Zuva Nobilo - a star at 90-years-old

BY RANI TIMOTI

A pioneering identity from a wine-making family in the Kumeu-Huapai district has reached her 90th birthday with plenty of zest left over.

Zuva Nobilo celebrated her milestone with family and friends, especially her sister Frances Buratovich from California and Stipe and Jasna Nobilo with their children Marko and Dina from her birth place of Lumbarda on the island of Korcula in Croatia.

Affectionately known as Baba, the Croatian name for nana or grandmother, Zuva has nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Her son Nick says his mum is a special person who has touched and inspired many.

"Her life story is the kind of stuff they make movies of."

In Korcula, she was raised with the core values of family life instilled in her – especially love, faith and hope.

She met her childhood sweetheart Nikola when he was "at the right place at the right time".

As a six-year-old neighbour playing in the courtyard, he was called to run and get the midwife for Zuva’s mother who was about to give birth.

Twenty years later Nikola married Zuva.

When Zuva’s father went to America to seek a better life for his family of four children, she gained a good education at a convent school but was unable to go to university.

Nikola was also asked to come to New Zealand by his uncle living in Te Hana because war was looming in Europe and he didn’t want the family name to die out.

Before leaving Lumbarda in 1937, Nikola and Zuva became engaged.

Within two years Hitler had invaded Poland and Europe began to shut down, meaning Zuva needed to leave quickly for New Zealand.

However, to leave the country the 19-year-old had to have a proxy marriage arranged and a magnificent traditional wedding was held.

It was a full nuptial Mass in white with Nikola’s brother standing in as the groom. Later, in the garden of the church, she had a photo taken in her wedding dress holding a photo of her dear Nikola.

Together with her best friend, they sailed firstly to Bari in Italy and then boarded the passenger ship Orontes.

They arrived more than six weeks later in Auckland.

Despite mid-winter rainy weather in July, Zuva was excited to finally catch up with Nikola, where they settled in an old schoolhouse in Te Hana.

Nikola’s uncle met her for the first time with her wedding present – a pair of gumboots to cope with muddy Northland.

Despite being homesick and not speaking English, the joy of motherhood changed her outlook with her first son Steve being born in 1940.

As a hard worker, Nikola was given a share in a lime quarry on his uncle’s farm and with two trucks delivered bagged lime to surrounding farms.

In 1942 a small tornado swept through the farm and wrecked the limestone crushing plant just as the government sent him a letter saying his trucks were being taken for the war effort.

With the compensation money, he bought 14 acres at Huapai and a vineyard.

"We often wondered why they bought the property at Huapai," says Nick.

"Then one day mum told us they had looked all over Henderson and Kumeu but decided on Huapai because the little old house on the property had a pull chain flushing toilet."

In 1943 the first vines were planted with Nick also being born that year, followed by third son Mark in 1949.

A devout Catholic, Zuva makes a point of attending Mass every week.

Nick says the family saw her devotion and true character shine through when she ministered to Nikola as his principal caregiver in his last four years before he passed away in 2007.

- © Fairfax NZ News