Down and Out on the Waitematā

This NFU film goes for a ride on the ferries of the Waitematā. Shots of mooring ropes and rusted chains precede a steamer chugging under the object that made many of its companions obsolete: the Auckland Harbour Bridge. By 1973 steam power had been superseded by petrol power. Archive footage and stills stoke nostalgia as old-timers reminisce about bygone days on the harbour; a time when ferries were the main mode of transport from downtown to the North Shore and beyond. The soundtrack is a compilation of early 20th Century dixieland standards. 

My brother said 'well they'll have a bridge soon' ... because they always grumbled at Northcote, they were never satisfied.

– Elderly interviewee, on residents from the north side of Auckland Harbour

Key Cast & Crew

Murray Creed

Additional Photography

John Lowe

Sound Recordist

Stanley Harper

Editor

Dale Pomeroy

Additional Photography

John Hoyle

Camera

Rob Ritchie

Director, Writer, Editor