Clarke Gayford dives at Poor Knights Island, off the coast from Tutukaka. Photo / Mike Bhana
Clarke Gayford dives at Poor Knights Island, off the coast from Tutukaka. Photo / Mike Bhana
In Ngunguru village, on the Tutukaka coast, there is a no-exit road that undercuts a hill, that leads to water, that tracks an estuary, which expands to open sea.
Tucked away here is quite possibly the best little primary school in New Zealand. A school with its own special bell,but I'll get to that later.
As part of their curriculum, the kids have adopted "their" estuary across the road, aka the front yard. Part of this involves monitoring its mauri, or life force. On special field days, they race to school, some already dressed in wetsuits, armed with flippers, masks and snorkels, de rigueur kit for youngsters in these parts.
Kids from Ngunguru School snorkel in the estaury. Photo / Mike Bhana
Then off they head over muddy flats, dodging razor-sharp oyster shells with quick-moving bare feet, before fumbling in with flapping flippers, to float back on the building flood tide.
Each student is armed with an underwater slate and pen so they can carefully examine and document the life they see around them. Over time the picture they have been building makes them very aware of any changes.
But most importantly they are developing a lifelong connection to the sea.
For some, this learning environment has become a stepping stone to a career. Nearby Dive Tutukaka company employs several former pupils, who have risen through the ranks, with plenty more eagerly waiting behind them.
I'm writing about all of this in a travel piece because so often what you see on a holiday never really gets to properly scratch the surface.
Who are the people that have actually chosen to make this patch of land home? What is the sense of community like here? How do they connect to this environment?
What creates the imprint of emotion you get with each place you visit: is it the geographical features? The weather? Or is it the interactions with locals and what they have collectively created over generations that give it "the vibe of the thing".
Overlooking the estaury at Ngunguru, Tutukaka. Photo / Mike Bhana
I had dinner recently with an older American couple who were semi-professional cruise ship attendees, fresh off a cruise in Australia and New Zealand. With zero obligation they offered that the highlight for them, of all the things they had seen and done, were the cruise ship volunteers in Gisborne.
To the uninitiated, these are a small army of volunteers who give up their time to put on a uniform of sorts and station themselves around town gently directing blinking cruise-ship visitors in bumbags as they wander on wibbly-wobbly sea legs about the city.
Apart from feeling enormous pride that my hometown had been so well received, it reminded me that so much of a place is created by the people who live there.
Places like Ngunguru, which most people merely scoot through - often without a second thought - on their way up and over the hill to Tutukaka. A place with a school that has a special bell that is rung whenever a pod of dolphins or orca enter "their" estuary. No matter what the lesson, pens are instantly dropped, books slammed shut, and the whole school turns out to excitedly watch and observe the very best live classroom lesson provided free by nature for all.
Kingfish with kawakawa chimichurri, by chef Dean Thompson of Wahi restaurant in Tutukaka. Photo / Supplied
For the kawakawa chimichurri: 1 shallot 20g kawakawa leaves 10g coriander leaves 10g Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves 10g garlic, minced 2 rocoto chillies, seeded ½ lemon (juice and zest) 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses 2 Tbsp moscatel vinegar 2 tsp caster sugar 2 tsp sea salt Cracked pepper ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the croutons: ¼ loaf ciabatta (cut roughly into cubes) Milk (seasoned with salt and pepper) 4 Tbsp butter
For the tomato salad: 4 cups sliced assorted tomatoes 2 shallots (finely sliced) 2 radish (finely sliced) 2 Tbsp roughly chopped basil 2 Tbsp roughly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley Juice of 1 lemon Salt and pepper ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil Croutons
For the kingfish: 4 portions of kingfish (seasoned) 2 Tbsp cooking oil 1 lemon 2 Tbsp butter
Method
Kawakawa chimichurri: • Finely chop kawakawa, parsley, coriander and shallot. • Mix with the remaining ingredients. Leave in the fridge for a couple of days to let the kawakawa soften and allow the flavours to come out.
Croutons: • Dip ciabatta cubes in the seasoned milk, then remove and squeeze out the excess. • Sear the croutons with butter in a hot pan, then finish them in an oven at 200C for approximately five minutes.
Tomato salad: • Gently toss all the ingredients together.
Pan-fried kingfish: • Heat the oil in a frying pan, and cook fish till the first side is golden. • Flip the fish and add butter and lemon.
Clarke Gayford hosts Fish of the Day, Sundays, 5.25pm on Three.
The last episode, featuring Ngunguru School, runs tonight.
