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Ben Harrington heads to freeski halfpipe final, Fin Melville Ives takes brutal fall

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s Finley Melville Ives is evacuated by a medical team in the freestyle skiing men’s freeski halfpipe qualification run 2 during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

  • Ben Harrington has qualified for the men’s freeski halfpipe final
  • Fin Melville Ives is in a stable condition after a fall left him unconscious and saw him stretchered off the snow
  • The finals are set down for 7.30am Saturday 21 February (NZ time)

Ben Harrington has qualified for the men’s freeski halfpipe final after a tense finish to the second run at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

A tough competition saw three out of the four New Zealand athletes lose a ski in at least one of their two runs. Each competitor is ranked by their best run, with only the top 12 of 25 progressing to the final.

Harrington led the Kiwi contingent after a clean first run saw him sitting at 9th. The 24-year-old dropped to 12th place during the second run, making for a nail-biting wait while all the other athletes finished competing.

Making it to the finals was “an insane feeling”, he said.

“My biggest goal was just to come out and land some runs. I had knee surgery just over a year ago, so it was a mission to get back here but we did it.”

Speaking into the cameras on the slopes, Harrington dedicated his second run to teammate Fin Melville Ives, who had his own final hopes dashed after a fall saw him stretchered off the snow.

“Hey Finski, this one’s for you, brother. Love you, let’s go skiing,” Harrington said.

New Zealand’s Ben Harrington reacts after competing in the freestyle skiing men’s freeski halfpipe qualification during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, in Livigno, Italy. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

Melville Ives was the first competitor to drop into the halfpipe but lost a ski in both runs, putting him at 24th. He was assessed by medics following the second, more serious fall and stretchered off the snow.

Following the event, the New Zealand Olympic Team provided an update on his condition on social media, saying he was “stable and positive”.

Head coach Tom Willmott said “he took a big hit”, revealing the 19-year-old had been knocked unconscious.

“He’s in great care, our team doctor’s with him, his mum’s with him, and he’s doing okay. He was knocked out, but he’s conscious right now, he’s talking and he’s doing okay. He’s getting full checks, scans, x-rays, all the rest of it, just to fully rule anything out,” Willmott said.

“We had qualifying postponed due to the snow yesterday [Friday NZT] so today was the day, it was big Friday. He was using qualies as a warm up to the main event tonight [the finals, Saturday morning NZT] and he was all in, going real big.

“Fine margins, he was pushing his limits. He’s going to be devastated, he’s going to be gutted, you know. But he will pick himself up and he’ll come back from this because he’s a bit of a warrior.”

Finley Melville Ives lies on the snow after crashing in the freestyle skiing men’s freeski halfpipe qualification run 2. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

Fellow Kiwis Gustav Legnavsky and Luke Harrold also failed to qualify, ranking 14th and 15th respectively.

Harrold’s first run saw him in contention for the finals after he placed 11th, but run two saw the 17-year-old lose a ski.

“It was a tough day out there,” he said. “Training went well but, unfortunately, I couldn’t put down the run I wanted to in the two runs. I just want to say thanks to everyone who supported me through my whole journey, it’s been pretty incredible. I couldn’t put it down today for you guys but I know I will eventually.”

Legnavsky, 20, also lost a ski on his first run, and a clean second run was not enough to lift him into the top 12.

“I’m pretty bummed … I have more, I know I have more.”

The event involves competitors performing a series of tricks while skiing down a semi-cylindrical slope.

The final was set down for 7.30am Saturday, 21 February (NZT).

Kiwi Nico Porteous won gold in the event at the last Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022.

New Zealand has so far secured three medals in this year’s games.

On Thursday, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott became the world’s most decorated Olympic snowboarder with her silver-medal run in the women’s snowboard slopestyle event.

Luca Harrington brought home bronze at the men’s freestyle skiing slopestyle last week, after Sadowski-Synnott also claimed New Zealand’s first medal of the games, taking silver in the big air event.

