Captions by John Ling. Edited by Glenna Casalme. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2015 EASY-GOING MUSIC Head north from Auckland on State Highway 1, and about 40 minutes out, you hit Warkworth. Turn right here, and the vineyards, beaches and marine reserves of the Mahurangi Peninsula are all within easy reach. Though Warkworth itself is more than a community you just drive through on the way to somewhere else. This historic village on the banks of the Mahurangi River has a surprising diverse community. After English, the second-most commonly spoken language is Kiribati. EASY-GOING MUSIC CONTINUES I've recently chosen to make this new place my home. My background is English and Irish, with 20 years spent in America. So I'm delighted to find such a welcome mix of different cultures here in Warkworth. Let's go and meet some of my new neighbours. We'll meet a couple from Belgium whose childhood treasures connect their children to their culture. For me, personally, it's very important that they read them in... in French. I know we can get them at the local library, but they're not allowed. They need to have them in French. (LAUGHS) It's too special, you know? A young man introduces us to the Kiribati community in Warkworth. Global warming is, uh, one of the biggest factors, uh, affecting Kiribati at the moment. With the rising sea levels, a lot of Kiribati want to emigrate to other countries such as NZ and Australia. UK street art gets a country makeover. These are a bunch of sheds that we, kind of, approached the locals, and they gave us permission to paint. It's kind of nice to have little positions like this; to have your` your work kind of spotted around the area. And a cook from Jamaica shares an age-old recipe. In Jamaica, wherever you go, everybody make their own different jerk. You know, because everybody think their jerk is the best, and it's a big competition. I'm Daniel Corbett, and this is my neighbourhood. UPBEAT MUSIC REFLECTIVE MUSIC 100 years ago, there were dozens of scows plying NZ waterways. The Jane Gifford is the last fully rigged reminder of that time. REFLECTIVE MUSIC CONTINUES My Irish-English mother wanted me to be an engineer, but I'd always had a fascination with the winds and the weather, so I chose meteorology instead. My wife and I came here three and a half years ago for a change of lifestyle. I had to learn about NZ weather and its unique position, situated between the tropics and the poles, and, of course, the contrast between the mountains and the sea. All of that making NZ forecasting very challenging. A UK-born street artist has made Warkworth his home for the past 10 years, and living here has influenced his work in unexpected ways. DREAMY MUSIC It's kind of like an obsession, really. You know, once you start it, you kind of get hooked on it, you know? And just... It kind of... It feeds something inside of you that nothing else can match for me. Like, putting a, um... an exhibition on, it's cool, but if someone just said to me, 'Look, you're gonna to make $5000 at this gallery show tonight 'or go out painting.' Someone said, 'This is the biggest wall you're ever gonna paint.' Here we go. I'd do the wall every time. No problem. So, yeah, um, we're here at Ahuroa School. Um, we're just doing a few touch-ups from, uh, a mural I did about two years ago, and um, yeah, an-and this is something that I-I did fo-for the school and, um, to brighten up the place an-and making sure that it's a real friendly welcome to people who are visiting. I was born in Blackburn, England, close to Manchester. Grew up in a-a nice community. Very focused on football. Not particularly academic. Always had a... an interest in artistic stuff. It was my strength, out of everything that I had. I spent about six years at college and university, studying General Art and Design, Graphic Design, and finished up with a degree in Graphic Design. At the beginning of my degree, I met a bunch of guys who were going out an-and painting stuff with aerosols. It was something that really took my eye, you know? Especially just that form of going out and being able to paint something so quickly, and you don't have to spend weeks on it at home, you know? In fact, I scraped through university because I was so focused on trying to create something of my own, which was character-based artwork. It's cool, man. The feedback has been amazing. Th-The kids love it. The adults love it. Um, there's been a real, um, amazingly positive vibe to it, you know? And, um, it's... It's definitely something I would` would want to entertain doing at more schools, uh, in the future, you know? REFLECTIVE MUSIC Always the first form for me is sketchbook. I love sketching. Uh, that is where everything is born for me. This` This, for me, is a major creative bit, and you get, um... an-and see how that can translate into` into something else, whether it be, uh, an art piece that I'm gonna do for an exhibition or generally, uh, how I think it's gonna translate on to a wall. Street art and graffiti is definitely something o-of a natural-progression sport, shall we say. So, obviously, I was involved with going out, tagging an-and scribbling on the wall, an-and that is just something` a