This is my mum, Shirley Maddock. In 1964, she was the creator of New Zealand's first-ever documentary series, Islands of the Gulf. SHIRLEY MADDOCK: To visit an island is to leave the mainland behind, even if it is only for the day. Those programmes shone a light on various islands in the 4000km2 Hauraki Gulf. I'm Elisabeth Easther, and over 50 years later, I'm retracing my mother's journey,... looking at the islands' wildlife,... There she goes. ...the history and, above all else, the people. I think there's a lot of people here that are a little bit different. I want to know ` what's island life like in the 21st century? WOMAN: Welcome to the yurt. It's so beautiful. (UPLIFTING MUSIC) (ALL SCREAM FAINTLY) Welcome to my Islands of the Gulf. Copyright Able 2018 Mum met all manner of amazing characters on her trips around the gulf ` dear Tobey Davis, who spent most of his life on Aotea-Great Barrier, Captain Jock McKinnon, skipper of the scow Rahiri. And the islands are still a magnet for charismatic characters today, and in this episode, I'm going to meet some of them. You have... a lot of stuff. First up ` Aotea-Great Barrier, and because it's the furthest-flung of the islands, I'm taking a seaplane, with my dashing pilot, Steve. I do have to ask ` what's with the`? Oh, the bare feet? Do you always fly in bare feet? Yeah, yup. Well, I get in the water every day, so it's just easier not wearing shoes. I dunno if I could fly with shoes any more, to be honest. (BOTH CHUCKLE GENTLY) Yeah, bit nerve-racking ` doesn't feel right. Are you aware that you're flying in the slipstream of Captain Fred Ladd? Yeah. Fred Ladd was actually my inspiration for flying seaplanes in the first place. Now every time I get in the plane, I fly over the Harbour Bridge; it always crosses through my head, cos I'm notorious for flying into it. MAN: There's the shower of spray, and we're away! Fred's catchcry of, 'A shower of spray, and we're away,' was the stuff of legend. SHIRLEY MADDOCK: The upper waters of the Waitemata make a fine springboard for Captain Ladd's bright red amphibian. Then you see the gulf from a gull's-eye view. You can open your eyes; we're airborne! Flying out to Aotea-Great Barrier is just as much of an adventure as it was in Mum's day. Captain Ladd had brought us up by as roundabout a route as possible. More than 50 years later, the method of getting ashore still has its quirks. Wick Newman, a storekeeper, had a parcel for him to take up to Auckland. Their store, the Last Resort, is the only one at Fitzroy. The general store is in the same spot. The old petrol pumps have gone. Mike Newman ` the son of Wick Newman, the old storekeeper ` is still around, drawn back to the island that charmed him in his youth. I sorta recall it being a very friendly, very easy place to live. Entertainment was different families meeting up on a beach, fishing or boating or... yeah. But what happened to that infamous car Wick used to drive? The original owner was a resident of Chicago. He was Al Capone, the gangster. It served as a taxi for many years, and it was also a car that Dad used for carrying freight. It had such a big interior; you could put four 44-gallon drums of petrol in the back seat. Wow. And after that, Dad decided he didn't want it, so he'd sell it. That's the last I saw of it. Some of the roads on the island are still pretty rough, so reliably sturdy is the order of the day when it comes to getting around. Really like your Land Rover. How old's that? That's 57. There was a time everybody had Land Rovers here. In about 1986, warrant of fitness came in here, so as everybody's Land Rover got rejected, people gave them to me for spare parts. So I've got a backyard with about seven Land Rovers lying rusting away in it, but I've never needed the spare parts; that one just keeps going. (GROOVY MUSIC) (CLICKING, ENGINE SHUTS OFF) I love them. It's like a little, tiny Great Barrier Smash Palace. Isn't it funny to`? Each of these vehicles one day was brand-new, and it was someone's pride and joy, and they drove it, and it was like no one was allowed to eat in it. Well, that was in the '50s. And now they're fern... vases. (BOTH CHUCKLE) I love them ` oh, I do. Mike has a real trove of mechanical treasures tucked away