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Service held for Northland woman Mihiata Te Rore, killed by a pack of dogs in Kaihu

Source: Radio New Zealand

Mihiata Te Rore, 62, was killed by dogs at a Kaihu property. Supplied

A service for the women killed by a pack of dogs in Northland is being held on Saturday.

Mihiata Te Rore, 62, was killed while visiting a property in the rural town of Kaihu, north of Dargaville.

Police said the three dogs involved lived at the property.

She was the third person to be killed by dogs in Northland in the past four years, sparking calls for more to be done by local and central government to deal with the growing problem.

In a post on social media, Te Rore was described as someone who lived with courage and conviction, and stood up for those she loved.

“Her presence will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her,” the post said.

“A fierce and loving woman, she was the unwavering strength of our whānau and the steady light in our lives. Her love was powerful, protective, and unconditional.”

Meanwhile, police said were continuing to investigate, but no charges had been laid.

Council visited property before fatal attack

In a statement, Kaipara District Council said there had been four complaints about the dogs in November, December and last week, and had responded to each request on the same day.

Staff visited the property to uplift the dogs the day prior to the attack, but were unsuccessful.

“Staff visited the property on multiple occasions to attempt to speak to the owner, including reaching out to family and iwi liaison. When the dogs were seen they were on the property.

“In December staff managed to speak with the owner about compliance and keeping the dogs secure, including consequences if this did not occur. In February they visited the property twice, including the day before, but were unable to talk to the owner or uplift the dogs.”

The council said there had also been “multiple” proactive patrols in the area, looking for any loose dogs, including a door knock of every property along Kaihu Wood Rd (no loose dogs were sighted during these patrols).

“Dog owners are responsible for their dogs – they have a legal responsibility to look after and control their animals but we also acknowledge that council’s animal control plays an important role in managing risks in the community.

“Our staff work with dog owners across the district every single day and are devastated that any such incident, in this case on private property, has occurred in Kaipara.”

It said its animal management team was investigating the incident.

“The three dogs were secured after the event and have been impounded, and will be destroyed as soon as police have finished their investigation.”

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The great Australian rivalry, in New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Blues’ Zac Lomax (R) and Maroons’ Kalyn Ponga contest a high-ball during game two of the men’s State of Origin series between the Queensland Maroons and New South Wales Blues at Optus Stadium in Perth on June 18, 2025. COLIN MURTY / AFP

Mate against mate, state against state – but exported. Why Auckland will host Australian rugby league’s premier event next year.

After months of speculation, the government has confirmed a State of Origin match will make its way across the ditch to Eden Park in 2027.

Tāmaki Makaurau will be considered neutral ground in 2027 as the Maroons take on the Blues at Eden Park for what is widely acknowledged to be rugby league’s most exciting fixture.

Today on The Detail, NZ Herald journalist and host of The Big League podcast, Nathan Limm talks about the motivation behind the NRL’s move to host an Australian regional game in another country.

“There’s obviously a little bit of ‘why is New Zealand getting it?’ [coming from Australians], which is actually similar to the kind of response that it had on this side of the Tasman as well.”

But he says despite all the commentary, the announcement shouldn’t come as a surprise.

“The NRL has made it clear for a number of years that they want to expand the game.”

The match is expected to be a sellout, with officials estimating that the event will inject $17.4 million into the economy. It was announced by the Prime Minister, who said the government had reached into its major events fund to secure the match. That amount is thought to range between $2.5 million and $5m.

New Zealand fans have long been engaged in the State of Origin, but kiwis have more of a reason to cheer their side on with the recent change in eligibility rules.

“We should have more kiwis, more New Zealand players, who have that affiliation with New South Wales or Queensland playing in State of Origin,” says Limm.

Previously players could be ruled out if they used their New Zealand connections to play at an international level for the Kiwis, but that’s been changed, so our players with childhood links to either of the states can play.

For example former national rep Addin Fonua-Blake, who has played for New Zealand and Tonga, is now eligible for New South Wales as well.

