Locals react to seeing their city on the big screen in Taranaki Hard

Residents of a small town in Taranaki that has been thrown into the national spotlight in a new series of television documentaries say they have mixed feelings about how their home has been portrayed.

The first of four episodes of Hard taranaki It aired Monday night at three. The series follows the lives of a diverse group of young people, ages 18-27, who live in Waitara, north of New Plymouth.

The previews featured Waitara as a “tough” city and included footage of a cast member urinating on a fence, another tattooed, and a driver doing a burnout.

The locals were skeptical. But after watching the first episode, Bruce Hine, the owner of B-zone Computer & Aquarium Supplies on McLean St, said it was “not too bad” and generally enjoyed it.

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Hine’s wife, Dianne, grew up in Waitara and said she remembered that the city was how people in the documentary described it when she was his age.

“It covers different aspects,” said Bruce, who has worked at Waitara his entire life. “You have different parts of Waitara. You have the new sections, which are pretty flashy, and then you have the rougher sides. “

“I think it covers the average younger person looking for work and opportunities and how it has changed.”

However, he said it was a shame to see how people had fought.

“I guess the jobs may not be there.

“There used to be a Subaru factory, you had Swandri running, the milk factory was running, and of course the Borthwick freeze works. They were great players. ”

One of the show’s stars, Axel Lilly, was nervous about the first episode but said the reaction had been good so far.

“I loved it. I think they did a very good job,” he said.

“My car looks so good there, and they captured my good side.”

The 26-year-old, who works as a mechanic, or “turning keys,” as he puts it, did not expect his life to change much, other than possibly being greeted by people.

One of his co-stars, Leon Crean, took to his Keeping Up With the Waitarians Facebook page Tuesday morning to say he was taking a break from social media due to negative comments.

Lilly hadn’t experienced that, but said she didn’t pay much attention to social media.

“They can write anything. I don’t waste time reading it, I have engines to fix. “

Liana Poutu, the president of Te Kotahitanga or Te Ātiawa Trust, believed that the show was less about the city and more about the people.

It felt real and raw and compelling, he said.

“I think it was a snapshot of life in a small town in New Zealand.

“You could move those people to any small rural town, anywhere around Taranaki. I don’t think it necessarily focused on the city. “

Justine Gilliland, executive director of Venture Taranaki, the region’s economic development agency, said it was great to see Waitara and a diverse range of youth and their families as the central focus of a television series.

“We are pleased to see that some of the young people in Taranaki were given this opportunity, and we hope this will provide them with more opportunities to pursue their passions and achieve their goals.”

But not all the residents were so happy.

Lorraine Andrews was disappointed in the first episode, especially the language.

There is much more to the city than is shown, he said, and he would have liked to see more positives.

“Hope it improves. It seemed very light,” Andrews said.

“I didn’t think it was a very good representation of the city. I know Waitara doesn’t have a very good image somehow, but we are turning out to be great athletes, we have some wonderful musicians in town and the school is just wonderful. “