Memory of a Viking welcome

As a boy I developed two clear memories of Dannevirke: that colourful town on the trail south
where a giant frowning Viking warrior wielding an axe ``welcomes'' you through its Nordic gateway.
I remember very good fish and chips during "rest stops" there. Water always seemed to be flowing down the sloping gutters.
I liked Dannevirke - still do - but living there would be out of the question. It's just too far from the sea. I need to be within earshot of breakers.
Dannevirke gets some bad press every now and then, usually from columnists and commentators who like to remind themselves that this Scandinavian stronghold gave the world Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
Michael Laws fired a few sneering shots at Dannevirke a while ago. All in jest - sort of. And I remember hearing a late-night talkback caller rather cruelly remark, "Ooh, it'd be like having to live in Dannevirke."
But Dannevirke has a strong heart.
Its people can shrug that sort of verbal poor form off, and they can take even stronger heart in knowing that their small town of about 6000 people, can now adorn itself with the title of "inspirational".
"Absolutely," Hastings-born writer and co-creator of the TV3 television fantasy drama/comedy The Almighty Johnsons James Griffin said. "They can certainly say that."
A fond slice of this southern Hawke's Bay town has always been in Griffin's heart and, like the characters of his tale, there is Nordic blood in his own veins.
He had a grandfather settle in Dannevirke in 1875 and in 1906 his maternal grandmother emigrated from Sweden and also settled in this slice of Scandinavia downunder.
"Her name was Jaensson - that's where I took the name of Johnson from."
Griffin's mother was raised on the family farm just outside Dannevirke, although she moved to the big city (up to Hastings) by the time Griffin arrived.
"Dannevirke was always a place we drove through," he said, but the memory jolted when the issue of good fish and chips was raised.
"Yes, you're right ... there was a very good fish and chip shop there."
Griffin had had the idea for the series (which follows his and co-writer and creator Rachel Lang's hugely successful Outrageous Fortune) in his head for some time.
From his brush with Norse ancestry, he pondered the idea of a good Kiwi family who discovered they were actually reincarnated Nordic gods.
"Old mythical gods in New Zealand ... How it would mesh in with our own egalitarian society?"
Of course, as the nine-episode series progressed, the references to Dannevirke emerged.
They had to, Griffin said.
For that is the heart of it all ... Dannevirke translated is "Danish Work."
The Almighty Johnsons was far from mainstream as it is merging fantasy with comedy and drama, and featuring a line-up which includes Tim Balme and Keisha Castle-Hughes.
"It's gone down better than I thought it would," Griffin said. "People have adopted it and run with it."
The series ran along usual screening lines ... picking up a strong initial audience before falling back, then building up again.
A second series is almost in the pipeline. "We're slowly working towards it. We'll probably know late May."
So how has Dannevirke's occasional name-checking gone down with some of the locals?
"Yes, I have heard of The Almighty Johnsons, but I didn't know they'd mentioned Dannevirke," said Ray Teahan, chairman of the Dannevirke Community Board.
"If it's mentioning Dannevirke in a positive light then of course that's a good thing ... It's good to hear. The town's progressing well."
Tararua District Mayor Roly Ellis apologised and said he had not heard of the programme.
However, hearing that Dannevirke got a mention every now and then buoyed Mr Ellis.
"That's terrific," he said.
"We are proud of our Scandinavian heritage and we are working to further promote that."
Having the occasional mention on a reasonably well-watched television series was an unforeseen plus, he added.
At the town's holiday park, "Chris" was looking after the place while the owners were away.
"No, sorry, haven't heard of it ... but it sounds pretty interesting."
This little town, with excellent fish and chips and a staunchly proud approach to life, has made an excellent mark since being founded on October 15, 1872, by Swedish, Danish and Norwegian settlers.
They stepped ashore at Napier, carted south, and set to clearing bush to make their new home downunder.
Today, there are Swensons, Olsens, Jensens and Eriksens in the town ... and quite a few Johnsons.
None, it is understood, are related to the Norse gods.
Best leave that to Griffin.