The NRL is also making concentrated efforts to grow the game internationally, and is staging part of the first round of this year’s NRL in Las Vegas.

Limm also talks on the podcast about those moves to expand the game, with new teams entering the NRL from Perth (from next year) and Papua New Guinea (2028), as well as the prospect of a South Island team signing up.

Part of the decision to come to Auckland was fed by support for the Warriors, the only team in the NRL currently to have an entire nation behind it.

And the podcast asks the age-old Warriors question – “is it our year?”

Well … maybe.

Coach Andrew Webster “has been able to completely… overhaul and reset the culture of the team, which is ultimately where it all starts, and that has impacted their on-field performances,” says Limm.

Despite the Warriors and rugby league as a sport becoming more popular in New Zealand, there is still one team they can’t compete with.

“There’s one thing that rugby has that no other sport in New Zealand will ever quite get, and that’s the All Blacks and the pull that the All Blacks hold.

“Regardless of what’s going on in domestic rugby or super rugby, when the All Blacks play, we as a nation get around them and really identify with that team,” says Limm.

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.

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Olympics: Ben Harrington qualifies for freestyle skiing men’s freeski halfpipe final

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s Ben Harrington reacts after competing in the freestyle skiing men’s freeski halfpipe qualification during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, in Livigno, Italy. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

Ben Harrington has qualified for the Men’s Freeski Halfpipe final after a tense finish to the second run at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.

Harrington led the Kiwi contingent after a clean first run saw him sitting at 9th. He dropped to 12th place during the second run, meaning a nervous wait for all the other athletes to finish competing, with only the top 12 progressing to the final.

Knowing he had made the finals was “an insane feeling”, he said.

“My biggest goal was just to come out and land some runs. I had knee surgery just over a year ago, so it was a mission to get back here but we did it.”

Speaking into the cameras, Harrington dedicated his second run to teammate, Fin Melville Ives, who had his own final hopes dashed after a fall saw him stretchered off the snow.

“Finski, that was for you, brother,” Harrington said.

Melville Ives was the first competitor to drop into the halfpipe but lost a ski in both runs, putting him at 24th.

The New Zealand Olympic Team provided an update on his condition in a social media post shortly after the event.

“Fin is with his family and being assessed by medical professionals. He is stable and positive.”

Fellow Kiwis Gustav Legnavsky and Luke Harrold also failed to qualify, ranking 14th and 15th respectively.

Harrold’s first run saw him in contention for the finals after he placed 11th, but run two saw him lose a ski.

“It was a tough day out there,” he said. “Training went well but, unfortunately, I couldn’t put down the run I wanted to in the two runs. I just want to say thanks to everyone who supported me through my whole journey, it’s been pretty incredible. I couldn’t put it down today for you guys but I know I will eventually.”

Legnavsky lost a ski on his first run, and a clean second run was not enough to lift him into the top 12.

“I’m pretty bummed … I have more, I know I have more.”

The event involves competitors performing a series of tricks while skiing down a semi-cylindrical slope.

New Zealand’s Nico Porteous won gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

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As it happened: NZ Warriors v Dolphins NRL pre-season trial

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dallin Watene-Zelzniak scores an acrobatic try for the Warriors against the Dolphins. David Neilson/Photosport

Winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has scored two tries, as NZ Warriors let a pre-season win over Dolphins slip through their fingers in the dying moments.

Ahead 34-20 midway through the second half, coach Andrew Webster elected to rest his stars and give his young reserves an opportunity to impress.

Ultimately, the Dolphins youth finished strong, running in three converted tries over the last 10 minutes to take 38-34 honours on the scoreboard.

Front-rower Jackson Ford opened the scoring for the Warriors in the fourth minute, but the Dolphins took an early advantage, when Ford was guilty of a hipdrop tackle that saw him serve 10 minutes in the sin bin.

In his absence, hooker Brad Schneider put the Brisbane side ahead, but restored to full strength, hooker Wayde Egan and Watene-Zelezniak gave the Warriors an 18-10 halftime lead, with halfback Tanah Boyd on target from the tee.

