00:00:05The Mangateti Valley is 30 miles east of Rātahi.
00:00:11It's isolated, rough and hostile country. So remote that for a long time wild pigs,
00:00:18cattle and goats were the only residents. Then in the early 60s the land was bought
00:00:27by the Cornelius family. By the 80s there was still no running water, power or
00:00:35telephone. It was the perfect place for a predator to hold captive vulnerable young
00:00:41woman. By the time he'd be held accountable there'd be seven nine victims.
00:01:11Joanne had escaped not long before I arrived. I was 19 years old and I was about to spend
00:01:2223 weeks of absolute horror held captive by William Paul Cornelius.
00:01:38I walk a lonely road, I know it's true. And if sometimes I'm bad, I know you'll understand.
00:01:48Little girl, there's just my crazy love for you.
00:02:01I'd worked in offices and I really wasn't happy doing that kind of work. I just didn't
00:02:05like being inside all the time. So I was looking for a job when I saw the ad in the
00:02:12paper tutoring correspondence in a farm situation. So I just thought it would be a really different
00:02:23opportunity that I could work at for six months, save all my money because you know I wouldn't
00:02:27be spending the money and it was quite a lot of money that was being offered and then I'd
00:02:31be able to go overseas because that's what I wanted to do was to travel overseas.
00:02:35Oh that sounds fantastic. Harris room, Berlin and Radahi. So there's jobs in Radahi. Could
00:02:45have filled me. Yeah well I'm actually doing some live in tutoring. The guy who's employing
00:02:50me seems really keen. Oh we already met in Tauranga so. Tauranga? Christine? Yeah. He's
00:02:56got a sister who lives up there so we met at her place. It is remote. Initially I thought
00:03:02he was a bit of a hippie because he had long hair and a beard and his son had long
00:03:07hair.
00:03:08But they were obviously farmers and I was used to farmers. But he was very nice. He was
00:03:14charming and polite and his son just seemed like a really lovely boy. Listen if you're
00:03:23talking about Christine. Morning Heather. Oh hi. How's the drive? Yeah good. Morning. Morning Chrissy. The river's up. Must be
00:03:34raining somewhere. But here sunshine. Come on we better get your things. Get you up to the farm. You can
00:03:48leave your dinky toy in here if you like. Don't think it'll light the rate up to the farm.
00:03:53It's a bit rough. Are you sure your friend won't mind? Yeah. I leave things in here all the time.
00:03:58No one will find it. I mean they won't get broken into or anything. Brent's going to be very excited
00:04:03to see you again.
00:04:08Looking back now I realise that he had probably interviewed several girls and he picked the one he thought would
00:04:13be easiest to control.
00:04:17I think it's 30 miles out to the farm but that's as the crow flies. It definitely takes quite a
00:04:24long time through very rough terrain. A lot of high ranges and deep gorges. It's not a drive for the
00:04:31faint hearted.
00:04:32My love is like a freight train in motion. It speeds along the track that leads to you.
00:04:43Serulously in snow. No matter where you go. It's never ending crazy love for you.
00:04:51It's never ending crazy love for you.
00:04:57Initially when we were first driving out to the farm I felt fine.
00:05:04He was a very charismatic person. He was just friendly and just seemed like a really nice man.
00:05:12And then we got to a gate that was locked and that was a private road and I didn't know
00:05:18about this.
00:05:19I knew that the farm was remote but I didn't realise it wasn't on a public road.
00:05:38I started getting a bit nervous because I sort of thought oh I'm going to the middle of nowhere and
00:05:46I don't know this person and this is a little bit scary.
00:05:58Get out of the car.
00:06:05Come on. Jump out. I want to show you something.
00:06:11I got nearly three and a half thousand acres here. Beautiful country. Isolated. Yeah but beautiful.
00:06:24Remote the wife said. She hated it. Wasn't enough.
00:06:33I'm sorry. No look. Don't worry. I understand you're probably a bit nervous but you got nothing to worry about.
