Flag flyers of Manawatū: Thana na Nagara of Palmerston North

Thana na Nagara with his family crest flag.

While some grandparents make the beds in the spare room or whip up a pavlova before family came to stay, Thana na Nagara gets out the flag with his family crest.

He had it made by a flag maker in Dunedin and says it is probably the only one like it in the world. Thana flies the lotus flag when family came to stay.

He lives at Olive Tree Village in Palmerston North and his neighbours enjoy watching his flagpole daily to see which of his flags he is flying.

Thana has 20 flags from the expected New Zealand, All Blacks and silver fern ones to the unexpected. One of those is the Hundertwasser green-and-white koru flag. It was designed by Austrian painter and artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who gifted it to New Zealand in 1983. He proposed it as a secondary flag for New Zealand.

As a nod to his youngest daughter's place of residence, Thana has the striking bear flag - the official flag of California.

The retired secondary school teacher also has novelty flags such as a St Patrick's Day one and the Easter bunny. The smiley-face flag is raised when he is happy and to cheer up anyone who needs it.

He flies the tino rangatiratanga flag during Māori Language Week in support of te reo.

Thana came to New Zealand from Thailand in 1956 to attend Otago Boys' High School and
then the University of Otago. Those southern experiences run deep and he supports the Highlanders - both in voice and with his flagpole. When the team loses the tartan-clad warrior is flown at half-mast.

Thana admires Americans' attachment to flags, in particular how they fly the stars and stripes, state, service and college flags at their homes. He says identity is very much part of American culture.

He'd like to see Manawatū adopt a flag, perhaps designed through a competition, and has noticed more flags flying in Palmy. He does lower his flags in strong winds otherwise they would get "beaten to bits".

He's lived at Olive Tree for five years and brought his flagpole with him.

Thana says flags are ways to express identity, feelings, emotions and loyalty.

Thana taught history and French at Palmerston North Boys' High School and joined Awatapu College in 1976 as a foundation teacher.