The Dolphins seemed to take control after the break, when they ran in back-to-back tries for fullback Trai Fuller and winger Jamayne Isaako, but they handed momentum back, when prop Frank Molo was sin-binned for a high shoulder to Ford’s head.

Centre Ali Leiataua and Watene-Zelezniak grabbed the lead back for the Warriors, before Webster inserted his young reserves.

The newbies showed one last flourish, with half Jack Thompson bombing towards the Dolphins posts and second-rower Eddie Ieremia-Toeava claiming the ball to score, as the Warriors went 38-20 up, but that was their last scoring action.

Instead, Tevita Naufahu, John Fineanganofo and Brian Pouniu – all born in Auckland – rattled off tries for the Dolphins to take scoreboard honours, with Schneider converting all three.

Webster will now hold his breath over Ford’s judicial fate, while acting skipper Kurt Capewell ended the first half holding his ribs, after falling awkwardly making a tackle.

Follow the live action here:

Squads

Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Haizyn Mellars, 6. Luke Hanson, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Kurt Capewell (c), 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark

Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Morgan Gannon, 16. Leka Halasima, 17. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava

Reserves: 18. Taine Tuaupiki, 21. Kayliss Fatialofa, 22. Jack Thompson, 23. Makaia Tafua, 24. Motu Pasikala, 25. Sio Kali, 26. Caelys-Paul Putoko, 27. Geronimo Doyle, 28. Rodney Tuipuiotu-Vea, 29. Paea Sikuvea

Meanwhile, the Dolphins have added several frontliners, including former Warriors Kodi Nikorima at five-eighth, after suffering a 24-12 loss to Gold Coast Titans last week,

Dolphins: 1. Trai Fuller, 2. Jamayne Isaako, 3. Jake Averillo, 4. Herbie Farnworth, 5. Selwyn Cobbo, 6. Kodi Nikorima, 7. Isaiya Katoa (c), 8. Francis Molo, 9. Bradley Schneider, 10. Tom Gilbert, 11. Connelly Lemuelu, 12. Oryn Keeley, 13. Morgan Knowles

Interchange: 14. Tevita Naufahu, 15. Thomas Flegler, 16. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, 17. John Fineanganofo

Reserves: 18. Sebastian Su’a, 19. Elijah Rasmussen, 20. Brian Pouniu, 21. Zac Garton, 22. Brent Woolf, 23. Adquix-Jeramiah Watts-Luke, 24. Sangstar Figota, 25. Noah Fien, 26. Elijah McKay

Warriors take on Dolphins in an NRL pre-season trial. Liam Swiggs / RNZ

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Hurricanes v Moana Pasifika – Super Rugby Pacific

Source: Radio New Zealand

Hurricanes Brayden Iose and Josh Moorby celebrate a try during their match against Moana Pasifika. Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz

After sitting out round one with the bye, the Hurricanes ran rampant against Moana Pasifika in their Super Rugby Pacific opener to secure a 52-10 win, earning a bonus.

Winger Josh Moorby scored three out of the home sides five tries in the drubbing.

To add to Moana Pasifika’s woes, they lost Israel Leota and William Havili to injury, with Havili being stretcher off in the 63rd minute with a head or neck injury.

Here’s how the match unfolded

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Family’s chance for a fresh start thanks to new social housing

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Tuiletufuga family. Amy Williams / RNZ

A father of four says words cannot describe the relief he felt having a stable roof for his family after they spent a month living in a van before moving to emergency housing.

The Salvation Army has added another 41 homes to a social housing development in Flat Bush, South Auckland, ranging from one bedroom apartments to five bedroom houses.

It is where Jonathan Tuiletufuga, his wife Tauline and their four sons have a place to call their own at long last.

They moved here from Samoa a year ago, living with friends and family while trying to secure housing.

Tuiletufuga said for a month they lived in a van to ease pressure on those they had been staying with – two of their four sons are autistic, one of whom has high needs.

