\u201cShe\u2019s the only woman I danced with who could talk. She was a terrific talker.\u201d<\/p>\n
These days, Lorraine laughs that the roles have reversed, with Malcolm the more talkative of the two \u2013 a change that he says only reinforces how important communication has been.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunication is the biggest thing in a marriage. If there\u2019s something you don\u2019t agree on, speak up and say it. That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about. You don\u2019t want to brood about something,\u201d Malcolm said.<\/p>\n
Whang\u0101rei couple Malcolm and Lorraine Walker on their wedding day \u2013 May 5, 1956.<\/p>\n
Most of their married life was spent in a house they built on Malcolm\u2019s family dairy farm on O\u2019Carroll Rd, Maungakaramea, using timber Malcolm milled from the property.<\/p>\n
They bought a washing machine with cash received as wedding gifts, setting them up for a family. By 27, they were raising a son and three daughters \u2014 and today their family has grown to include 12 grandchildren and six great\u2011grandchildren.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamily is the biggest thing for us,\u201d Malcolm said. \u201cIf you want a full life, you\u2019ve got to get married, have your children and then they have the grandchildren, great\u2011grandchildren.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malcolm has always loved cars and in those early years he enjoyed taking the family out in his 1952 Hillman convertible. Many cars and brands later, both of the Walkers still drive.<\/p>\n
After 20 years of milking cows, they moved into market gardening, then kiwifruit, and later avocados. Lorraine was a popular office administrator at Tauraroa Area School<\/a> for 23 years, from 1970 to 1993.<\/p>\n Some of their happiest times have been their extensive travels around Australia with Malcolm\u2019s late brother Graham and his wife, Elaine.<\/p>\n On one of those trips, they bought a black opal from Lightning Ridge \u2013 a stone they recently had made into a ring for Lorraine to mark their platinum anniversary.<\/p>\n Still living independently in their own home, the Walkers continue to look after each other. They tend a large garden and lawns, share daily routines and remain active in the community.<\/p>\n Both play indoor bowls at Mangak\u0101hia, and their home remains a gathering place for family Christmases.<\/p>\n Lorraine continues to manage the family finances, while Malcolm maintains their vehicles and enjoys deciphering the Northern Advocate\u2019s daily code cracker puzzle.<\/p>\n Reaching a platinum wedding anniversary places the Walkers among a tiny group in New Zealand and overseas. Fewer than 0.1% of marriages are believed to reach 70 years or more \u2013 a milestone requiring not only commitment, but also marrying young and living well into old age.<\/p>\n