Kiwi International Hotel showcase iconic kiwiana items
Wednesday, 14 January 2015 by Mark Sandiford
Kiwiana is felt right throughout the country, even our national
postal service is in on the game, having issued kiwiana themed
stamps of towns such as Otorohanga, who as a result, have been able
to cash in on this love of cultural representation. So it makes
sense that Kiwi International Hotel embraces all
that is good and love about Kiwiana.
JANDALS
To the uninitiated eye Kiwiana can seem a little odd and well,
random. Jandals for example, you can't get much more
random than flimsy footwear unless of course you have grown up with
them as a summer staple item.
Jandals are nostalgic, they bring back memories of summer
days - sweltering heat and the sensation of sand slipping under
your feet as you walk across a hot and gleary beach. It's a
sensation that is familiar to most Kiwis and the simple act of
slipping on flimsy footwear can quickly evoke these
memories. With all that in
mind, it's safe to say that jandals aren't random at all but actual
icons of summer, of childhood and of days pleasantly spent in the
summer sun.
Sam's Café - our restaurant and bar - understands the importance and
nostalgia of kiwiana and celebrates and promotes the theme through
many of its wall hangings.
So let's explore these icons
of culture and understand a little more about why they hold a level
of importance for us.
BUZZY BEE
Typically wooden, painted red and with rotating wings, the buzzy
bee is well known to the baby boomer generation. With its solid
construction and kiwi roots it gained additional prominence when
one was gifted to a young Prince William during his first public
appearance here in New Zealand. With cameras capturing every moment
of his now historic play-time with the buzzy bee, its spot as an
icon of New Zealand culture was cemented.
WEET-BIX
The US has cheerios and other sugar filled cereals as icons of
their breakfast culture, the Aussies have skippy cornflakes and we
have the wholesome, sugar-free Weet-Bix. The beauty of Weet-Bix is that we all
have our own preferred way of eating it, whether it's with hot
water, hot milk, cold milk, with fruit or without. Weet-Bix's
adaptability is one of the things we love most about it and part of
why it has lived for so long in our breakfast vocabulary.
ANZAC BIScUITS
It has long been thought that Anzac biscuits were sent to the troops in
Gallipoli but there is evidence to suggest that it was actaully a
type of rolled oat biscuit that was sent to the troops on the
Western Front. Rolled oats biscuits
were made and sold at galas and other public events all over New
Zealand to raise funds for the war effort and it was this
connection to the troops overseas that gave them the name of
"soldiers' biscuits".
Gumboots
The flip-side to jandals, gumboots (the name referencing to colonial
era gum digging) are the winter item of choice, popular with
farmers and kiwi gardeners alike. The Central North Island town of
Taihape presents itself as the Gumboot capital of the
World with a giant sized corrugated iron gumboot skulpture in the
centra of town. The loose fitting below the knee
rubber boot has proudly cemented itself as an icon of Kiwi culture
- with its "let's get stuck in" persona. The gumboot is found in
many Kiwi homes whether rural or urban - an all terrain, all
weather footwear that Kiwis just love.
The bach
Traditionally New Zealanders have their summer holidays in a
tent, caravan or bach. A bach was originally a small basic
and simply built holiday home, however these are slowly
disappearing from the kiwi way of life and being replaced with more
substantial homes that replicate and include all the trappings of
home - 3 bedrooms, dishwasher and garage. The bach in its
purest form is about getting away from it all and getting back to
basics. It is wonderfully refreshing and a typically Kiwi ideal to
leave the daily routine of the 9-5 grind and simply melt into a
slower and more relaxed way of being. And the bach does that for
us.
To see Kiwiana up close and
personal why not visit Sam's
cafe and if you are in need of accomodation to go with our
great hospitality, then you are definitely in the right
place.
Simply book in and choose
from one of our great room options. To find
out more simply visit our website or give our friendly team a call