Accomodation in Hokitika in a repurposed department store
River nearby . Maika passed in 2022 and I felt it was time to find a piece of greenstone for myself . Some searching and responding to questions saw three pieces get my attention , two toki ( adze ) and one Hei Matau ( fishhook ). Advice from local wahine , Kuini , saw me select one of the Toki after fitting . I took it to the Arahura and washed it in Maika ’ s memory . I wear it daily . Arriving at the huge heritage building I am astonished at the work required to have turned this around from approaching dereliction , it has been a labour of love by a few . Two storied and wooden , the building is like the old department stores of an earlier Christchurch , like Beaths , DIC and Ballantynes . Almost football-field-sized , and on two floors . Downstairs there are shopfront windows and offices , and joining the upstairs a wide wooden staircase , where thousands of small boys must have raced toy cars down the steps while mum went button shopping in haberdashery . Upstairs the roof has been rebuilt and the building waterproofed with areas filled with plump chairs and sofas , conversation areas , a 40-foot bar , shelves , and chiffonieres filled with knick-knacks ,
heirlooms , and frou frou . A table tennis table and darts indicate a sporty clique . A kitchen , bathroom and shower barely take a nibble out of one corner . The windows slide open to the town , I revelled in the vast space and quiet . Next door , in an equally vast warehouse , the neighbours run a cycle rental , and they happily acceded to my wishes to store the beloved Honda for the night . I walked into town and enjoyed a superb local Chinese , and retired to roam like a weird northern ghost , all alone in a vast , echoing , and now somewhat spooky , arena . The welcoming chandelier above the stairwell and varying lights made for pools of light and interesting nooks , I fell asleep , sure I could hear groans and creaks and the faint rustling of chains … I slept brilliantly , again . Packing up my sleeping bag and reloading the bike took mere minutes and I thanked my hosts for generously sharing this amazing secret treasure in the heart of Hokitika . I plan to get my band , the Unsung Heroes , to come and play the place sometime soon , it ’ s a perfect location for a concert about the history of early NZ .
TO BE CONTINUED …
104 KIWI RIDER