WELCOME TO BOGANVILLE

NOT THIS

THIS

Boganville

the area in which the bogan usually resides. The bogan congregates in groups usually around utes and near the pub. Passers by may be abused by bogans, this abuse having no effect because of its pure mindlessness. When at their most aggravated they hurl empty beer cans at passers by. 

                                              - The Urban Dictionary


Boganville also doubles as Greyhairtown.

NOT THIS

THIS




Yes, it's Paraparaumu on the beautiful Kapiti Coast. This is potentially one of Wellington area's most attractive areas but it is populated by three distinct groups:

Bogans - the V8 loving, mullet hair styled and black singlet wearing drongos.

Elderly people - who are generally safe to be around as long as they aren't driving cars or barrelling along on their mobility scooters.

Rehabs - drug users and alcoholics who've been let out of rehabilitation centres.

*****************

I spent most of the week last week in Paraparaumu having to help sort out a family situation.

My sister from Auckland went with me and we spent most of our time in meetings with social services, hospital authorities and various psych organisations (Robert doesn't have sole franchise on dealing with autistic and bipolar relatives). This was very draining physically and emotionally but I think that we're making progress if only to reach an end point involving selling a house and arranging for live in care. I came back north yesterday.

**********************

I have had fond memories of Paraparaumu, having visited it a lot over the years. When I was a kid some relatives had a holiday bach there and we used to have fun staying and playing on the beach and skating at the skating rink. I borrowed an older cousin's winkle-picker shoes when I was about 13 and went to a sort of roller disco (years before roller discos were invented). The shoes were way too big and I must have looked ridiculous but I felt 'cool'. Later on I had a girlfriend who lived in Paraparaumu which was 'long distance love' in those days.

LONG DISTANCE LOVE - LITTLE FEAT

Great song that and an early Little Feat clip I hadn't seen before.

My parents moved from Wellington to Paraparaumu in 1983. Back then it was only just starting to be a retirement drawcard and the bogans were just the local 'naughty' boys and girls. 'P' hadn't yet been 'invented' in New Zealand and drug usage was a bit milder and generally hidden. The area was still lovely with Coastlands being an exciting shopping day out for Wellingtonians and there being a lot of private owner-occupied residences and of course (still) many holiday houses and baches.

Over the years this has steadily changed.

I haven't spent as much time in Paraparaumu as I used to (when my parents were alive) and since moving further north to Northland. Also I've spent a  few years overseas recently and have hardly been been back to Paraparaumu. This time it was a massive shock. The town has been carved up by the freeway that now runs through it and the explosion of 'strip-mall' type mini shopping centres. These American inventions suck the soul out of any community. Add to this the proliferation of large mega-format stores like The Warehouse, Placemakers, Bunnings, Mitre 10 and all sorts of other money grabbing organisations whose footprints and carparks carve up more and more green space and trees and the eradication of the soul is complete. This before the population is swelled by more and more bogans who find it cheaper to live there than Karori and the aforementioned shuffling rehab escapees who are directed to live there.

Sad.

**********************

As I said I returned home yesterday (but will need to repeat the exercise in a month's time). I am exhausted but this morning had to have a MRI scan and then have spent the day doing some community work.

I intend tomorrow to let the tranquility of the bay wash over me and see if I can find my spirit and soul again.

An 'angel' in the foreground in this pic I took from Kauri Mountain looking south down Ocean Beach a few minutes from home.