Philippa Stevenson: Kiwiana town hails symbols of kitsch past

Dropped blindfold into any number of small New Zealand towns I reckon I'd be hard-pressed to know whether I was in the North or South Island, Te Awamutu or Timaru.

Which is why, along with the effects of rural depopulation, Smallville everywhere tries to establish a point of difference.

Build a distinctive widget, uncover historic wodgets or assemble enough of them, goes the theory, and they will come - sightseers, holidaymakers, widget collectors, wodget students, people with money to boost Smallville's coffers.

Otorohanga, for instance, was doing a nice line with our national bird, thanks to its Kiwi House when, five years ago, it took some good advice and began to build on a theme. Now it's Kiwiana town - the place to see and get the lowdown on such icons as Buzzy Bee, Ches n' Dale, Aunt Daisy, Pavlova, Marmite, school milk, Colin Meads and Bonus Bonds.

Otorohanga's latest bid to cement its claim as the capital of Kiwiana was last Saturday's Kiwiana Festival - a kind of A&P show on steroids.

Granddad and I headed off to the town's Island Reserve with a granddaughter in tow. She and the car had free entry but we were up for $12 each at the gate.

Hardly had we parted with the cash before a man was politely insisting we enter our names at no cost to be in the draw for thousands of dollars of prizes.

This was a well-sponsored event that meant an entire day's entertainment would be all ours for no more than the price of our entry ticket if we chose not to eat. Of course we did.

Who could resist the fortifying espresso and the hangi lunch, or the candy floss, or Aunt Daisy's tea shop, the bush tucker, the sausage sizzle or the hot chips?

The entertainment was, as you'd expect, iconic. Marching ladies turned their best heel in the centre ring to a suitably stuttering sound system and young things improbably dressed in bush shirts and gumboots swung their hips to hold up the hula hoops for as long as they could. Other young things in gym slips played basketball, now known as netball.

Brendan Dugan and Jodi Vaughan whooped it up on stage before celebrity chef Jo Seagar oversaw a pikelet-making contest.

There was hot competition for hanging out the washing ( while making a cup of tea, soothing the baby and answering the phone) and goal kicking - in gumboots, of course.

Horse rides, the bouncy castle slide and the baby bungy were popular with the kids, as were the chance to pet animals and the sight of the swooping aerobatics of the model aeroplanes.

We missed the mascot race but I understand giant Kiwi accidentally tripped giant Buzzy Bee to let Iron Brian through to win.

On a day when there was competition nationwide for audiences ranging from Hokitika's Wild Food Festival, to Taranaki's Womad and Auckland's Pasifika Festival, Kiwiana town (population 2500) drew more than 3000 people.

It was meant for families and organising committee member Liz Cowan says organisers are "thrilled and delighted" families responded.

But there was one New Zealand icon Otorohanga didn't celebrate and it's one visitors repeatedly note - kiwi hospitality. It was alive and well at the festival.