in the bush. Oh, and this is a beauty ` the paint job of... Vietnam. (BOTH CHUCKLE) Just in the bush here, there's some Land Rover parts, and the red base... (GASPS SOFTLY) ...up here is the bottom half of a petrol handpump. This was the one that was outside your parents' shop. Yes. Have you ever thrown anything out? I'm slowly getting rid of a lotta stuff. I think the things you've got a really endearing. I wouldn't get rid of much more. (CHUCKLES) Maybe some of the gorse ` that's all, and only little bits of that. I do wish Mum could see this. Apart from Shanks's pony, a Land Rover's the best way to travel on the Barrier. These days Land Rovers are just as popular, as is Shanks' pony, aka the Waewae Express. The tramping tracks on this island are works of art ` elegantly engineered swing bridges, elaborate staircases, raised timber walkways. Today Aotea-Great Barrier boasts over 100km of walking tracks. And you try and leave as much as you can of a nice green fern,... Mm. ...growing on the bank. Just about every metre of track has been artfully dug out by hand with spades, picks and shovels. Stan McGeady has been constructing tracks here for over 50 years, and we're walking on some of his handiwork. This one Stan and I just walked is a little over 12km. Wow. SOFTLY: (GASPS) Goodness me. Oh, Stan, this is your workplace. It is. It's amazing. (CHUCKLES GENTLY) This is your seat. Got my name on it. Certainly has ` you can't deny that. Stan's boss had this seat constructed and inscribed as a surprise for when he retired. My boss said that was my gold watch. Oh, that is so much better than a gold watch. (SNIFFLES) The part that touched me so much about it was the history of it. This main part here is a piece of the kauri off the old dam that washed away in the storm we had a couple of years ago, and the bearers are... from the old cemetery in Whangaparapara, where my mum and dad are buried. Stan was born on Aotea, and I love that when his father was building tracks, my mum was there walking on there. My dad did the tracks then. Yeah, that's where I get it from, yeah. My dad was pretty much like me ` head down and tail up. He taught you a lot. Go for it, yeah. Before you start, you gotta walk in 7km, 8km to start work, you know. And how many trips do you have to make? I mean, you've got gravel; you've got tools; you've got` Yeah, yeah. ...wood; you've got` Yeah. We're doing about five or six loads a day to get it to there. (SIGHS) How much do you eat when you're working like that? Quite a bit. That's another wheelbarrow. (BOTH CHUCKLE) 'There stands lunch.' When you first told me you were retiring, I felt a bit sad, cos who's going to make these beautiful tracks? But actually, I think you deserve it. You deserve a rest. Building tracks is incredibly demanding work. I've had a lot of young fellas working with me since I've been doing the tracks, and, they just don't make them like they used to. Can't` You know, it was just how you're brought up, really. If you were brought up hard, you go hard. Somewhere, someone will be watching this and going, 'I'm that man,' and maybe in 50 years' time or something, he'll get his own seat,... (BOTH CHUCKLE) Yeah, maybe. Yeah. ...if he works really hard. Like Stan, Steve's another chap putting in an honest day's work. And next thing you know, the ferry just goes, 'Boom!' Ohhhhh. Just run straight over it. (GENTLE ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC) (PENSIVE ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC) In Mum's day, she mostly relied on friendly boat owners to get around. Times sure have changed. I sorta do more VIP work to Waiheke, where people wanna go, and instead of squashing on to the ferry, they just want their own boat to travel on. But I've had some famous people, like yourself. Oh. (BOTH CHUCKLE) But really famous people ` Yeah. can ya name names? Or is that part`? Did you sign, like, a waiver? Well, I actually do. You have to sign disclosure ` you're not supposed to say who it is. But you'll tell me afterwards, eh. Yeah, I will definitely (!) Yeah, for sure (!) Cool, and I'll put it on the Facebook page (!) CHUCKLES: Yeah, good one, OK (!) (LAUGHS) Steve will take me to Waiheke after I've visited Rakino. Most people visit Rakino