From Athens to Papakura

This Book Tells The Story Of A Greek Boy Nikospetousis Born In 1936 In Athens Greece Hissubsequent Journey To New Zealand As A Teenagerand His Successful Life Here.Nikos Lived Through Both Ww2 Then The Greek Civilwar In His Hometown. He Endured Bombing – Seeingparts Of Bodies Spread Out In Front Of Him Hunger –Looking For Food In The Gutter Cold - Walking Barefootthrough The Snow And Poverty – Five Adults Living Inone Room Throughout That Period.Despite All That He Managed To Do Well Academically Gained A Place At Anengineering School And Graduated At The Age Of19.By Coincidence A New Zealand Soldier From Papakura Ernie Clark Had Fought Ingreece During Ww2 Got Left Behind When The New Zealand Forces Withdrew Andwas Then Sheltered From The Germans By A Greek Family In The Peloponnese. Thefamily Who Sheltered Ernie Clark Happened To Be Relations Of Nikos’S Uncle. Nikoscould See No Future For Himself In Greece So Decided To Leave Greece And Ernieoffered To Sponsor Him In New Zealand.As The Story Unfolds It Covers The Preparations Trip To New Zealand Settling Upsand Downs And Faux Pas. Nikos Started The New Zealand Greek Society Helpingother Greeks Who Had Come To New Zealand And Fostering Friendship Betweenthe Two Nationalities.Nikos Later Set Up His Own Engineering Firm Fabricating Machinery He Had Designedand He Started Exporting Machineryhe Travelled Extensively Through Europe Both East And West Asia And The Unitedstates In His Drive To Win Exports For New Zealand.When He Retired He Accepted The Position Of Honorary Consul For Greece Inauckland And Has Continued To Foster Relationships Between The Two Countries.A Particularly Exciting Event He Arranged Was The Farewell To The New Zealandolympians Before The Team Set Off For The Greek Olympic Games.At Times The Story Is Gut-Wrenching But It Leaves One With A Happy Feeling For Asuccessful Life.