“He’s very vocal, he makes a lot of noise at night, so all of us cramping into the van and maybe parking in a playground somewhere and crashing out for the night. For about a month we had that period until we got into a transitional home.”

Jonathan Tuiletufuga. Amy Williams / RNZ

He said the temporary housing was small and the Salvation Army had been working with them for a few months when the opportunity arose to move to Flat Bush.

“We were in a transitional house at the time, it was emergency, I’m so glad we said yes because massive space. I’ve got room enough to spare for my boys – they’re all growing, ages one to 15, so we’ve got room to put down roots and try to start from the bottom again.”

The family moved into the new four-bedroom home three weeks ago.

Tuiletufuga said it had been hard to find work and he had gone back to school to get qualifications.

“It’s difficult right now but if we keep tackling, if we keep putting one foot forward it’s upwards and onwards.”

The Salvation Army had 18 social housing developments underway throughout the country, with 400 homes funded in the 2025 Budget.

The new units in Flat Bush add to the 46 homes that were built on the same site five years ago, and it was now home to more than 200 people, more than half of them children.

At Friday’s opening, property director Greg Foster said they could build more if funding was available.

Salvation Army territorial director of social housing and property Greg Foster. RNZ / Natalie Akoorie

“We can always do more, not only the Salvation Army we can do a lot more but also a lot of community housing providers can do more. Amongst the community housing providers last year there was funding for 2000 so [together] we’ve taken up all that.”

Foster said the current funding round was for fewer homes, close to 800. Meanwhile, there were 19,500 people waiting for state housing.

Jasmine Herewini. Amy Williams / RNZ

Jasmine Herewini oversaw the Salvation Army’s national tenancies, and said their social housing came with wraparound support for tenants who came from homelessness or transitional housing.

“It is hard because we sit there and we listen to every story that they’re telling us, and it is coming from transitional housing or from their vehicles,” she said.

“We can’t save everyone, but what we can do is provide whare in a community where they can build on that.”

This latest development was just one step towards reducing housing insecurity. Tuiletufuga said his family was settling in very well.

“One hundred on everything, the location of the house that they picked for us, the amount of rooms that are set aside for my boys and I and the Mrs, she’s happy – she can’t stop inviting people over.”

Christopher Luxon. Ida White Lynx Photography

Prime Minister Christopher attended the opening, saying the government was backing community housing providers with funding to build more homes.

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Country Life: Into the weeds and under the soil at the Underground Festival

Source: Radio New Zealand

Anisha Satya for Country Life

Underground Festival organiser Fran Bailey said the festival was about celebrating good produce, and the people behind it. RNZ/Anisha Satya

Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.

It’s what’s underneath that matters at the Underground Festival.

The soil, how we treat it, and who it feeds were key focuses at the two-day educational retreat, held in the middle of a vineyard in Waipara.

Fran Bailey is the mind behind New Zealand’s “festival for farmers,” which draws heavy inspiration from her time at the Groundswell Festival in England.

“It’s a regenerative agriculture festival [run] over two days on a no-till arable farm. And, yeah, they get about 8000 farmers there.”

Regenerative agriculture – building resilient farm systems by doing things like restoring nutrient-depleted soil – has gained ground amongst Kiwi farmers in recent years.

So why not bring the Groundswell Festival to New Zealand, too?

Bailey was raised on a Tokoroa dairy farm until the age of six.

“I didn’t have anything to do with farming after that, when mum and dad sold the farm in the late ’80s.”

But she found her way back to farming while working in the UK.

“I ended up working at a regenerative farming podcast, and went to a regenerative farming conference,” she says.

“These farmers stood up and went ‘I’m an environmentalist too!’, and they were so passionate about biodiversity.”

The conference lit a fire under her to share environment-conscious farming stories, which she felt were underrepresented in media.

“I just thought, ‘farmers care about the land, and not enough people know about this’.

“I sort of put a stake in the ground to help tell their stories.”