for weekends or holidays. There are no shops and just 12, give or take, who live permanently on the island. Caroline has been living here for the last four years. Gaia ` it's the Greek name for the Earth goddess. See, I'm a Capricorn; I'm 'a' Earth sign, and I really like gardening, so it all goes in. Whoa, this is amazing. (CHUCKLES GENTLY) You have... a lot of stuff. Where does all this stuff come from? Oh, well, my passion started when I was 18; I went to England, and I used to go to car-boot sales in the 20 years I was there. And then when I came back` A few. ...I've picked up a lot of Kiwiana and Crown Lynn. So some of the things I pick up from where I've gone. This is extraordinary. Yes, yes. I mean, this is a beast. This is. I've got two of them. My family had a 10-acre block here ` probably came in the '70s, I think,... How clever of them. ...and they ran cattle. And` Did they live here? They lived here. But you didn't here` No, I lived in England. I left in '67. Oh, the swinging '60s ` cool. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, they would every now and then have a kill, and they would bury the heads, so I went around and looked for them. It's a good set of choppers. Yeah, yeah. The old and the unusual attracts me,... and all the things that you see here are garage sales. I love this. (WHIRRING, TINKLING) Oh my goodness. And look ` you offer some cigarettes. (TINKLING MUSIC PLAYS) Ohhh. Doesn't it make you wanna smoke? Yeah. (LAUGHS) That's why I love that era, you know. And when a gentleman comes,... Cigars. ...that's his cigars. (TINKLING MUSIC PLAYS) That is the most grooviest thing. Yeah. (MUSIC STOPS) Wouldn't you like to know too who bought it for the first time new? Yeah, yeah. Who went to the shop where you get these things and thought, (POSHLY) 'What shall I get for Roger and Melissa?' And some lucky person, like me, years later` Comes and scoops it up. Yeah, yeah. Like, and all these things in the kitchen, cos everything here, I use, even though, you know` Aw! We had one of those. They are all old, but I do use all my things. Oh, your cake tins. Yeah. (GASPS SOFTLY) And this was another thing from my father. When he lived here, like, he had his cows, and he'd make his own butter. Oh my gosh. Of course. So this is his. The magic. Good thing about the old things is they last. I mean, some of these things are 40, 50,... Yup. ...and some of them are 100 years old. You go to the disposable shops, yeah, and you'll get a couple of years out of it. Yeah, not even that. Quite apart from the time and effort put into collecting these treasures, imagine getting them all over from the mainland. That's a serious undertaking. To me, it's a beauty, and their use. Yeah, form and function, not` Yeah, and it's not because I want to own these things. To me, they're just beautiful. They really are. Like, everything has earned its place in the house, hasn't it? Yes. My cab is here to take me to Waiheke Island. As well as famous people, Steve has transported rare animals ` tuatara and kiwi ` even the ashes of the departed whose last wishes were to be spread on the waters of the Hauraki Gulf. What happens, like, these days is they've got these environmentally friendly cardboard boxes that the ashes come in. Usually, as the box absorbs water, it slowly sinks, giving family and friends time to say goodbye, except for that one time. 20 minutes went by, and it was like, 'Oh, it still hasn't sunk.' This person was not ready to go. Not at all. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) And then I looked up, and I saw the ferry, and I was like, 'No. 'No way,' and next thing you know, the ferry just goes, 'Boom!' Ohhhhh. Just run straight over it. But then, apparently, the person who got run over by the ferry in the thing, that was a fitting end to them. (LAUGHS) Like, that was they were like in real life. And it feels fitting to end my adventure where my mother's began, but I do wish we could've made this journey together. SHIRLEY MADDOCK: This is the big event of the afternoon ` the mums. Down the straight they come ` fortunately, not a very long straight. Island women in Mum's day were resourceful, a force to be reckoned with. Today they still are. Several years ago, Waiheke local