The 2016 movie The Hunt for the Wilder People is a great Sam Neill movie from NZ. Sam (Hec) and a wild juvenile (Ricky) ‘go bush’ to the great frustration of juvenile services. Always worth a look. Like all good movies it has a touch of truth. Harold Robinson went bush as a conscientious objector in WWII and evaded authorities for several years.
Last night SBS played it again in a tribute to Sam instead of another program. My wife and I have seen it so often that we know what to expect especially the great scenes of NZ bush and the Hilux car chase at the end with hints of The Blues Brothers movie car chase. (Blues Brothers should also be on your must watch movie list. Outstanding music from the cream of USA entertainers plus still the greatest car chase ever. Cars were wrecked everywhere.)
My interest was the rucksack of Sam Neill.
It was similar to my Paddymade H frame Explorer rucksack from many years ago that I eventually replaced with a lighter rucksack. I watched the movie credits to see where the pack came from never thinking that it might help me in the research on Splendour Rock for the book by Michael Keats OAM and I called “Splendour Rock – A Bushwalkers War Memorial.” Auckland Tramping Club was listed.
Of course, there is an NZ in ANZAC so I wondered if the bushwalkers (called trampers in NZ) had some sort of memorial to the trampers who died on war service in WWII.
The Hunt for the Wilder People was a great way in to talk to Auckland Tramping Club. From their website I was able to contact their President. Surprisingly, they did know about their credit for the movie until they saw the movie.
Michael and I received great information about memorials to their fallen NZ trampers for him to write a chapter for our book but also some great trivia.
Some trivia. To survive Hec and Ricky would raid mountain huts for supplies except in one hut there is an unwell NPWS Ranger. How do you alert authorities without being caught? You have to watch the movie. From Auckland Tramping Club this hut is normally “off limits” to trampers since NZ authorities are trying to control the spread of a soil fungus.
You will have to watch the movie to understand the meaning of the phase – “no child left behind”. Put it on your movie watch list.
Keith Maxwell.
Honorary Historian BNSW.
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