part of wh-what you do, you know? It's just something` You're trying to find your feet, and the tagging side of it, i-it slowed down very quickly because I was more interested in actually creating something a little bit more. My work derives through the expression and the sounds and the facial, you know, expressions that people give me. Yeah, and i-it literally could be a snapshot of someone laughing or smiling or crying that could give me that inspiration to do my work. UPBEAT MUSIC I moved to NZ about nine years ago. I met my girlfriend travelling in Thailand. Uh, she's a Kiwi. I was living in Manchester; she was living in London, and we decided to come to NZ for a holiday, and we didn't leave. I was kind of blown away with the place, really. Straightaway, it was just, like, 'Wow, man.' I couldn't believe people were` You know, even this kind of lifestyle is not available, really, in England. It's something I really embrace, and it's been just amazing for my` my artwork. Focus and just being able to ab-absolutely just go... go for it, you know? It's been great. Uh, these are a bunch of sheds that we, kind of, approached the locals, an-and they gave us permission to paint, and it was a` you know, a case of just to come and jam and` an-and a little bit strategically. You know, obviously this is a through road to State Highway 16. It's kind of nice to have little positions like this to have yo-your work kind of spotted around the area. I don't think I could do what I'm doing as much back in the UK at the moment, you know? Things are tough. Um, there's a lot of people unemployed. Um, yeah. I don't know. Like, for me here, I'm not earning megabucks, but I'm doing something that's way more important than that, so it's cool. DREAMY MUSIC BIRDSONG DREAMY MUSIC CONTINUES This is the site where the founder of Warkworth built his home in 1853. John Anderson Brown named this settlement after the village of Warkworth in Northumberland, and the area still attracts Brits like myself. Of the 25% of the population born overseas, a great majority of them are of British or Irish descent. But certainly not all. Around 200 people from the small Pacific Island nation of Kiribati call Warkworth home, thanks to an employment arrangement with local capsicum grower Southern Paprika. This small Pacific Island community is one of the things that gives Warkworth its multicultural flavour. # Reken te kabaia # ma te rau # Ibuakoia # kaain abara. # Bon reken # te nano ae banin... # Today I'm with the Auckland Kiribati Catholic Youth, and we are based in Warkworth and all other regions of Auckland. So, we've come together today to celebrate, uh, Kiribati pride. ALL SING IN GILBERTESE, TAP STICKS RHYTHMICALLY I feel like I'm responsible to represent my Kiribati culture in a way that I am` am involved in various... things such as my youth group and being part of the Pasifika group in high school, because I think Kiribati is such a unique culture, and you see that through our dance and our chants. And I think that losing that culture, you're losing yo-your identity. ALL SING, TAP STICKS RHYTHMICALLY Today we also celebrate this festival for our people back home, and I think that... this festival unites us, and with this unity, we see other Pacific nations who are striving for the people back home so they can have better futures. REFLECTIVE MUSIC MUSIC BUILDS My name's Atanrerei Rui. I was born in Tarawa, Kiribati. I came to NZ when I was 5, with my auntie, who I call my mum, who has brought me up and put me under her wing. My real mum and dad both live in the islands, still, so then I'm proud to say that I have two sets of parents. We chose Warkworth mainly because of the job opportunities offered here at Southern Paprika. It's a capsicum-growing business and is a home to many of Kiribati employees. Uh, so my dad, Tonana, works here, and so does my mum, Teariki. Um, he picks, um, the capsicum ` so harvesting ` and so does my mum. I see, uh, Warkworth is a nice place for me; also with this company. It's like, um, nine years now I spend in, uh, this company. Yep. Yes, yeah, nearly nine years. Nine years. Actually the association with, uh, the Kiribati started because, um, our production manager here, Stuart, had a greenhouse in, uh, Auckland, and he had a couple of Kiribati working for him. And so, sort of, 15-odd years ago, when we started, he brought a couple of them along with him, and it basically grew from there. For a lot of our Kiribati staff, it's an opportunity to come to NZ to get a future for their children and, um, education, jobs ` all those sort of things that rarely exist in, uh, the islands. Global warming is, uh, one of the biggest factors, uh, affecting Kiribati at the moment, because my country is only 2m above sea level. With the rising sea levels, a lot of Kiribati want to emigrate to other countries such as NZ and Australia. The permanent workers living here in Warkworth are either renting, or some of them have even decided to buy their own houses. I live in a house with my mum and dad, myself, two siblings ` my little sister and my baby brother ` my auntie and my three other uncles. So usually there should be... nine of us sitting around the table. Th-The convenience