PAULINE
MURIWAI-GRAY

ABOUT ME

Kia ora, my name is Pauline Dunn Muriwai-Gray. I’m a proud wāhine Māori, a wife, and a mama to five beautiful tamariki who are my greatest teachers and my biggest reason to keep going. Each and one of Tamariki have came at the right time in life without knowing then but looking at them now they healed me in ways I didn’t know needed healing.

MY JOURNEY

I was born in New Zealand Aotearoa and raised in Australia. I had to learn how to adapt, how to belong, and how to hold on to my identity through it all. My life has been a mix of laughter and loss, love and heartbreak, strength and silence.
I’ve faced trauma, grief, and challenges that tested me to my core. I’ve lost people I loved deeply, I’ve lived through years of pain and survival, and I’ve also discovered the quiet courage it takes to keep moving forward.
Becoming a mother at a young age wasn’t easy, but it gave me purpose, strength, and a reason to fight when I felt like giving up.

THE BECOMING

Today, I see myself as someone who is still becoming — still learning, still growing, still finding my voice. Writing my story is a way of honouring everything I’ve been through, but also a way of reaching out to others who might feel alone in their journey. I want people to know that even in the darkest times, there is always a way to rise again.
Outside of writing, I’m with my whānau. I love being a mama, spending time with my kids, and creating safe spaces for them to grow into who they are. My whakapapa and my Māori identity are close to my heart, and I carry the lessons of my Tūpuna with me every day.
This is me — real, unfiltered, and still learning. My hope is that by sharing my story, you’ll see a piece of yourself in it too, and know you’re not walking alone.

My BOOK - I WAS ALWAYS BECOMING

My debut book - "I WAS ALWAYS BECOMING", is a memoir on rising from brokenness and finding my own rongoa.

A sneak peak

This is the story of the girl I once was — and the woman I was always becoming. It’s about trauma, resilience, and the kind of love that both wounds and heals. It’s about finding strength in the moments you least expect it, and learning that survival can be the quietest kind of courage.

Raw, unfiltered, and deeply honest, this memoir lays bare the truth of growing up too fast, carrying too much, and discovering, against all odds, that even in the darkest chapters, there is strength to rise again.

Get in touch

Reach out anytime, I’d love to kōrero with you.