1 As a country, we're a humble bunch. There's a whakatauki ` 'Kaore te kumara e korero mo tona ake reka,' which basically means, 'Don't blow your own trumpet.' But that doesn't mean that others can't. I'm going to explore the success of Maori exporting all around the world ` from America, all across Asia, the UK,... throughout Europe, to the Middle East. Nau mai ki Gate to the Globe. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 (JAUNTY GUITAR MUSIC) Kei Ranana tatou ` London, England. Home to our head of state ` Te Kuini, beer, loads of tourists. I mean, if you think about it, Maori have been exporting and trading with the UK since the 1800s; it's just that these days, it's a more diverse and sophisticated market ` Look at you; you look like the landowner's son. (LAUGHS) both here in the UK... Germans are eating a lot of lamb. ...and throughout Europe. Is that an Emmy? That's an Emmy, yup. That's a big deal. And that makes me think of the famous Sir Apirana Ngata proverb ` 'E tipu e rea mo nga ra o to ao,' which means, 'Grow and branch forth.' Because when you really think about it, that's the kaupapa for this whole episode. (CAR HORN BLARES) This is Trafalgar Square, or as you might recognise it, red in Monopoly ` essentially a world away from our first story, which starts here in downtown Ohaeawai, about 10 K's west of Kaikohe and Te Tai Tokerau. And as you can probably tell, it's about 5.30 in the morning, and we're meeting a whanau who trap possums. (HIP-HOP MUSIC) So you guys are the possum trappers. Yup. Yeah, we're the possum trappers. Where do we go? Where do we get the possums? Down this way. It looks all right. Shall we do it? Yup. Show me the way. I didn't bring my gumboots. The Kaukau-Troughton kids whakapapa to Tainui, but they've grown up here in the Far North. And every weekend they're up early, checking all the possum traps they've set the night before. All right, nothing in there. Shall we keep going? Yup. Here in Aotearoa, possums are considered a pest. How much did the traps cost you? $6.50 Oh, wicked. OK. The whanau are helping to cull that population, whilst providing fur to a growing possum-merino trade. We've got one! (LAUGHS) What happens now? Hit it over the head with a stick. Oh. Just like a fish. Yeah. Fast and painless, right? Yeah. You just have to remember that you're doing your job and looking after the environment. I think I'm gonna leave that part to the experts. But now on to the next part ` plucking the possum. You have to do it while it's warm, cos when it's cold the fur's real hard to take off. OK. Get in there, bro. Oh, look, it's 7 o'clock now. Time for work? Yup, yeah. Off to the market. Kia ora, bro. Thanks for showing us around. It was awesome. OK, yup. So it's just us three gonna go and check the rest of the traps. All right, off we go. (UPLIFTING MUSIC) The kids also have special traps that are raised higher off the ground so kiwis can't get stuck in them. What's the, um, yellow stuff on the... Um, it's a bait we use. All right, probably, what, 400g? Time to go get some cash. (INSPIRING MUSIC) The kids have their own agent ` possum agent, that is ` this guy, Scott Candy. He collects and distributes possum fur. What does a kilo go for? It's $100 a kilo at the moment. That's awesome. Expensive little bale of wool. Oh, it adds up ` especially when the price is up. 300g. So we did about half a kilo for the morning. Yup. It's not a bad way to earn 50 bucks, is it? And so the journey begins ` from Ohaeawai to Wellington, where it's spun into yarn at the only mule spinning factory in the southern hemisphere ` Woolyarns. (FUNKY MUSIC) One of the clients who buys the yarn is Weft, in Otautahi ` Christchurch. So not so long ago, this little guy was lying on the ground in Ohaeawai. Now it's a magical blend of possum fur and merino wool, and here at the Weft knitting company, it's gonna be turned into a lovely sweater. Why has possum fur, possum wool, become such a big thing? Well, there's attributes of blending possum fur with wool that, um, enhance the warmth of the wool. Ah, so make it warmer? Make it much warmer. And that's due to the fact that the possum fur has a hollow core ` a bit like the fur of a polar bear. Now, how much wool and how many sweaters and that are you making here at the factory? Oh, well, we're making over 100,000 a year. Wow. Around a third of those are exported. We have several outlets in the UK and Europe, but one of our, um, better clients is Beretta. Don't they make guns? They do. They make very expensive shotguns. That is quite a journey for that little guy. Well, and it's a great story to tell. It really is. All right, well, I'd better go and get me a gun and a sweater. So just around the corner from Piccadilly Circus is this place. It's called St James. It's a pretty well-to-do part of London. I think a couple of royals live in that building over there. But it's also known as the gentlemen's neighbourhood. So for a couple hundred years, men have been coming here to buy suits, get their beards shaved, get their hair cut. And it's also where our possum merino ends up. (CLASSICAL MUSIC) This is Beretta ` a whanau company that can whakapapa back 15 generations. (CLASSICAL MUSIC CONTINUES) Well, this is the Beretta gun gallery, which is a fine example of the over 150 guns that we produce. Wow. We started in 1526. Yeah. OK! (CHUCKLES) So, um, yeah, nearly 500 