BUILD TEAM
BILL CLEMENT (Head Builder)
Once in a while a tall blond Nick Nolte look alike, grizzly in character but with a heart of gold might pop in for a yarn and a beer while checking on Tūrama Retreat. This is Bill Clement, President of the Master Builders association of the Bay of Plenty and lead builder of this stunning architecturally designed home. To anyone interested he will point out that there are only three right angles in the whole homestead: enough to drive any master builder to the verge of insanity! Fortunately Wiremu (Bill) mathematically navigated the trigonometry set by RTA Studio and Tūrama Retreat stands as his crowning legacy in a career spanning forty years.
COSS WAAKA
Cossack (Coss) is the grandson of the WWII leader of B Company, Lt-Col. Kuru-o-te-marama Waaka who led the Maori Battalion to victory at El Alamein. Professor Tapsell spent his formative years under Kuru’s guidance and in turn was honoured by Coss as the carpenter apprentice in building Tūrama Retreat. Before turning to a career of building, Cossack qualified as a chef in Queenstown and already has a decade of experience working in top kitchens in NZ.
JAMES NGATAI
James Ngatai, aka Hemi the Hunter, is one of our community locals who supported in building Tūrama Retreat. He and his wife, Diane live around the corner and continue to assist the whanau.
TRADIES