of being... in Warkworth, you have a lot of other Kiribati houses near you, so looks like they found a getaway. So, I've just graduated from Mahurangi College here in Warkworth, um, where most of the Kiribati children go to school. My initial goal would be... to go to med school sometime in the near future. What I love about Warkworth, it's so welcoming. Everywhere you go, you know someone, and you're not out of place. I think that's really... something important for... immigrants ` is to feel welcome in... their new home, and` which is Warkworth for me. DREAMY MUSIC This is an original army hut from the Second World War. There were some 25 military camps around the area that housed American troops before they shipped out the Pacific. And despite their reputation for being overpaid, oversexed and over here, the Warkworth community was pretty welcoming to its Yankee guests. DREAMY MUSIC CONTINUES My father was transferred to New York in the late '70s. I was just 8 years old. It was a very formative time to be there. My most vivid memories are of the massive skyscrapers, crowds of people, honking taxi horns. I paid my way through university by working at New York delis, and one of the delis I worked, a German deli, the boss was a hard taskmaster who instilled that strong work ethic I still have today. Local man Larry Clarke knows all about hard work. He's been sharing his passion for Caribbean cuisine with Kiwis for 14 years now. INTRIGUING MUSIC Yes, I'm well-known in Warkworth. Somebody said the other day, 'If you don't know Larry, you don't live in Warkworth.' I don't know how true that is, but, um, I'm known now as Uncle Larry. I was born in Kingston, Jamaica. When I left Jamaica, I was about 14, 15, and I went to London. I went with my mother. My mother and my younger sister. There's a massive community of Jamaicans in London. There used to be great parties and good Jamaican food too. We used to go to the party, and we used to do things like curry goat and rice. Yeah, which` which I'm doing here. Um, when I first started, people thought I was crazy, because in NZ, um, the goat was like, um, dog tucker. But everybody's eating it now, thanks to Larry. (CHUCKLES) I've lived in Warkworth for 15 years this year. < The spare ribs is to die for. Mm-hm. I've had your spare ribs. I died. (CHUCKLES) No, I didn't know then that I would make a career out of food. It's like your true love. Yo-You always come back to your true love, no? So th-that's why I'm doing it now. REFLECTIVE MUSIC In Jamaica, people still` You know, wherever you go, everybody make their own different jerk. You know, because everybody think their jerk is the best. It's a big competition. I'm doing a boneless-thighs jerk chicken. Um, it's... I rather it to` to the breast, because it's a lot moister, and to me, it's more flavourable. It's not only chicken you jerk. There is jerk pork, jerk chicken. You can even jerk fishes. But what it is in the old slavery day, they didn't have, um, fridges. So they came up with this... all these spices to cure the meat so they could keep it for... for days, maybe weeks, and they call that jerk. The main ingredients in jerk chicken ` well, you have the pimiento; you have the Scotch bonnet pepper, scallion, thyme, garlic... and a few more secret which I won't be telling you, sorry. (CHUCKLES) What I love about this flavour, it remind me of home. And I always say` I always say to people, 'I may not be able to take you to Jamaica, 'but I sure can let you imagine what it feels like.' And eating jerk chicken,... LIQUID SQUISHES with all this beautiful... reggae music going on in your` in your head, what's not to love about it? SLOW ELECTRONIC MUSIC SIZZLING This is real charcoal. This is wood charcoal. This one give you that smoky, woody flavour... to the meat. In Jamaica, w-we would cut down a green tree, um, catch the fire, and then cover it wi-with dirt, and it would burn slowly, and then you get those` those bits and pieces. We do it from a pimiento tree. The water is to stop the fire blazing and burning the chicken. We usually use beer. Beer` Beer gives it a-a nice flavour. When it's finished, you get a mouth-watering... Your mouth feel like it's, um... it's doing the calypso dance. I-It's to die for. EASY-GOING MUSIC They're some good friends. Some good friends are coming tonight. Um, there should be a few laughs. Hello, how are you? I'm all right. The Kiwi palette to Jamaican food, they're eating a lot more spicy food. The Jamaican spice is different from the Indian spice. We just don't burn. We have a flavour. So you maybe get, uh, a little burning for a couple of minutes, and then you get the flavour. So, um, a family recipe? Or is this yo-your own recipe? From my great-great-grandfather. Larry, it's the first time, uh, that I've had that, and man, that is` hits the spot beautifully. Appreciate it. > Eh? That's the secret recipe, huh? Yeah, very secret. > I tell you what ` keep that secret, because that's gold. You know? That's beautiful. It's a flavour that you don't usually get in NZ, and it's` it's absolutely gorgeous. It's good to have friends around, and you can share your own country. You know, something from your country ` so, like from Jamaica. And