NICHOLAS GRAHAM (TINY) METZGER Interviewer: Lloyd Esler

Abstracter: Jean Hawkes



TRACK 1

00:00 Interview identification

00:45 Self aged 76 in September 2008 – Born INVERCARGILL – Brought up GREEN HILLS – Moved to BLUFF before 1950 – Play rugby and rowed for BLUFF

01:32 [EDUCATION]: Attended GREEN HILLS SCHOOL – Not impressed with teachers. SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE – Enjoyed time. CARPENTRY APPRENTICESHIP – Night school

02:52 BLUFF TRAIN – Stories recalled CHARLIE STUART, PRINCIPAL, Retired to QUEENSTOWN – Visits to BLUFF – Described

04:10 [EMPLOYMENT]: Built government houses – Commercial buildings – Country jobs – Two builders from BLUFF CRAWFORD STREET, SUB STATION, INVERCARGILL – MILFORD – TE ANAU – PEBBLEY HILLS, FORESTRY – FIRE ENGINES

05:39 Conditions at MILFORD and TE ANAU – Described

06:14 Wife's visit to MILFORD

06:28 Trip on original “WAIRUA” – Loading and Unloading of equipment – First time past WAITUTU PRESERVATION (Inlet) – PUYSEGUR (Point) – Mentioned

07:32 [MAORI LAND]: Self shareholder in WAITUTU INCORPORATION – Management Committee. Didn't hunt on own land – Preferred PATERITERI – Used whatever mode of travel available. PORT CRAIG – Mentioned

08:35 HUMP TRACK – WEST ROWALLAN – LODGE – VIADUCT – Effects on area Actions of 'THE HOOK' – Described

10:02 Interviewer describes own visits to the LODGE at WAITUTU

10:23 Plans for walkable track around coast rather than through forest – Deer pens on the coast

10:46 [HUNTING]: Self now physically limited – Explained.

11:02 Self to MUTTONBIRD ISLAND with family Use of Helicopters – Involvement of grandchildren. Amount of provisions now required (for muttonbirding) As a child, family and provisions went ashore as one dinghy load

12:02 Quota management system implemented – No fish, pauas, kinas there any more 12:21 Puha (sow thistle) scarce – Pikopiko (common shield fern, edible fronds) – Uses as food – Explained

13:53 Use of plastic to work birds on – Compared with earlier days, working outside. Birds hung overnight on the whata ('futta' storage place)

14:27 Preparation of islands from 26 March – Season starts 01 April...

15:00 End of track 1

TRACK 2

00:01 Self's family left on 10 April returned 10 May (actual season 1 April-31 May) Each island has own Tikanga (traditional guidelines)

00:35 Mindset of Ministry of Fisheries and others – Management System (ie 'One mesh fits all fish') – Not workable. Reference to book: PATRICK BERKES – Study of Canadian Indians – Explained

01:43 System of local control sustainable 01:58 One island not sustainable – Remaining family have rights but no Ahika (occupation and conservation) – Explained Other families moved away rather than dealing with problem.

04:13 HENRIK'S Team (Henrik Moller) – Identified actions as not sustainable

04:19 Situation with own island – Explained Condition of birds – Explained

05:13 Presence of adult birds – Depends on moon and weather conditions – Explained

06:13 Birds predict El Nino or La Nina for following year – Birders' diaries used for explanation Self has kept diary since carpentry apprenticeship – Given to HENRIK TAKA (?) WILLIAMSON – Mentioned

07:28 Information from other diaries – Migration of birds – Banding of birds Attitude of HENRIK – Explained 08:21 NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) MINISTRY of FISHERIES – Have question and answer, NIWA find what's in between

08:51 DOC (Department of Conservation) – Relationship with the south – Explained Attitudes different in other parts of New Zealand KERRY MAWHINNEY – Mentioned

10:24 TORCHING for birds – Later part of season. Taken from burrows – Early in season

10:57 Most islands cliffs – Use of island track. Accident on next island (MARAMA) – Briefly Described

11:40 Self's grandmother's brother involved in rescue – Described UNCLE BILL – JACK SMITH – Mentioned

12:40 Nanao (taking birds in daylight) – Manu-s (breeding areas) – Tracks uses by birders

13:09 Torching (Rama) – Tracks very old – Cut in a way that manages island Tapu Manu (sacred areas) – Mentioned

13:27 Areas of fragile ground – DOC transfer of Saddlebacks (birds) on island without birders – Collapse of ground – Explained

14:02 Firm ground on own island – Checking for presence of birds – Explained Not allowed on some islands – Reason given

14:56 Birds in tapu manu – Tracks go round soft areas...

15:00 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00:00 … Plucking of birds – Use and treatment of feathers – Described

01:09 Feather beds – Mentioned Specific uses for feathers from different parts of bird – Described

02:01 Method of plucking birds – Described Removal of downy feather – Birds scalded when cold – Wax used by many

03:03 Treatment of birds when 'torching' – Described Attitudes of people only familiar with using wax – Described. Variation in treatment of waxed birds – Explained

04:13 Preserving birds – Traditionally used Poha (bags for storing birds) – Described Example in Southland Museum JACKIE HENSLEY from AUSTRALIA – Mentioned

05:16 Care of poha and use of whata – Storage conditions – Described

05:48 Storage conditions in own homes – Described

06:08 Problems with 'bag' at museum – Described Replacement made by one of children. Interviewer's description of bag – Had used it in classes at museum