Bailey spent three years managing public relations for Groundswell, before coming back to New Zealand and trying the concept out locally.

The Underground Festival 2026 is the first official event, and saw hundreds of people make their way to Greystone Wines’ vineyard over the two days.

“The farmers here, they vary from 500 hectare-plus sheep and beef stations, down to small market gardeners.

“We’re all coming together around an interest in soil health, and fertility, and how we can improve our soils to therefore improve the health of our plants.”

Given the success of this year’s event, Bailey’s mind has already turned to next year.

“Farmers are the salt of the earth; they are wonderful people, very practical, and I just want to help them tell their stories, connect, and keep making good progress.”

Learn more:

  • Find out more about the Underground Festival here

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Country Life: Turning brewery gunk and forest junk into something good for the soil

Source: Radio New Zealand

Matt’s kiln is fuelled with organic waste for biochar production RNZ/Sally Round

Just as he turns industrial waste back into good stuff for the earth, Matt Welton himself has come full circle.

The former prison officer and cartographer spent his first years out of school working in the scrap metal trade in London’s East End.

“Quite a lot of pressure on a young fella, going out knocking on doors to all these little scrap dealers and rag and bone men and whatever, with names like Jimmy Jighand and Pete Sparrowhawk.

“A good grounding, anyway, in how they sort of made a living out of nothing.”

Decades on from the early ’80s, he spends much of his time recycling waste and feeding it into a kiln in the heart of the rugged Akatarawa Valley, north of Wellington city.

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Welton collects the hops sludge left over from beer-making at Panhead Brewery in Upper Hutt, used wood pallets and forestry slash from his property to use as feedstock for the kiln, producing biochar.

Biochar is not unlike charcoal and is made from any sort of organic waste, and proponents say it improves the soil by helping it retain water and nutrients, sequestering carbon at the same time.

Matt on his weekly pick-up at Brewtown in Upper Hutt RNZ/Sally Round

Hops waste ready for fuelling the kiln RNZ/Sally Round

Welton has also partnered with the sustainability-focused fashion brand Kowtow, turning fabric from the cutting room floor into biochar, dubbed “black gold” by its devotees.

“[Kowtow] were looking at an alternative way of using their cutting room offcuts, rather than sending it to landfill, and so I said, ‘yeah, I’ll give it a go, we’ll try and make some biochar out of it’. It’s pure cotton. As long as it’s pure we should be able to turn it into char.”

He tests the char – produced via a technique known as pyrolysis – for impurities. Anything synthetic like elastic waistbands are a “no-no”, he said, as it can lead to higher readings of toxic elements like arsenic.

Welton took Country Life on a tour of his “biochar central”, a yard tucked into the side of a hill on his land, once covered in pine trees, which he is regenerating with wife Debbie into tracks and paddocks.

The couple has also placed 30 hectares of their block under a QEII Trust Covenant to protect the remaining native forest which escaped logging last century.

The Akatarawa Valley was a hive of sawmills and logging tracks up until the 1960s and remnants of the industry can be seen on Welton’s property.

They harvested the last of the pines when they arrived but mountains of slash were left behind by the foresters.

“They’ve taken the lengths they want, and then they just biff the rest over the side.”

A digger at work clearing slash from a former skid site on Matt and Debbie Welton’s Akatarawa Valley property RNZ/Sally Round

The forest waste sowed an idea to turn it into something useful, and Welton’s venture Biochar Carbon Options developed from there. He now sells the crumbly mix, charged with brews of seaweed and horse manure, and sells it to growers and farmers.

Welton said he’s had several “Heath Robinson” moments developing the process, including happening on the idea of petanque balls – their heaviness good for pulverising the lumpy pyrolised waste in an old concrete mixer – so that the biochar is the right consistency for sprinkling on the earth.

“It’s a bit of a number 8 wire system, but it works.”