I'm selling it here, and it's proven to be good. DREAMY PIANO MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUES Wilson Cement Company was established on the outskirts of Warkworth in 1884. The cement works closed in 1928, but some 90 years later, the ruins still remain, and this flooded quarry is an atmospheric spot for an afternoon swim. DREAMY MUSIC CONTINUES 1 BIRDSONG My Irish granddad worked for Ford Motors in the UK for many years. When he retired back to Ireland, he started making metal objects in traditional Celtic and religious designs. And despite all those years in the UK, he was still an Irish Catholic at heart. Chris and Marc Camelbeke have lived in Warkworth for eight years. They're creator types who can trace their inspiration back to a classic Belgium tradition. SERENE GUITAR MUSIC When Marc showed me Warkworth on the map, like, eight years ago, I was like, 'No way.' I mean, there's no city around. (LAUGHS) I speak French, um, and, uh, I grew up in Brussels, in Belgium, uh, and we met both in Brussels, actually, even if Marc is from Antwerp and he speaks Flemish. Yes, I speak Flemish. Yes. Marc had a job oppo`opportunity here in NZ, and he had a job opportunity in Quebec in Montreal, where we knew` where we knew people. We had friends there. It was French-speaking and... However, we decided to come here because of the beaches, and I think that's really... It's perfect because, yeah, the community, surrounding areas are just fantastic. Our special treasure for our family is, uh, comic books. So they all come` Most of them come from Belgium. Um, and we have about 70 of them, so we have different collections. Well, in Belgium, most of the kids, they grew up with comic books. It` It's huge in Belgium. There's even in Brussels, uh, a museum, uh, of comic books. The most famous, I would say, comic book characters coming from Belgium, uh, are, of course, Tintin and The Smurfs, uh, Lucky Luke. As a child, I read lots of comics. That was something that we spent quite a lot of time doing. My mum and dad had a huge bookcase with lots of comic books. Some of the comic books we... have are... from when I was a kid, and then two years ago, I went back to Europe, and then I got... (CHUCKLES) I got quite a lot, yes. (LAUGHS) We are absolutely preserving the Belgian culture while we share our books with the children. For me, personally, it's really important that they read them in... in French. I know we can get them at the local library. Well, some of them, like Asterix and` and The Smurfs, we can get in the local library, but they're not allowed. (CHUCKLES) They need to have them in French. (LAUGHS) It's too special, you know? I think it's pretty special that you're reading books that I used to read when I was a kid, isn't it? GIRLS: Yeah, yeah. Really special. Yeah, it's kind of, like... Yeah. (CHUCKLES) I love the stories and everything. It's really cute. Mm. REFLECTIVE MUSIC My career as an artist has` was definitely influenced by the comic books. For the moment, I'm working on some character designs. Uh, so I am just developing, uh, a character for... for a personal project. Uh, for actually a comic book. I worked for the Walt Disney Studio in Australia for, uh, five years. I was, uh, a layout artist and then became a layout supervisor. Uh, after that, we moved to NZ, where I actually then continued my career as a background and character designer until, uh, uh, last year, and, uh, then I just decided just to... start doing this ` to create my own company and work from home. There are lots and lots of fantastic artists in Belgium. It's really the culture. People love it. I start face-painting in Belgium when I was 20, so it's about 20 years now. Um, and the amount of face I've done must be... I don't know. Thousands and thousands, I suppose. REFLECTIVE MUSIC I love doing face-painting be-because` because it's really creative. Um, I love being involved with children, so it's a nice way for me to work with children. Um, what I really like is when they see their face in the mirror and they have that huge smile. C'est jouette? Bien? Oui? You see, that's what I love about face-painting. 'Oh, I like it. Oh, it's so nice. Thank you!' I think it's very special for us that our children are still connected, uh, with the Belgian culture, uh, because it's really part of who we are. Belgium is a beautiful country, but, um, I wouldn't go back to Belgium with the children and Marc. I think it's very special here. SERENE PIANO MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUES This is my wife, Helen. We both share a passion for the beauty and tranquillity that nature has to offer. It's one of the reasons we love NZ. I'm really excited about the new life we're creating in Warkworth. The close proximity to the beaches and the open spaces, it's truly exhilarating. Such a contrast to the, uh, built-up megacities I've lived in previously, like New York and London. On our trips back to the UK now, we always get that overcrowded feeling. You can see the stress on people's faces. It's very different here. I think Warkworth is gonna suit us just fine. Captions by John Ling. Edited by Glenna Casalme. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2015