A little bit of Kiwiana

From the Kiwi Annison Archives

Back in April this year we travelled down to Waitomo and further on to the west coast – see Magnificent meanderings to Marokopa. On our way down we went through Otorohanga , the official Kiwiana town.

So those of you not in New Zealand may now be scratching your heads and wondering what the heck is kiwiana.
Others may know it’s the stuff NZ’ers grew up on, items that represent childhood memories for many and symbolise the unique culture of New Zealand for others.

And it’s what souvenir shops now try to muscle in on so they can sell more gear to tourists.

We are talking about the icons and memorabilia of Kiwi Land:

• Jandals (flip-flops or thongs)
• Buzzy Bee (a pull-along wooden toy)
• All-Blacks (need I say more)
• Hokey Pokey ice cream (chips of crunchy toffee in vanilla ice cream)
• Black singlets and gumboots (the uniform of many kiwi farmers)
• The flightless kiwi bird (surely one of the most famous national icons)

So if you wish to learn a little more about the culture of Kiwi Land– its icons, heroes and traditions – you may wish to pay a visit to Otorohanga, a small rural King Country town, that has taken on the task of promoting all things kiwiana. There are many quirky tributes throughout the town – and – there’s a couple of nice coffee joints too!