years. Wow. And, uh, we keep going strong, and it's, uh, made in the same area worldwide. The stock is walnut and the scrollwork on the lock here is all done by hand. Wow. The man stands there for 10 hours, and he just taps away. I've never held something worth �170,000 before. Well, there you go. And with high-class guns comes the outfits. Of course one must dress appropriately when shooting on the estate. Tim, how are you doing in there? You're very quiet. Do you need any assistance? Well it's my stiff upper lip, because I'm feeling so British. (LAUGHS) Look at you; you look like the landowner's son here. (LAUGHS) Now, I did find an alternative to our gilet, and this is the gilet which is the possum and merino wool` Right, here it is ` the possum merino. You know, keep the warmth ` the body warmth in the morning. Yes. And the purple colour is very regal with any of the tweeds. Wow, yeah. It's acceptable. It's acceptable (!) And what's nice is that this is a slight alternative to the traditional English tweed. Weft's possum merino are the only New Zealand products that Beretta import, and it's proved a huge hit with their clientele from all over the world. (TRUMPET MUSIC) And get this ` even the royal family are fans of our possum merino. Miharo. We're next to Buckingham Palace and St James, which is where the royal family live, and, uh, Prince Philip and Prince Charles, I mean, they do shoot. And, uh, I should say they` they also own some of our possum merino wool things as staples of their shooting,... Wow. ...if I can say so. Oh, just a bit of name-dropping (!) They first wanted to try it out, and having worn this a season, they come back and they buy two more, and then three more, and now it's a staple in their shooting clothing range. Coming up after the break, we meet the former Wellington rugby player who's hung up his rugby boots and traded them in for designer ones. 1 (LAID`BACK MUSIC) (EXCITING MUSIC) From rugby boots to designer putu, former Wellington Lions player Hemi Pou has some big names filling his boots. But that's not all; he's also selling to top London menswear store, Rivet & Hide. (ROCK MUSIC) How does a former Wellington Lions rugby player become a cobbler,... (LAUGHS) ...a bootmaker? I've always been interested in process, so... and fashion. As a kid, I was always inspired by things like Marlon Brando,... Oh! Awesome. ...a love of denim, crafted products. That led to boots, and then here we are today. Last & Loom is the name of Hemi's brand, which he mainly sells online, and his boots have attracted some pretty recognisable customers. A while ago we were able to make some boots for Bradley Cooper,... Wow. ...and a couple of other products. OK. And that was great, and I flew to Hollywood to hand-deliver those to his stylist. Amazing. (ROCK MUSIC) It's a collaborative, um, approach. It's about building a community around what we're doing; and, you know, we're producing rubber in Christchurch; we're using leather from the central North Island; the boots are constructed in the Far North. (LAID-BACK GUITAR MUSIC) Check this place out. Pataua, the north. Paradise. So you put the sketches on to paper, of your boots, but then someone's gotta make 'em. Meet Neville Brunker. He's a second-generation bootmaker, and he's one of only two left in Aotearoa. What's the technique that you're using that's quite unique, isn't it, and maybe quite old? The brass screw wire machine, yeah, it dates back into the 1900s. Probably 1905 to 1907. Wow. It would've been one of the first machines that my father actually purchased. The brass screw wire is spun at high speed on a machine that screws the midsole, upper and insole together, creating a strong boot. Well, that was one of the things that really drew me to Neville was the` it was the actual technique. And if you're trying to sell a product internationally, you know, we wanted to make sure that all the elements added up to something that was quite unique. And so, kind of, from woe to go, a couple of months to get it all ready,... Yup. ...and then once that's done, these guys will begin their journey to London ` Rivet & Hide. Yup. We're in an area called Fitzrovia ` very central London. We're a bit of a destination store. So people come from all over London, all over the UK, and even all over the world, you know. They'll be in London for other reasons, but they'll think 'Oh, let me pop down to Rivet & Hide,' cos we specialise in brands that you just` you won't find on high street, like Last & Loom. We are the only retailer in the UK for them. (COUNTRY MUSIC) What is it about` uh, about Hemi's boots that you like? Well, other than the fact that they look good, which was my initial re` That's pretty important. Yeah, yeah. We work with brands that are pretty obsessive about the details, whether it's the Japanese denim or Hemi's boots. And the store has quite a tight narrative about construction, quality, authenticity. Are those ones you've got on now? Yup, this was the first pair we did. They get a lot of attention when I'm wearing them in the street. I think that might be the coolest clothing store I've ever been in in my life. Well, up next, I'm going to switch the leather boots for golf shoes, because we're heading off to the European PGA tour. Why? Well, that's because of a man named Ian Taylor. He's a Maori entrepreneur and television maker, former television presenter, and