An amateur home movie originally captured on 16mm colour film.
Opening title: ‘A Visit to Opotiki’.
Text outlining the geographical position of Ōpōtiki, map of coast, zoom in to Ōpōtiki. Aerial views of Ōpōtiki. Main street, Ōpōtiki. Memorial. Church of St Stephen the Martyr’. Camping ground. [Otara] River. People swimming in river, children jumping off tree into river. People swimming in sea. Children playing in sand on beach. Close up of pohutukawa flowers. Sign ‘Waiotahi Beach’, pohutukawa trees in flower. Traveling shot from POV of car down road alongside coast. Child drawing in sand. Travelling shot along road. Two Maori men in sea with diving goggles on. Girls wading in rock pools. Person with octopus wrapped around their arm. Hand pulls starfish from pool. Maori group fishing from rocks. Water crashing on rocks. Woman sitting in swimsuit on beach, children playing on beach. Pan across bay. Family group having a whiskey on the side of the road. Woman standing on rocks.
Family group having picnic on grass in countryside. Sign ‘Waikoeka Gorge’. Scenic views of countryside, river and hills. Public gardens. Toddler looks at flowers on tree with [grandparents]. Woman stands among flowers on tree. Magnolia tree. Hibiscus flowers. Small girl beside hibiscus plant. Young woman holds up lily. Historic Methodist Church. Woman picks oranges in garden. Pan across field of flowers. Hand picks up lemons from crate, view of orchard. Young woman picking fruit in orchard. Young boy up tree. Trees in blossom. Bee in flower. Woman picks [nectarine] and eats it. Cat in fruit tree. Woman eats apple from tree. Close up of slugs on grass. Chickens in coop. Weta. Bird. Plane comes in to land on ground. Tiger Moths parked on grass. Man standing on Tiger Moth. Peacocks and pigs in paddock. Peacocks in yard, male preens feathers. Horses in paddock. Bull digs up dust. Kiwi with injured foot drinks from jar. Kiwi limps across grass. Man holds Kiwi in arms. Dog and kiwi have a stand off. Boy holds kiwi. Kiwi digs for worms in can.
Home made flying fox scenes. Man climbs into a flying fox box and a man on the opposite side of the river hauls him across. Boy crossing river on flying fox. Woman and boy walk on track. Scenic views of native bush. Couple walking beside river with young boy. Swimming hole in clearing, man walks along diving board. Man hands woman a bunch of grapes. Flowering tree. Woman sitting in tree with man. Woman with large flower. Woman sits on ground among plants. Family group walk on farm. Woman walks in river. Sheep being herded on road, shepherd on horseback, horse and buggy drive past. Young boy holding a large Maori [greenstone] adze. Boys in field. Farm landscape. Boy uses adze on piece of timber. Man rows boat in river. Various boats on river. Views of township [Greymouth] on river, boatsheds and jetties, boats at wharf, sand dunes, speedboats on river, water skiers on toboggans.
Street parade, Ōpōtiki. Scottish band marches down street, marching girls march down street, decorated floats including ‘Business Queen’, ‘ Sports Queen’, a man posing as Hitler, ‘Otago Transport Company with two trucks on back of one large truck, clowns riding bikes. Marching band, marching girls, followed by float of nurses. ‘Sports Queen’ float. Various views of floats (dark). Street scene. Aerial views of land and sea. Trees. Woman walking through bush. Seascape at sunset. Woman looking out over view of sea from high angle. [Filming of The Seekers on beach]. Scenes of girls marching competition. Intertitle ‘to the skirl of the pipes - ‘, ‘Seven teams compete for marching honours’. Various views of marching teams competing, being inspected.
Scenes of extensive floods, Opotiki [1964]. Floodwaters, streets and houses under water (dark). Man rowing boat in floodwaters, houses under water, plants under water. Children and women walking in flood waters. Shops heavily under water. Maori woman with two children swimming in flood waters. Three children in row boat. Opotiki Fire Engine pumping floodwaters. People cleaning up after the floods. Woman scrubbing furniture. Man delivering mattresses. Man digging up sludge from interior and placing it in bin. Towels hanging in interior show high level of floodwaters. Man mowing lawn. People’s belongings hanging out to dry. People cleaning up in street, outside Wilkinson Electrical. Men loading up truck with rubbish from cleanup. Views of water damaged goods outside shops.
Children’s parade down street, Opotiki. Santa walking down street with children. Shopfront [Wilkinson Electrical]. People swimming and on surf skis in sea. Children, woman riding donkey on beach. Girls doing highland dancing on podium. Intertitles ‘Sport in Opotiki’, ‘The game between Gisborne High and Ōpōtiki High begins with a haka - ‘. Boys perform haka. Rugby game. Intertitle ‘First casualty’. Injured player. POV car drives down to beach, girls on horseback. Views of hunting, men on horseback followed by hounds, horses jumping fence. People gathered having food after hunt. Sunset. ‘The End’, ‘A John Wilkinson Production’ titles.