Ruth Leov and her family on D'Urville Island Pt4

D'Urville Island is in the Western Sounds of New Zealand. An area frequented by high winds, severe weather conditions. Isolated because it is an island, but more because French Pass, one of the fastest running straits in the world, separates the island from the mainland and must be crossed.
So it was in 1945 the Leov and Stratford families moved to Port Hardy and began farming on land which Len was convinced grew the best cattle because of the mineral belt that runs across the island.

The Bill Stratford and Len Leov families at Port Hardy

It was a hard isolated life there and boat voyages could be life threatening especially as Len wasn't really a boat man, but fortunately there were plenty of good boat men serving the Western Sounds at that time. The big commercial ferry ran daily from Nelson to Wellington via French Pass as well and passage on her could be gained.

The homestead at Greville Harbour built from a house they transported by boat piece by piece from Manawaikupakupa harbour to Greville Harbour on D'Urville island.

The view out over the lake past the Greville Harbour homestead 1960s

The family complete with Helen, the youngest.

The children were taught by Correspondence School and then sent to boarding school in Nelson or Blenheim for high school.

Len got to breed fine cattle and Ruth created a beautiful family and a gorgeous sub-tropical garden with bouganvillea, hibiscus, roses, cherry trees, medlars, fejoas, grapefruit, oranges, apples, pears and much more in the orchard.

They hunted deer and pigs, raised sheep and cattle, rode horses, brought turkeys and quail to the island to raise as cash crops. 

The Leov family Gilbert is 21 years old

Aircraft began to fly in to the big long beach at Greville Harbour and the island began to feel less isolated. 

Ruth in her garden with some of her grandchildren. 

Around 1970 Len and Ruth retired from farming and moved to Spring Creek to manage a small farm. They renovated an old Bedford Bus and made it into a house bus, long before the current popularity for mobile living they went away for two years travelling around New Zealand, making many friends wherever they went. 

Ruth and her family saying goodbye before they leave in the Bedford bus 1971

Eventually they retired to Havelock.

 
 Wedding Anniversaries, weddings, grand children came along in flocks.

Ruth and Len with their grandchildren 1977 family reunion

Ruth Yeoman marries Leonard Charles Leov pt3

Ruth Yeoman marries Leonard Charles Leov Pt3

Len Leov wrote.
'We were married 14th May 1930 in Paihiatua.

When we went to the Church at Pahiatua to get married the church was locked and the local parson was away, so Mr Yeoman had to break in. It’s a good thing he did. I would not have had such a good helper if we had not been able to enter the church.'

For our honeymoon we went for a trip around the lower part of the North Island in a Chrysler car. We arrived in Napier late one night from Taupo and camped at the camping grounds. In the morning I looked across a big swamp. I said to my wife, ‘Isn’t it a pity such areas couldn’t be lifted up.’ 

We were home only a few months and the Napier earthquake did lift it. Now there are thousands of acres of dry land. We visited the area recently and I'm sorry to see that there are houses on the best land and the powers that be are trying to farm the worst. 

Unfortunately the Great Depression then came to New Zealand and hard times ensued both for Len and Ruth Leov, and for many millions of people.

Len and Ruth moved from the dairy farm in the Ronga Valley and set up a pig farm in Rai Valley making use of the whey waste product from the dairy factory across the road.

Ruth Leov with Gilbert

After the tragic loss of two infants, at last Gilbert arrived on the 8 August 1932 and so began their family.

Maureen, June, and Frederick followed as the Depression moved into World War Two. 

Leov family from Left: Maureen, Ruth, Gilbert (rear) June, Len and Fred. ca 1945

Then Len made a fateful decision on behalf of his family: They were to sell up everything they had, the dairy farm and the pig farm and move to remote inhospitable D'Urville Island in the Marlborough Sounds.