The Great New Zealand Road Trip: A top NZ movie made this tiny village famous – 14 years on, it still draws visitors

On day five of our Great New Zealand Road Trip, editor at large Shayne Currie visits a remote East Cape settlement that still draws Boy film fans; we catch up with David Lomas for the daily Nine Questions column; and James Pocock speaks to target="_blank">TV host Tui Keenan about her food sovereignty mission.

The sign under the counter at the Waihau Bay store implores its customers: “Wake up every morning with the thought that something wonderful is going to happen”.

A small, pre-lunchtime crowd is forming inside the shop on the east cape of the North Island: some want ice cream, others order hot food ($4 for a decent scoop of chips) and another man is patiently waiting with a small pack of nappies.

This is your typical all-in-one country store with two notable exceptions. It’s in one of the remotest locations of Aotearoa and it continues to be, as a certain fizzy drink likes to market itself, world-famous in New Zealand.

Fourteen years after the release of Boy – the second-highest-grossing New Zealand movie ever, behind Hunt for the Wilderpeople – the shop and indeed Waihau Bay itself still draw visitors enamoured by the film.

Behind the counter today is 16-year-old Haven Benton who featured in the movie, as an extra. She was just a small child at the time and appears in a kohanga scene.

Haven Benton at the Waihau Bay store - she featured as a small child in the movie Boy.

But her experience is a typical example of how Taika Waititi’s movie lifted the community – almost 15 years on, she says, the film is still a talking point for customers to “Aunty Gracey’s shop”, which played a backdrop in several critical scenes.

“There were two people just before in here, taking photos,” says Haven.

Several others had also mentioned it earlier today.

Hardly a day passes when someone isn’t asking questions about the film and the shop.

The Waihau Bay store made famous by the movie Boy.

Alongside the natural beauty of Waihau Bay, with its fishing resources and peaceful bay, the film remains a drawcard.

She says her grandmother’s homestead, a short stroll up the hill, was also used for a scene, along with other locations.

James Rolleston as the lead character in Taika Waititi's Boy.

Waititim, who grew up in Waihau Bay, has said previously that Boy was inspired by “true and imagined memories”.

“Part of what makes this film distinct is the humour; I want to explore the painful comedy of growing up and interpreting the world. I believe that despite our faults and inadequacies, through all pain and heartache, there is still room to laugh.

“I think that’s what makes my films different, the feeling that although there is often darkness, there are also little bits of light to encourage hope and hold on to possibility.”

The New Zealand premiere of Boy was hosted at nearby Maru o Hinemaka (Pararaki) Marae, using a massive inflatable screen. Many of the actors stayed at the marae during filming.

Taika Waititi in a scene at the Waihau Bay store.

Haven has been living in Waihau Bay permanently for the past 10 years, moving with her mother into the homestead after her grandmother’s death.

But even before that, she was a frequent visitor, with her whānau from the area. Pararaki is her marae.

“It’s beautiful here, everyone knows each other,” she says.

For the most part it was tranquil and peaceful, although next month will see the annual influx of holidaymakers – and queues out the shop door.

And while Haven isn’t pursuing a movie career, she has identified another calling to help the community.

About a year ago, Haven’s mother, a volunteer first responder, attended an incident to help a person who had collapsed.

After seeing that, Haven wanted to learn how to help. She is looking to train as a paramedic – possibly attending Whitireia in Porirua – and then return to Waihau Bay.

“There are no paramedics here; they don’t get paid much. The closest paramedic is in Ōpōtiki or Te Kaha – it’s quite far away.”

In the meantime, she’s training as a volunteer firefighter herself, another sign of a community looking out for one another. “I want to stay here for as long as possible,” says Haven.

Outside the shop – less than 200 metres away and near the wharf that also features in Boy – a couple of divers emerge from the ocean. One of them strolls along the waterfront, empty-handed.

“We got some kina. The other guys got a couple of crayfish. There’s heaps of crayfish – but the others are still too small. It’s like they’re in daycare.”

Something wonderful, in this instance, will have to wait until tomorrow.

Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor.