Tahunanui School hall, 69 Muritai Street, Tāhunanui, Nelson 7011
Emma Gilkison and Robin Robilliard discuss the two remarkable social history books they have written about two of the most beloved locations in Te Tauihu, the Top of the South Island: Tāhunanui Beach and Mōhua Golden Bay. Chaired by Kerry Sunderland. Tāhuna Beach Camp Inc 100 Years of Beachside Memories, 1926 – 2026 celebrates how Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park has been the backdrop to quintessential Kiwi summers for generations. Over the years, the Holiday Park has worn many hats: an army base during wartime, a temporary home for returned soldiers, a humble campground that evolved into a four-star holiday destination, and a gathering place where friendships flourished and summer evenings came alive with magic shows, quiz nights and talent quests. Woven throughout this centenary history are the stories of guests who return year after year, some for decades, creating family traditions and treasured memories. Their recollections sit alongside those of the volunteers and community leaders whose vision and dedication shaped both the Holiday Park and the wider Tāhunanui reserve. Behind The Hill is a social history, recording people’s lives from interviews, from one end of Golden Bay to the other. Each and every portrayal has something to say about the values and norms of the time. The book follows the revolutionary changes that affected one of New Zealand’s most isolated areas over succeeding decades – with the arrival of hippies, worldly foreigners, IT specialists, retired professionals and bearded environmentalists.
