Just a wee bit of NZ folklore

Post by **azeo** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:37 pm

Only just found these! haven't searched for our "heritage" for years, but had found accounts in books. One Southland distiller (can't) remember if was a Macrae or not) was well known for maturing his whisky in barrels rotated by chains continuously.

http://www.hokonuimoonshinefest.co.nz/i ... .theLegend" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

more detail from the distillery

http://www.hokonuiwhiskey.com/hokonui.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

a museum
http://www.gorenz.com/index.cfm?fuseact ... s.heritage" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Hokonui moonshine is quite well known, less well known and harder to find accounts of is a valley actually called "Moonshine" near where I live famous locally for the practice.

I didn't know we actually had a moonshine festival though, just shows how easy it is to miss things in your back yard!

Might be of interest to our Aussie neighbours in case they happen to be visiting. I might even go and have a look myself but it's a major expense and inconvenience to cross the Cook Strait to the South Island unfortunately....

Butch50 · Post by **Butch50** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:46 am

Fascinating reading, if you find more please post it. There appears to be a similar brewing background between NZ and the Appalachian area - I wonder if the immigration pattern is also similar?

Thanks!

Post by **azeo** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:01 pm

Hi Butch, very glad you enjoyed the information. I'm sure there are parallels, the scots and Irish being such pioneering types and looking for a better life away from the deprivations of the English and classed feudal society. We have alot to thank them for, not only just bringing their distilling skills with them!

I'm very interested in this and will certainly post info as I find it now that I know there is interest from others. I find folklore from other countries fascinating too, and one can see similar threads in making the best out of somewhat isolated and difficult regions.

It concerns me that locally where I live we may be losing detailed records of traditionional moonshining, as it may well have slipped under the radar of historians, especially with Hokonui Moonshining being in the limelight as it were and their interests possibly not specific.

Some of the more interesting stories and traditions could also be passing from living memory,and those that remain who have stories to tell possibly hard to find. I guess this applies to whatever information one is trying discover from the past.

I'm hoping to find the time to see what we actually have in our libraries and archives, could be a start!

azeo

Butch50 · Post by **Butch50** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:58 am

The fox fire books are an outstanding rescue of what was going to be lost Appalachian art and folklore, and it was all done by high school kids, with adult supervision. If you haven't read them, I recommend that you read at least the first one.

Wouldn't it be nice to find a teacher who would be interested in doing the same there? Once started it seemed to perpetuate itself. Maybe you could look around and pass the first Foxfire book on to an appropriately fertile class.

I did some limited world travelling when I was younger, and learned at an early age that people are about the same everywhere - once you get past the cultural differences 90% of the people in the world want the same things. To be left alone to live life in a simple way, focused on family and friends.

It is the other 10% who want to make the 90% conform to their own views that stink up the planet. I guess that is a lot of why I find what you posted fascinating, it is nearly the same story as the Appalachians with different culture and geography.

Post by **HookLine** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:09 am

Nice links. Except the first one crashes my browser. Anybody else having that problem?

Butch50 · Post by **Butch50** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:36 am

No crash here, a bit slow opening but opens OK.

Post by **azeo** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:17 pm

I'll check those books out, always up for a bit more learning! They say charity begins at home, but often it extends to strangers, or those in common circumstances. Although there's bad to be found everywhere, it's also good to know there's more than a bit of humanity too, in all sorts of circumstances and cultures.
cheers
a

belialNZ · Post by **belialNZ** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 12:33 am

That is just awesome!

Some nice NZ history of moonshine

I'm tingling all over with pride.

Hell, if I could find work there, I'd probably move to the SI after reading that, it was fascinating. In fact, I think I'm gonna go visit, thats a local tourism treat!