Newspaper Article 1999 – Patangata Hotel steeped in history

Patangata Hotel steeped in history

Over the fence with Ewan McGregor

When writing about Central Hawke’s Bay pubs a couple of weeks ago I made mention of the Patangata Hotel.

This is a pub that, as the crow flies, is close to where I live. It is, however, and this is probably a good thing, on the other side of the Tuki Tuki River. This was easily crossed on a horse but not so with a motor bike.

Apart from the hotel, Patangata today is really just a crossroads and a major bridge. But it used to be a little more than that in the early days, having one of the original post offices in the Bay opening in 1859 and closed in 1924. It also had a school for 40 years, closing in 1925.

It is probably best known, though, as being the source of the name of the county council that covered the eastern half of CHB until its merger with Waipukurau a few years ago.

A major pa a few kilometres downstream from the bridge was the major resting-place of William Colenso when making his remarkable journeys up the Tuki Tuki to the inland. Later the pub became the compelling stopping-off place for weary travellers on the long and arduous trek from the towns of Waipukurau and Waipawa to Elsthorpe and the coast. Still is.

In 1908, The Cyclopedia of New Zealand described the Patangata Hotel, among other laudatory comments, as having a “bar stocked with a choice assortment of ales, liquors, wines, and spirits, and only the best quality is kept in stock. The hotel is up to date in every particular, is well furnished throughout and the comfort of guests is the first and last thought of the genial proprietor. The cuisine is excellent”.

It goes on, “Tourists and others desirous of a quiet place to spend a vacation, would do well to pay a visit to Patangata”.

The hotel, for those that are not familiar with this part of the great Hawke’s Bay heartland, is at the western end of the Patangata Bridge across the Tuki Tuki. This bridge was opened in 1924 and was one of the first major ferro-concrete bridges in the country.

Although some of the piles did not get down to bedrock and despite it not being designed for today’s heavy traffic, the bridge has a life expectancy that should see it celebrate its century. This is a great feat of early-county engineering.

Nevertheless, it has needed some major repairs along the way. The last was following the 1992 flood when five piers had to be renewed. This was not the first flood that badly damaged the bridge.

This happened between the wars. The Patangata County engineer held a meeting on site to explain to the residents on the east side who depended on the bridge what the problem was, and the intended solution. Afterwards, everyone retired to the pub for a drink or three.

Apparently, the publican kept a sow which was rearing a very fat weaner and it somehow found its way into the boot of the engineer’s car when he set off back Waipukurau.

Unfortunately, on the way back he had a bit of an accident and the boot popped open and the pig escaped. When he finally arrived home he was greeted with the news from his wife that she had had a call from the publican and if the weaner wasn’t returned forthwith his job was on the line.

This meant the hasty conscription of his mates to go and catch the pig and the hire of a taxi to return it to Patangata.

Sometime after the engineer took a position in Wellington where his wife had a go at broadcasting. She made quite a name for herself to.

Another good Patangata story took place a few decades ago when an Elsthorpe cockie made a trip to the river with his tip truck to get a load of gravel. This was before front-end loaders, or at least he didn’t have access to one, and he took a mate to help him load up by hand. He also took his young son for the trip.

After loading up they naturally went into the bar to quench their thirst. Hot work, shovelling all that shingle. While they were in the pub they left the kid to amuse himself in the truck. Unfortunately, he must have played with the lever that operated the hoist and engaged it.

Finally, they come out of the bar and they’re off. There is a steep hill on the Elsthorpe side of the bridge and they really stoked the old Bedford up to get maximum momentum for the climb.

They couldn’t understand how well the old girl picked up. She was really barrelling along as she came off the bridge and hit the bottom of the hill, although she seemed a bit unstable.

Look, you could still see the gravel on the bridge for years.

In Hawke’s Bay Today’s Monday issue, Neil Kirton MP at the foot of an article he wrote was described by either himself or the paper as an “Independent List MP”.

Isn’t this a contradiction in terms?