Matt opens the door of the kiln to check the biochar production process RNZ/Sally Round

Matt found some petanque balls do a good job of crushing the biochar RNZ/Sally Round

Matt holds a bucket of biochar, ready for “charging” after it’s been sieved and crushed in an old cement mixer RNZ/Sally Round

Welton can see the potential for such a system at landfill sites, taking all the green waste, as well as at forestry blocks.

Forestry slash left over from the pine harvest which will be turned into biochar RNZ/Sally Round

“You could have mobile plants going up to forestry sites and converting [slash] into char, following the crews around. If you could talk to the crews and say, rather than throwing the waste to the left, can you throw it to the right, and then we can deal with it there.

“There’s so many different ways of utilising the product and utilising the waste, and, you know, getting involved with those communities that I just think it’s a no brainer, really.”

Learn more:

  • Discover scientific research on biochar here

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Country Life: Southland’s history of Scottish whisky

Source: Radio New Zealand

Stills from up in the Hokonui Hills have been recreated. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

From the highlands of Scotland to the hills surrounding Gore in Southland, Mary McRae’s legacy of distilling lives on at the Hokonui Moonshine Museum and Distillery.

Arriving on New Zealand shores in the 1870s, along with her seven children, the widowed McRae brought with her a beautiful little petite whisky still which had been passed down to her.

And so, trained in the art of distilling by her mother and grandmother before her, the healer and midwife brought the tradition of Highland Scottish whisky making to rural Southland.

“She also continued in the tradition of not paying excise on the sale of any of that product,” explained the museum’s curator Jim Geddes, adding that the McRae family refused to pay excise tax in Scotland on moral and political grounds.

Making the spirit was part of their culture, they believed, and used for medicinal purposes and family celebrations.

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The McRae’s whisky, distilled in the rugged Hokonui hills was considered a “very high-quality spirit”, Geddes told Country Life on a tour of the museum.

Hers was in “stark contrast to the adulterated spirit” that importers were sending to Southland – this was the “real deal”.

Townsfolk had grown tired of the poor behaviour stemming from local imbibers, who Geddes described as “hard-working” and “hard-drinking”.

But the McCraes had a more measured approach.

“The McCraes had always had a policy of not putting their product into a home where it would do any harm. So they pretty much minded their own business and they were able to do that in the shadow of the Hokonui Hills.”

Museum curator Jim Geddes alongside a portrait of Mary McRae, the ‘moonshine matriarch’. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

But like other whisky makers and producers of “moonshine” – a lesser quality spirit – the McRaes would be caught up in the temperance movement which swept through much of the region and eventually saw Gore become a ‘dry’ district where the sale of alcohol was prohibited.

“From the 1st of July 1903, the Mataura licensing district was dry and it stayed dry for 51 years.”

Despite the closure of the 15 hotels in the licensing district, demand for alcohol remained high, giving way to a number of illicit moonshine-makers capitalising on the now lucrative tradition of distilling.

The museum also explores the temperance movement of the last century. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

The skull and cross bones symbol which featured on a moonshine label. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

The booming trade also gave rise to police and customs officials determined to put a stop to it.

“Hokonui was always high quality spirit, strongly connected with the McRae clan. Hokonui moonshine was something else. It was a grain spirit, straight out of the still and gone.”

The Prohibition era led to over 30 prosecutions, the last of which was in 1957.

In nearly all of them there was a McRae link, Geddes said, and often a tenuous one.

The distillery attached to the museum is named for its patron, whose family history is entwined with that of Southland moonshiners. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

Today’s working still. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

The tradition still lives on today – now legally – with a modern distillery built in 2020 alongside the museum.

“Working with Bill “W.D.” Stuart, the great-grandson of Mary McRae, we were able to source a family recipe,” Geddes said.

With guidance from others in New Zealand’s burgeoning spirit industry – now worth $40 to $50 million in exports, the distillery functions in a non-profit capacity.

“The spirit that we make is from grain which is grown in the area. So we have engaged with families who have been farming here for generations. All the ingredients are local. The recipe is local.”

Learn more:

  • Find out more about the Hokonui Moonshine Museum and Distillery in Gore here

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand