School.

"They did a lot of fund-raising for Christchurch after the earthquake and I thought what better place than to have an oak tree, from there, growing in the grounds."

The school had staged a special Christchurch appeal day last year, organised by the children who washed cars, sold unwanted toys, and did face-painting - and they raised $2000. The trustees also put together a $7000 donation from a trail bike day.

So yesterday, on the eve of the disaster he arrived at the school, with a small pot containing a healthy little oak, and Mrs De lange's young charges were delighted to receive it, and make promises to it.

"They have promised to water it, to protect it from the wind and make sure nobody stands on it," she said.

Caretaker Dave Wooster, who will plant the oak in one corner of the back field, smiled and said he would take care of the latter with a protective little fence.

Mr Hurley said he would be offering the other little oaks to his colleagues who were also stationed in Christchurch after the quake.

"To remember it."

Tonight at 7 o'clock, there will be an earthquake Commemoration Service at Waiapu St John Cathedral in Napier. The service will feature music from the cathedral choir, readings and prayers. Mayor Barbara Arnott will speak along with Dean Helen Jacobi. The service is supported by the inner city churches of Napier and all are welcome.