Tuesday, March 19, 2019

TEMPTING NEW ZEALAND REAL ESTATE WITH GREAT FRITTERS

On a tour  of  the  South Island of  New  Zealand in  1991  , the  above   two  storey  building  in  the  main street  of   Riverton , linked with   early  whaling, sealing ,  flax   gathering   and   timber cutting  ,   attracted   attention .  Up   for   sale  at  about  $30,000 , it had once  belonged to   Mrs  (Margaret )   Clark , trading  as   Grocer  and   Baker ;  a  1917  photo , below , shows  a  busy  street scene , with   the  building  on   the   far  right .  
 
By  Peter  Simon
 
My  Kiwi  wife and I peered through the  windows  of the  locked premises ,    the  street front  ones  displaying  local  knitting   and  art  work ,  like a  pop up shop . On contacting the real estate agent , we  were shown  inside  the  fairly  worn  premises , in recent times used  as  a  pizza shop , the  people  since  departed  for Melbourne.   Dances, we  were told ,  were  held  there  from  time   to  time .
 
 Thirty grand was not  a lot of  money for  a  building  with character   in   a  colourful    town . At  the  time , we  were living in a 100 year old  post office   at Saddleworth in the South Australian  mid north , near the Clare Valley , which  we  converted into  another  Den of  Antiquity , selling books , china ,  prints ,  some  furniture .
  
 A  handyman   would  have   soon   knocked  Mrs Clark's building  into   shape . Me  not  being such  a  person  ,  it  would  involve  paying  a  tradesman  to   do a makeover   if  we   bought  it  .  Then  what ?  Rent it out ? Start an old wares , book shop - another  Den of  Antiquity ?    Rates and  insurance  , the cost of  folding  the  tent in South Australia and shipping to New Zealand came  into the calculations . We  pondered   the   matter   and  quickly , reluctantly,   decided  not  to  buy.
 
We had gone to  Riverton , at the bottom of the South Island , one of the oldest European  settlements  in  New Zealand   ,  because  of  a  family interest in  the  whaling days . While  there  we   inspected  some whaling   gear  and toured   a  cemetery  to see the  grave of  Nathaniel  Bates  (1819-1887) , variously described as a   pioneer, womaniser, bigamist ,  heathen , whaler , farmer , rebrobate , philanderer  , drunkard ,    ship's captain ,  surveyor's guide, ratbag , etc. It is hard  to  recall   another   unsolicited  testimonial   for anyone   nearing   the   one bestowed   upon   Bates . 

Born in Sydney , Bates  made his way to New Zealand  and had three Maori wives  . There is a limited edition book  Nathaniel Bates of  Riverton  His Families  and  Descendants .


 One evening   we   were   entertained   by  a  helpful  local   historian . At the friendly  hotel  in which we stayed  we were treated  to  a special serving  of   whitebait   fritters  in   the  kitchen  for  breakfast .  
 
A  photograph was  taken of   the Clark  building  and we returned to Australia .  Just  this  week , while sorting  out ephemera  , out  popped  the  photograph .  My wife   then   said  she  wondered   what  had  happened to   the premises , went online .
Up came  Mrs Clark's  building , 108 Palmerston Street, Riverton , including the above  2010  view   when it was a café .  Mrs Clark had been alive in 1901 , the property  undergoing  changes of  ownership  and  use .  At  one stage it was on the market  for   $195,000.  Then , in 2018 , there it was  again, this  time  for   just  $50,000 ; another post  indicated Mrs Clark's Café had  moved to a new location . Furthermore, Mrs Clark'e Café  received  favourable mention in   the following guide   to  Kiwi  cafes , the cover outline of New Zealand filled with  coffee  beans .  
Googling  produced more interesting information . In  2012 ,the business , still known as  Mrs  Clark's Café ,  was  run  by a  couple  who  got married on the premises  two week's after  they opened the doors , throwing  their  experience into  the  venture, declared NZ's Best Café  2012/13 ,  muffins on the menu . They  had  brought   their  own  expresso  machine  and  till   to  the business  and  lived upstairs .  
Café  interiors  show   expresso  machine , coffee beans ,  layout .
 
In 2012 , Riverton , once  a busy customs entry   port ,  through which  gold seekers from  Australia poured , was  described  as  a sleepy town where the  Sunday newspapers  arrive  on   Monday .