Alan Duff: Locals make me glad to be a Kiwi

Alan Duff talks to students at Pompallier Catholic School, Kaitaia and, though he's no Mick Jagger, he received a warm welcome. Photo / Peter De Graaf

Who needs the rock star treatment when the lovely folk in the Far North so easily make you feel at home.

Mick Jagger strolls into a pub in Russell and the patrons, though shocked, leave him alone. Wonder if they'd be the same with our own legend, Richie McCaw? Probably, as New Zealanders don't do this big celebrity trip. Sure, people would thank Richie and want to shake his hand. But they'd otherwise leave him be.

Last month I was back to visit schools on our literacy programme in the Far North. And yes, I did stroll into one bar in a tiny place called Pukenui. But no one was shocked. The first pleasant surprise was being taken fishing off the wharf by a teacher aide, a delightful young man who couldn't do enough for me. Beats sitting in a motel unit with the rest of the afternoon and all evening to kill.

I've never seen a kingfish caught, let alone seen their shapes moving swiftly in clear water. Thrilling. My host used a live piper fish as bait and within moments a kingie struck. He handed me the rod. What was I meant to do? "Just haul it up, mate."

All right, so the one that got away was actually a very big kingie. But, like all fishermen's tales of woe, it didn't matter how big or small, it got free. It would have got thrown back anyway, like the kahawai I'd caught earlier. Several hours passed very pleasantly.

Okay, no Mick Jagger splash at the bar that night. But the locals sure impressed and made me glad to be a Kiwi. Typical country basic and honest Kiwis. A middle-aged woman saying how a certain movie had mirrored her life. Earlier, down at the wharf, a visitor from Slovenia talked of the same movie - said it was a cult hit in his country. How about that?

Jagger is famous around the world. That's all right. Give me down-to-earth people at their local watering hole anytime. I hadn't laughed so much in ages. And had quite forgotten how much beer some Kiwi blokes drink. One wag said, "It's only Lion Red, mate. It's so weak you'd never test over the limit." And certainly his conversation didn't descend into that cave of gibbering nonsense.

For those who haven't visited schools in the Far North, the first thing you notice is how striking many of the kids are. Locals say this is the result of Croatian gum-diggers marrying Maori and non-Maori of British descent over a hundred years ago. Their Slavic genes have changed the human landscape and for the better. Dalmatian surnames survive to this day and can be seen on business signs, and in the names of the children to whom I handed out books. A pity the employment prospects up there are grim, as it's a lovely place with lovely people.

But speaking of employment, I had the privilege of attending the official opening of a new Mainfreight branch in Kaitaia. It's actually been running for a little while and is already flourishing. I think this is called being pro-active. And Mainfreight is that and then some with 245 branches in 20 countries. Yes, a Kiwi company. The CEO of the company was in Beijing that same day opening yet another branch.

The founder of this extraordinary success-story company that employs more than 6000 people around the world was with us in Kaitaia. They've been an essential partner in our literacy programme without whose support we probably would not have lasted. Instead we recently celebrated the 20th birthday of Duffy Books in Homes, coinciding with our 10 millionth book given out to children all over the country. A team effort.

I would advise anyone setting up an educational foundation to find a business partner. Ideas are a dime a dozen. Implementers are rare. The association with business brings in business practice and principles and in our lucky case a ceaseless striving for excellence that has rubbed off on us. What does Mainfreight get in return? I don't think that's a question they ever asked.

They simply did their duty as fellow Kiwi citizens, a big scale version of the warm-hearted guy who took me fishing for no other reason than to look after his guest. And we are not the only organisation Mainfreight supports.

If you want some excellent reading, get the book telling the story of this amazing company, Ready, Fire, Aim, by Keith Davies. And the shares have been an excellent investment ever since they listed. Their slogan: "Special People. Special Company," says it all.