Name Calling

Ferg, Ripper, Ponty and Pork - this is a culture that loves to name things. Ferg, Ripper, Ponty and Pork are all locals who own baches here. Apparently the houses here are called baches because originally they were places inhabited by bachelors where they could go fishing, talk and drink without the distraction of women. Kiwi life (the New Zealanders love to call themselves Kiwis), is lived outside with roughened hands and pioneering spirit. Men called Ferg, Ripper, Ponty and Pork (their real names often not known by their friends) have carved out the territory, built the houses here, raised the livestock and looked after their families.

Awaroa is typical. Intermittently occupied by the Maori from way back, it was first surveyed by the English in 1843. The land was then bought up by rich individuals from Nelson (the first land sales were 1855), a short journey across the sea but miles away by land. Gradually the land was subdivided and settled by incoming immigrant families, such as the Hadfields and the Gibbs, who set up farms around the bay in the 1860s. There was also a lot of forestry and many of the native trees, such as the Totara and the Remu, were cut down to create range land for livestock. Native trees were replaced by American pines whose decendants now tower over the beaches here. The immigrants also brought European stoats and rats, which devastated the local ground dwelling bird population. Today there are programmes to reintroduce the Kiwi and the Weca (a smaller, shorter beaked bird than the Kiwi) which are not being as successful as was hoped. But there are other birds which have survived, including the bird known as the Morepork. This owl has a curious call, which sounds like "more-pork more-pork", a bird in a nocturnal search for sausages.

Today Awaroa is part of the national park, dotted with holiday homes (baches) and a couple of tourist lodges. The main pastimes are hiking, fishing and drinking in the evenings. And of course chewing the fat with Ferg, Ripper, Ponti and Pork.