00:06:41You know. You can trust me. Everything's fine. You don't have to work the farm or anything. Just keep Brent
00:06:50up with his lessons and maybe cook the odd meal or two if you don't mind.
00:06:54No that's cool. Well I enjoy cooking. Well that'll be a treat. I'm a pretty ordinary cook myself. Come on.
00:07:05So I felt quite reassured and thought I was just being a bit silly.
00:07:11It was about another hour over the clay road finally we reached a condemn bridge high over a gorge.
00:07:18And after that we were there. I was still a bit apprehensive but I was really excited too.
00:07:29Hi. Hi. Hi Dad. Hey son. Hello.
00:07:36I thought it was I mean it was very rustic if I can call it that. I think the cabin
00:07:41was built back in the 1940s. But it was adequate.
00:07:44OK inside and out. All right. Come. Come with me.
00:07:51I had my own room which was very nicely made up. It had a nice bed with a new quilt
00:07:57on it.
00:07:58So that was all very tidy and yeah it didn't worry me at all. Everything was there.
00:08:06And then this is where we all eat dinner.
00:08:09Well I thought I was going to be there for six months so I did take some personal possessions with
00:08:14me.
00:08:16Not a huge amount but just things that were sentimental to me.
00:08:23There's no electricity so it's not like there's a radio going or anything like that.
00:08:27So you just hear the outside noises. But very peaceful. Very quiet.
00:08:33I just thought it was exciting. So I wasn't really a big TV watcher. I was a reader. So it
00:08:38didn't really bother me.
00:08:40I just thought it was something different and would be just a really cool experience.
00:08:48He wants me to meet the pigs.
00:08:50Goodo. Get him to tell you about the schoolhouse.
00:08:54Schoolhouse?
00:08:55Work in progress. But they have a schoolhouse.
00:09:05That's the piglet's mum. She'll be ready for butchering soon.
00:09:16This is where we milk our cow, Bluebell.
00:09:19I named her. It was in a book I read.
00:09:22I thought his son was lovely. He was just such a gorgeous kid.
00:09:26He told me his mum had left with one of the cattle musters and taken his younger brother with her.
00:09:31Hey, I... I don't think...
00:09:34Chet's my little brother.
00:09:35That was really cut up about it.
00:09:37You too, I imagine?
00:09:41I'll show you the chooks.
00:09:43Okay.
00:09:51He's shown me the, um...
00:09:54Oh.
00:09:55I was just putting your things out for you.
00:09:57Hope you don't mind.
00:09:59So you play the flute?
00:10:02Um...
00:10:03Yeah, just a bit.
00:10:04I'm not very good.
00:10:06Well, we should find out.
00:10:07Maybe have a team tonight, eh, Brent?
00:10:09Yeah, sure. No, honestly.
00:10:12It's just a hobby.
00:10:23The kids were all happy.
00:10:26The dogs were too.
00:10:28They ate their dinner...
00:10:35...quick...quick...quick...quickly.
00:10:36School work before breakfast.
00:10:38Yeah, I've got them fired up.
00:10:39Oh, thanks, Bill.
00:10:42You don't have to do this every morning, are you now?
00:10:44Oh.
00:10:46I need something hot when I get back from the cattle.
00:10:49You sleep, me work.
00:10:52Sunrise and me.
00:10:54Best of mates, eh, Brent?
00:10:56It was just lovely.
00:10:58I didn't have to do much.
00:11:00You know, I mean, washing my dishes or washing my clothes...
00:11:02...and, you know, maybe sweep the floor.
00:11:04And teaching correspondence.
00:11:07You know, we went for horse rides and...
00:11:10...he did all the cooking and...
00:11:12...yeah, it was just...
00:11:14...it was quite picturesque and...
00:11:18...um, it was just really nice.
00:11:21Oh, and, uh...
00:11:22...if you hear a bang later, don't worry.
00:11:25It's just the hunters trespassing.
00:11:52So, five sixes are...
00:11:54...thirty.
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00:12:07Hey!
00:12:08Come on!
00:12:09You can't get through with it that easy.
00:12:11Six sixes?
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