now leading sports graphics innovator. So his virtual sports graphics are so good that they're used by television companies all over the world. Not bad for a boy from Rauponga who didn't have electricity in his whare until he was 8 years old. (UPBEAT MUSIC) Good to see you, mate. This is the Wonka factory for graphics. This is the Willy Wonka factory. That's the little cabinet where you see Prince Charles' teacup. That his teacup? Yeah, that's the teacup. Is that an Emmy? That's an Emmy, yeah. (LAUGHS) Whoa, that's a big deal. Come on through. Animation Research are dominating TV sports graphics. Check this out ` they're working on Formula 1 racing, America's Cup, flight navigation graphics for airports, the cricket, and the PGA Golf Tour, to name just a few. So we're building cities, and, y'know` I mean, it's incredible. I come in here and it's like a kid in a candy store. 'Where are we today?' 'Oh, I'm just building Paris.' Wow. 'Just building Tokyo.' But see, this is the village. Yup. So that's all been built for the America's Cup. I mean, how cool is that? Ian, when people ask you what you do for a living, what do you tell them? We only do things we like, and they've gotta be things that hopefully no one else has done. And here where those boundaries are explored. What's that one? Everything starts in a garage. That's our garage man. That's JJ. The technology didn't exist for the cameras, you know, that were gonna do the 360. So JJ has built these, and they've been built in this 3D printer. Very cool. But I'm here for ARL's Virtual Eye. It's their golf graphics that are used in the broadcast of the European PGA Tour. So I ran the golf section for the last seven years, and it was something like 35 tournaments a year, so that was 35 countries a year. So what's your company's role with the golf graphics? What do you do? Well, I mean, it goes right through the whole range now. So we've, first of all, got to build all the golf courses. So we build one of these a week. So there's all these different` And Ben and the team are working on this one now. We're doing all the radar tracking. That's the one we were just nominated for an Emmy award. This is where you're going. This is Wentworth. Me haere tatou ` let's go. And just like that ` magic ` from the virtual to the real world. We're literally standing on the first tee here at Wentworth. It's an hour out of London, next to a town called Virginia Water, and this place is very fancy. See this? This is the lake that they shot for the Harry Potter movies. So that kinda goes some way to showing you just how affluent and prestigious this golf tournament is. (ROCK MUSIC POUNDS) Well, this is the whole TV compound. So these are the guys who just won a BAFTA. They won the BAFTA for the best sports coverage last year for the Open Championship. The BMW PGA championship ` this is the flagship event on the European tour. It's a huge tournament. We get 100,000 people here watching golf this week. So it's a big gig, man. It's a big old gig. This is the Starship Enterprise. This is the Death Star. The Death Star! (LAUGHS) So we have ball-spotters out there sending me the GPS coordinate. Three, zero, three, five, five... The ball position allows us to create a graphic, which shows how far the player's hit it from the tee, how far the player has remaining to the hole. (INTENSE MUSIC) The first time we ever did this, we had 15 people working on it, and I think we did six holes. Yeah. Now we've got two here and one inside to do all 18 holes. I just think, how cool is this for a boy from Rauponga, eh? (LAUGHS) I didn't even know what a golf course was. (LAUGHS) Pretty special? Very special. Very special. I mean, it's the key thing, you know. You should only do stuff that you like. So, I love golf, and we get to do the very best of it. It's pretty mind-blowing being just a couple of metres from the best golf players in the world as they're making their way on to the 18th green; thousands of people cheering them on. I can definitely see why Ian stayed in the business for this long. Coming up after the break, we go from Te Aupouri, Parengarenga in the Far North, to the very, very far north ` Sweden. 1 I'm about as far away from Europe as you can get. We're at the top of Te Tai Tokerau, in a little town called Te Kao. It's about 30 minutes' drive from Cape Reinga ` population 200 ` and home to Parengarenga Station. (UPBEAT MUSIC) Parengarenga was first established back in the '50s, when they consolidated four or five Maori land blocks, with the aim of creating employment in the north. So there's our saying. It's, 'Ko te Atua ki te rangi; ko te Aupouri ki te whenua. So Te Aupouri ` our heartland ` is basically Te Kao, and what we're aiming for now is to become a world-class business of the land and the sea, to grow our communities and shape the future of the Far North. That's what we aspire to. One of our big things, of course, is local employment. So we have, what, 12 workers now. Most of them are local, and if they're not, then we'll marry them to someone local. Their 12 kaimahi each have their own area of expertise, which enables the farm to be completely self-sufficient. Roaming through the farm, it's, uh, pretty big. (CHUCKLES) Yeah, it's 5100ha, effective. (INHALES) Yep. We've got 6000 mixed-age ewes; 1700 females breeding. (ATV MOTOR WHIRRS) What're you doing, Smithy? Yeah, just cleaning out the line ` flushing out my intake line. Yeah, it looks a little bit more like a dynamite. So you're the water guy. Yes. Very dry this time of the year, yeah, so it's a 24-7 job at the moment ` keeping an eye on the lines, making sure all the troughs and all the tanks are full. So this one system is keeping 6000ha wet. Virtually, yes. Yeah, wow. You're the, uh, grass man? Yup, I look after that. And, uh, also, you make sure everything works. Yeah, well... Another part of the trade. I think it is time to go and check out where all that hard work ends up. So from the winterless north,... ...to the south of Sweden, specifically, a beautiful town called Klippan, which is about an hour-and-a-half's drive from the bridge that connects Denmark and Sweden. Klippan itself has a population of about 8000 people, but it's famous for its Klippan rugs, which are sold all around the world. Klippan is a whanau business which dates back to 1879. They make home-textile products and are well-known for their designer blankets. They use only New Zealand wool, including Parengarenga Station. We make about 480,000 throws or blankets every year. Half a million throws and blankets! (LAUGHS) Yeah. We buy two containers per month, so each container has about 20 tons of wool. Wow. How many blankets do you get out of one container? Uh, we get about 20,000. And you've had that relationship with New Zealand wool for 50, 60 years? Yeah, we have, actually, through my father and grandfather. They've been buying the wool for that long time from New Zealand, cos that's the best wool for our type of product. (UPBEAT MUSIC) What's your role now? Obviously it's a family business. So your son and your daughter are doing a lot of operations. Well, you might call me 'senior adviser'. Senior adviser. (LAUGHS) But I still buy the wool. You buy the wool. Yes. OK. And what are you looking for when you're purchasing wool? What's important? (SIGHS) Price. (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) My role is to pick out the collection and to market it and work closely with the designers and the production to get the best results and the most interesting collection. And why do you think people all over the world like Klippan blankets so much? I think because the blankets have attitude and a special expression. (LAUGHS) And New Zealand wool ` obviously, Parengarenga wool ` a massive part of the blankets? Yes, it is. And the New Zealand wool is so good because it's so clean, and it's so good to colour and dye this particular wool. So that's what we like to work with. Parengarenga sheep are actually pretty versatile, because as well as exporting the wool here to Klippan, they're also sending their meat to Europe ` their lamb ` a little bit further south of here, though, to a country called Germany. (DAINTY MUSIC) Hamburg ` a massive port city here in Germany. And there's a touch of irony here ` it's also Germany's biggest importer of meat. And it's also home to Prime Meats, who are flying the flag, see, for New Zealand meat here in Germany. Who's this guy? Sir Henry, yes. Ah, so he's the mascot? He is the mascot for` Now, I see 'prime meat' there, but I also see 'weida'. What does that mean? 'Weida' stands for rich pasture, good meadows ` what you have in New Zealand. Awesome. Well, let's go see some of the lamb that you've brought over from Parengarenga. Yeah, we are doing, on chilled ` the fresh ones ` we have at least one to two containers a week. How much cash per container are we talking? That's a lot of lamb. On the chilled side, it varies between NZ$200,000 and NZ$400,000. Germans are eating a lot of lamb. Pork is the main staple of Germany, and it's been a bit of a process over the last 40 years to introduce not just New Zealand lamb, but lamb in general. So was it hard to, kind of, get them to eat lamb? Yeah, there was a little trick when we started. The idea was just to make lamb a bit useable like pork. Four decades on, and Gunter is now distributing to over 1000 supermarkets in Germany, as well as food service companies, and other countries across Europe. So many different kinds of lamb! I haven't even seen this in New Zealand ` all the different cuts. Yeah, we very often heard about that ` there's more variety here available here in the market. Yeah. Because Germans love variety. And here's an interesting fact ` it was actually the Greek restaurants in Germany that helped Gunter introduce lamb to the public. The Greek chefs are very good in preparing lamb, so the Greek gastronomy has helped us to bring lamb closer to the German consumer. Ah, thank you. And now that I've learned how the Germans were introduced to New Zealand lamb, it's about time to try it, I reckon. Wow. I've never had lamb with those flavours before. It's incredible. And so healthy. (EASY-GOING MUSIC) The whakatauki for this episode ` 'E tipu e rea mo nga ra o to ao' ` grow and branch forth and make the most of every opportunity available to you. Klippan blankets, Hemi's Last & Loom boots, Ian Taylor's incredible virtual technology; possum merino and Parengarenga lamb. The opportunity in this case is connection ` connection with our commonwealth and our European cousins. And together we can take those incredible Maori products and become global. Captions by Amelia Rushbrook. Edited by Glenna Casalme. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 He mea tautoko na Te Mangai Paho.