From the back country. 1994, Mafelda Moleta, D’Urville Island

Jack Perkins interviews Mafelda Moleta, whose father and uncle came to New Zealand from the island of Stromboli, in Italy and bought land on D'Urville Island.

Her parents had an arranged marriage and her Italian mother was often very homesick initially. She grew vegetables from seeds she brought with her from Stromboli. She says her mother only left the island to give birth to her children in Wellington.

She talks about other island families, the Hayters and the Woodmans and getting the first telephone connection. Her father would sort the mail and improved his English by learning Morse code to send telegrams.