07:01 Kelp bags - ROWENA JACKSON (home) – Bluff marae – Mentioned

07:58 Storage time for birds in 'bags' 08:08 'RANUI' (ship) – Captain THOMSON – (Port) PEGASUS – BILL JOHNSON – BILL BAILEY of HALF MOON BAY – Mentioned

08:53 Trips with THOMSON – Wind bound weather conditions – Described Rimu rapa (kelp) – Mentioned

10:08 Curing and shaping of kelp bags – Described Koradi (more correctly Korari) (dry stems of flax) Kakahi (freshwater mussel – Interviewee said limpet shell which should probably be Tipa)

12:10 Smaller bags used to hold 'gifts' of birds (known as kai hao kai – present for present) Held 5 or 6 birds as koha (a gift)

13:26 Storekeeper's (PERCY) packing of provisions – Explained In return received new hand knitted sweater and some birds.

14:11 Brass scales on shop counter – Mentioned Some shop facilities described Bag of birds left on counter – Grandmother's rebukes...

15:00 End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00:00 … Rebukes continued for years. Message for 'FAN' regarding state of birds.

00:27 Pickled birds put in bags without salt – In plastic pails with salt Pickling process – Explained Birds in poha preferred by many – Self uses some pails – Explained

01:38 Curing of birds – Packing in casks – Process – Described

02:08 Packed into pail or rimu – Disposal of surplus brine BARBARA (daughter) – Mentioned

03:03 Son did titi tahu (to burn or cook the titi or muttonbird) – Described Stomach fat (kato ?spelling) – Described Oil used in old diesel engines

04:14 Diagnosis of self for gout – Prescribed diet – Described Error in diet – Explained Birds rich in Omega oil

05:19 Kato and birds placed in small Waka (dugout/canoe) to process – Described Use of hot stones to cook birds – Described

06:18 Self used old tripot to cook birds – cooled – packed into kelp using liquid kato to make airtight

06:58 Potato served with muttonbird – Potato crop on island unreliable

07:52 Other birds taken – White Muttonbirds/Mottled Petrel/Korure – from The Cape Used to take Parara (broad billed prion) – Easy bird to work

09:03 Diving Petrel (Kuaka) – Fairy Prion (titi wainui)

10:55 Self has little understanding of (Maori) language – Grandchildren's suggestion to learn – Described Poua (grandfather) did not encourage use of language – Mother only heard it on visits to North Island. 11:44 Pakeha (white people) blamed for loss of language – Self and others told language waste of time As children used mimi (said as mimee, to urinate) – Reason explained Self only knows words, with no pakeha meaning, used on the island.

12:41 WAITUTU – Mollymawks may have nested – Had been told they were ALBIES (albatross) WAIRAURAHIRI – Mentioned

13:34 WAITUTU coastal terrain – Described TE WAE WAE BAY – PORT CRAIG – SAND HILL POINT – THE SNOUT – Mentioned...

15:00 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

00:03 … Description of terrain continued CROMBIE (STREAM) – DAVID MOLLISON'S DVDs (1st DESTINATION PORT CRAIG – 2nd DESTINATION WAITUTU) – Mentioned

01:20 WESTIE'S at BIG RIVER – SAM GARWITH (pilot) – Photography expedition – Described GREEN ISLES – Mentioned

02:17 Self familiar with area PAUL (son) – Fished the area before owning garage in town (INVERCARGILL)

02:43 Last bird (mollymawk?) seen about 4 years ago – Nested all round coast Nest – Described WHITE-CAPPED or BULLER'S MOLLYMAWK

03:35 Self brought up not to disturb nesting birds – Explained Laws relating to Muttonbird Islands – HENRIK (Moller) – Explained 05:00 Interviewer queried possibility of photographs of birds around coast (Waitutu) to identify them.

05:12 When hunting self never carried a camera – Some items carried – Described Competition weighing packs – Rules – Described 06:10 [FISHING]: Self never a commercial fisherman – Dinghy fished with uncles BOAT HARBOUR, GREEN HILLS – THREE SISTERS – OCEAN BEACH – TE WERA'S SITE – Mentioned

06:43 Grandson fishing with COLIN JOHNSON – AMITEL (?) EXPLORER – SOUTH AFRICA – Fished with TOPI HORSE SHOE BAY – Mentioned

07:25 Self went boat-building – Worked with HERBIE LIGHTFOOT – Rewarding 07:54 Another grandson built first boat while at primary school – Wants self to teach how to build clinker dinghy

08:23 Self enjoys boat building – The challenge

08:39 Future of the 'MONICA' (at Bluff Museum) – Wrongly displayed by architect Problems present and future – Described REX POWLEY – MentioneD

09:45 Self doing repairs in effort to preserve boat Fresh water in bilge a problem.

10:06 RAY HARDWICK – BLUFF ENGINEERS – NEIL SUTHERLAND – Self's son PAUL – Mentioned Alterations required for drainage – Described – Not done due to hassles with Safety Regulations

11:47 The 'MIRO' – GREEN POINT – Temporary mooring for scrub and paint – No future 12:15 ALVIN HOLT helped build WAITUTU LODGE – Served time at MILLER and TUNNAGE (first apprentice) – His son their last apprentice. 12:34 MIRO nearly sunk at wharf – Caulking replaced by ALVIN – Recommended covering with metal strips – Plywood used and eaten by worm

13:21 Conversation involving AMERICA'S CUP – Described DENNIS RODERIQUE – Mentioned

14:17 End of Track 5