Helen was looking for a musical pal. (BOTH PLAY LIVELY MUSIC) I advertised for a piano duet partner in the Gulf News. I got three answers, and Kara shaped up to be the best one, so we've been playing ever since. Mm, and I've been living on the island about 20 years and always wanted a duet partner, but I'd never done anything about it. I think I recognise you from the big screen. Oh. Would that be right? Well, I'm in the Hip Op group, and probably seen us in Hip Hop-eration. Hip Hop-eration was an award-winning local documentary about a group of mature Waihekians who formed a hip-hop group, travelling the world to perform and compete. I do understand that your stage name is Kara Bang Bang. (CHUCKLES GENTLY) How did you get that name? Moniker. Well, when we started off, a lot of people were not keeping time with the music. (INHALES SHARPLY) I used to be a music teacher, and that annoyed me, so eventually, I couldn't wait any longer ` (STEADILY) bang my stick in time with the music. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) So then a long time later, Billie said, 'Well, now, you've all got to have a name,' so I thought, well, Kara Bang. So she said, 'That's not long enough.' 'OK, Kara Bang Bang.' (CHUCKLING) That's how I got it. Coming up ` Great ` bird bottom (!) a Welshman who's a bi fan of birds. You almost need to approach it like this,... Like this. ...which makes you look very strange. Yes. MAN: Look around. As the Favourites come out, it begins. Observing with an eagle eye. Mastering the art of stashing. Oh, brilliant move, Gran! Cadbury Favourites. (LIGHT ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC) Over time Waiheke became a refuge for hippies, artists and alternative lifestylers. Lately, it's become a bit more gentrified, but it still attracts its fair share of unconventional characters. Ann Skelly has lived in New Zealand for 30 years and on Waiheke since 2013. Visiting her studio, I find an eclectic space filled with paintings, alongside her fabulous entries for wearable art awards. I'd love to know what you're painting right now. Can you tell me a little bit about this? Well, this is really just a little textural piece. I'm just painting it as it comes. I call it live-streaming. It's not from any set view. It's not a landscape, seascape; it's little bit of underwater live-streaming. I really enjoying painting with this flowing line, and the colours are really important, and I just paint the colours that feel right at the time. So, where are you from originally? Lancashire, in the north of England. And how did you get here? Yeah. We came out here on a teaching exchange originally. We didn't wanna go home. Once we'd seen New Zealand, we realised what a beautiful spot it was and we'd much prefer to live here than in England. You, obviously, have to have certain qualities to live on an island. What do you think are the necessary attributes for surviving? I think there's a lot of people here that perhaps are a little bit different from the norm. I think it takes a stronger personality to live here and enjoy it, and I quite often hear the phrase 'only on Waiheke' when you see something strange. So being a mermaid here on the island fits in perfectly. Mm. (LAUGHS) (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) That's right ` you heard correctly. Ann's website describes her as a full-time artist and part-time mermaid. I've always loved the sea and always wanted to be a mermaid from when I was a little girl, and my dad made me a mermaid tail. When we shifted here,... I thought, 'Hang on a minute. Why shouldn't I have a mermaid tail now and still enjoy that little dream?' You know, don't give up the dream. So I had a mermaid tail made to measure, and I love swimming in it at the local beaches. Lots of little girls want to be mermaids. There's even a group of merlings on Waiheke ` youngsters who aspire to be mermaids. Do you ever imagine that you'd be anywhere else? Is there ever a...? No. I think we'll stay here forever. This is it. The trials and tribulations of a wildlife photographer. Peter is another expatriate Brit who recognises what a jewel this island is. Play the bloody game. (SIGHS) (SIGHS) Great ` bird bottom (!) Right, let's just go a little closer. Let's. Yeah. You almost need to approach it like this,... Like this. ...which makes you look very strange. Yes. This is real David Attenborough stuff. SOFTLY: I know! Originally from Wales, photographer Peter came to New Zealand 10 years ago, and he's lived on Waiheke for the last seven, preferring a less busy end of the island. One of his passions is shooting birds ` with a camera, that is. Gotta be a little bit careful down here, because they go for ya. They're very good parents, aren't they? Yeah, they are, but they will literally fly straight at your head. But the thing to do is, like a charging bull, face straight up. Yeah, make yourself bigger ` Like I'm going for a beer. not that you're not big. No, but bigger, bigger, bigger. Yeah, (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) exactly, exactly, cos they will go for ya. Not today ` the oystercatchers are on their best behaviour. So I'll get a little shot of that just to... (CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS REPEATEDLY) They're actually being quite good. I think they like me. (BIRDS CALL) (LAUGHS) They're actually being very civilised. Looking for a dotterel nest on the beach ` I have to say, calling it a nest is a bit of stretch. No, this is a dotterel nest, K? We'll have a little indent, and perhaps we might have a little bit of this and that. There. That's it. (LAUGHS) Having such exposed nests make their eggs easy prey for rats and other predators ` no wonder they're under threat. You see them on the ground, and you think, 'Oh, yeah, that's an odd little blob,...' (BOTH CHUCKLE) ...which is kinda like, 'Ugh. OK.' Yeah, that ` I can be that, mm. Take off, and it's like, 'Ooh, Exocet missile.' Quite amazing, really. And they do this lovely broken-wing thing when you go towards them, and you'll get one tryin' to lead you away from the nest, basically. Quite remarkable, really. Well, they've created a narrative. Yeah, yeah, totally. Totally. I mean, that shows imagination; they're not just going at you. But at low tide if I go around and sit for a while with the camera quietly, they come and have a look at you. They don't go away; they actually come and see what you're up to, but you have to almost sit discreetly, quietly and sit for quite a while, which is really difficult when you've got a low boredom threshold ` (CHUCKLES GENTLY) really hard. But I think I'm almost there now. Before focusing on photography, Peter was a painter. Where the sea meets the land has always been a real interest of mine, and the variety with the ways it does it on this island is staggerin'. So you got this lovely estuary here, which just sort of, like, slowly goes in and out with the tides. On the northern side in a big northerly wind, you got rocky outcrops, where you've got waves crashing and a lotta drama. Peter's favourite time to shoot in this bay is at low tide at sunset. Then the sand is exposed, and the sun reflects in the calm shallows. My camera rarely comes out if it's a sunny, nice day with pohutukawas and all that sorta thing. A good friend of mine said, 'Well, you've tried to bring the Welsh valleys to Waiheke, haven't ya? (CHUCKLES) 'You're missin' them, so you're makin' Waiheke look quite dark.' (CHUCKLES) (CHEERFUL ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC) I can't imagine, in fact, now` And this is real statement ` I can't imagine livin' anywhere else. Oooh. Wow. Wow, and you, I imagine, you've been all over the place. In my life, I've lived in Italy, France, Ireland, Spain,... uh,... (SIGHS) God, a lotta places, (CHUCKLES GENTLY) and for me, this somehow just has it. (GENTLE ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC) Here we are ` the end of my journey around the gulf and this journey around my mother. Growing up, I always knew how the islands occupied a special place in her heart, surely best expressed in her own words, giving Mum the final say. 'I thought of all the islands of the Hauraki 'on days when they take fire from the sun and lie light as feathers on the sea. '40 islands I see ` more if you count the gannet perches ` 'and snug in my mind's eye, not one of them seems very far away.' (UPLIFTING MUSIC) Captions by Shrutika Gunanayagam. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018