Stoke Street Christchurch New Zealand ,1971
In the summer of 1971 four mates are sharing a house a couple of minutes walk from Scarborough Beach. Kevin works in the bank, Malcolm is studying geology at university, Paul is in the police force and I work as a surveyor’s assistant in the Lands and Survey department. Another mate Rob is in the Royal New Zealand Navy and visits when on leave. We all share a common love of the beach and surfing. This is a dream rental location and we are able to catch a few waves before and after work if the surf is up.
Life is good. It is also an uncomplicated one in the days before mobile phones, computers, Internet or online shopping.
Our cars were a 1954 Austin A40, a 1955 VW Beetle and a 1954 Humber Hawk. Despite the vintage of these classics they still manage to transport us to surf spots far and wide across the shaky isles.
The Mighty Humber crossing a road/rail bridge, a quirky NZ concept where cars share a bridge with trains.
(photo is a freeze frame from an 8mm movie)
The Austin A40 loaded for a trip to the beach
(Photo is a freeze frame from 8mm movie footage)
Our music tastes are varied but we had moved on from The Beach Boys and our main influences now, after having watched the 1969 film Woodstock are Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, Arlo Guthrie and Ten Years After. Other musical choices include Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens and The Beatles.
It is probably the songs of Crosby Stills Nash and Young that speak to our collective vibe. ‘Helplessly Hoping’, a CSN track with great harmonies and a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment seemed to match our somewhat laid-back lifestyle and is played often.
Vinyl albums are played on my basic Phillips stereo system with its built- in amplifier and two modest speakers. Among the collection of LPs is Malcolm’s box -set sound track from the Woodstock Music Festival. This contained enough tracks to cater for a weekend house party with someone supervising as DJ to ensure our vinyls survive intact through to the end of the night.
I don’t recall any illegal substance being consumed at the beach house. Perhaps this was due to the fact that Paul was in the police force. In fact none of us even smoke cigarettes. Our favored relaxants are the local Christchurch beers, either Bavarian Bitter or Lion Brown (affectionately referred to as ‘Lyin Down”). Girlfriends most likely leaning toward Bacardi and Coke or gin and tonic.
I do recall on one occasion Malcolm being violently ill after consuming a little too much of his over fermented home made Japanese Sake.
Malcolm (left) and Paul (right) at South Brighton beach Christchurch NZ
Other weekend entertainment would be a trip to the pub or a tavern to listen to live music, although 10pm was closing time in the land of the Kiwi. Kevin’s older brother Ross played guitar in a band. I fondly remember his version of Rod Stewart’s ‘Maggie May’. I think we might have all secretly aspired to inhabit those lyrics.
The author saluting Dennis Hopper.
Another main form of entertainment was going to the movies. Occasionally a 16mm surf movie would be showing at a local community hall. VW beetles, Kombi vans and other roof -racked relics parked outside the hall, the audience consisting of sun- bleached long-haired surfies and their girlfriends.
Some of our favorite movies of that era included the spaghetti westerns starring Clint Eastwood, Easy Rider starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda and The Graduate starring Dustin Hoffman in his first major film role- the latter two films with soundtracks that matched our musical tastes.
Eventually everyone goes their own way of course. Malcolm finished his geology degree and worked for a brief period for a New Zealand gas and oil exploration company. Paul left the police force after only a couple of years but went on to have a successful business career. Kevin left the bank and took up a new job as a wharfie. Rob had a long stint in the navy before becoming an OH&S officer on off shore oilrigs. I left for Australia to work in the ski fields and then spent thirty – five years in the National Parks Service.
We all were married at some stage, got divorced, then took up with new partners.
We have been fortunate to have relatively healthy lives apart from the odd hip replacement. Our older aged bodies now remind us to think twice about surfing or skiing. Our cars have probably long disappeared to some New Zealand scrap metal yard, but I always regret not hanging onto the old faithful 1955 Beetle.
They are one person,
They are two alone
They are three together
They are for each other
The CSN track ‘Helplessly Hoping’ with the Steven Stills acoustic guitar accompaniment will always take me back to that beach house and memories of a simple and less complicated life.
‘I always regret not hanging onto the old faithful 1955 Beetle.’
Stereo Story 878
Great yarn John,
I like that acoustic sound and harmonies.
Well done John. It was very enjoyable and took me back to those times.
A lovely share, John. Evocative and relatable. Thank you!