Present in the Past

There’s a telephone booth on the waterfront in Mangonui, marking the centre of town between the famous fish shop and the restored Old Oak Boutique Hotel, originally built in 1861. Two people are leaning against the booth, talking on mobile phones. It’s a metaphor for the town, steeped in history, yet with a modern outlook.

The seaside village in the Far North was once a bustling 19th century whaling village, which played its part in providing light for the great cities of the world. Heritage buildings, still impressive, stand testament to the fortunes made here during that time.

A short drive from Mangonui, past the pink sandy beaches of Cable Bay, and history of a more personal nature is on display at Matthews Vintage Museum. We head here for a tour of the privately owned collection, dating back to the 1900s.

We walk past two doves perched on an ancient petrol pump and enter a huge warehouse filled with a collection of vintage typewriters, cars, tractors, farming and household objects, music equipment and everything in between, collected and restored by Winston Matthews, whose sister Ruth is showing us around.

“Winston started with a Meccano set and his passion grew and grew. Now it needs a museum to showcase it. He’s really very talented, though he doesn’t like us to say,” says Ruth. “He takes what he does for granted, but it’s quite remarkable that he has restored it all. Everything in the museum works.”

A wall of vintage radios catches my eye. To see them all lined up, so elaborate, gives us a real sense of families huddled around them listening to wartime news, serials, quiz shows and talent quests.
Cars don’t usually impress me, but each one in the museum has a nifty feature, such as a boot that converts into luxury open-air seating or a bonnet as a door.

It’s one thing to see owners going for a Sunday drive in a vintage car; it’s another to take a close look at the cars and read the stories attached to them. Coming to the museum opened my eyes to the history of everyday New Zealanders in the last century, and the past suddenly seems a fun place to live.

Back in Mangonui, we visit the Saturday market in the local hall and an arts and crafts version further up the road. There is a man polishing greenstone, and bags made out of the tops of jeans. The local Four Square sells artisan products and the newsagent sells the newest books, as well as a DVD called The Fear North, a zombie movie starring students from Taipa.

On the outside, Mangonui seems like a sleepy little town relying on its heritage, but from what we saw, it’s more progressive and bustling than you might think. Just like the past.