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Spagnum Moss Pickers loading bails.ca.early 1990`s. *PHOTO ALBUM*
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DescriptionSpagnum Moss Pickers loading bails.
Photo from the book"Wild at Heart", by Paddy Ryan.
Second pic courtesy Carl Smith.
3.
Griff Syron
Tweezers and Giffy mossing bolder head Ross
4,5
Courtesy James PinerDate of Photoearly 1990`sMap[1] ContributorHeather Newby
Photo from the book"Wild at Heart", by Paddy Ryan.
Second pic courtesy Carl Smith.
3.
Griff Syron
Tweezers and Giffy mossing bolder head Ross
4,5
Courtesy James PinerDate of Photoearly 1990`sMap[1] ContributorHeather Newby
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)West CoastOrganisation (eg business)Spagnum Moss EventSpagnum Moss Pickers
From Facebook
Date Created5th April 2024CommentsTamai Sinclair
Did you ever watch a R22 fly fadges from swamp to back of a truck? Poetry in motion, I had the thought back then that there should be a competition for pilots at the Greymouth Show, but OSH would have banned it lol.. Pity that there were no cameras on phones in those days, in fact there were no phones, because it had to be seen to be believed. Those pilots gave value for money especially as they were probably charging by the minute
Neville Moka
I can smell that just looking at the picture.
Dorothy Wills
Some of my family used to harvest moss back then too
Kay Hewer McArthur
Uncle John and Aunty Sarah in the 90s when I first met them.
Sandra Arnott
I was busy doing this year's ago,plus drying it great money eh!
Tom Jones
Those were the days
Lee Henderson
My Canadian friend imports spagnum moss for her 100L indoor pool filtration system. Water is super soft n silky.
Kristal Condon
John Hewer -grandad (in the front)
Lived in Haast for over 60 years passed away 2022 at age 84
Both him and my nan (Sarah Hewer) picked, carted and dried moss such a labour intensive job.
Danny Tawhiti
Sheryl is that Big John?
Amy Wright
Hayley Marie Glass Stephanie Glass I’m triggered
Robert Miedema
Whatever happened to the spagnum moss industry
Wjohn Sweney
We picked moss in the 1950's at the Hendes( Cliff and Coral) Ten shillings was a big week!!
Donna Brydon
those were days, a great way of making extra $'s if you didnt mind the hard work and swampy conditions
Trish Rennie
Joanne Jarden bring back any memories…
Graham Whitiskie
I did that with my Father after school and on Weekends and it was easy money if you had a good area, best pocket I ever made, $120 a week pocket money was good earnings back in the 1980s.
Leanda Moka
Been there done that my husband and I tried to start up our own business had a block on the taramakau, turn off to hokitika and kumara whilst we were away up north at my dad's tangi we got ripped off really sad
Murray Brown
Been there
Done that, near Ahaura back in the day
Benjamin Murphy
Russell Smithers my first job in early 2000s
Craig Thin
Rookies used the garden fork was a bit faster
Paul Diedrichs
Done plenty of that back then
Andrea Summerfield
Oh the memories of picking moss - finding a patch of untouched super deep moss with green tops - such amazing stuff - the smell of the moss drying on racks - cleaning and fluffing it as kids - must have made our house damp when you think about it drying in our garage underneath the house Bronwyn Hibbs
Edited
Andrew John Wilson
Remember doing that to pay for wedding
Carl Smith
big load jobs
May be an image of helicopter
Gayle Rae
The Blackball Community Center held the Moss Pickers Ball in Blackball. Named Moss Pickers because of the amount of pickers in Blackball at that time. Brilliant night was had by all as well as money being raised for the Community Center
Robert Johnston
Picked. For. Les. Sutton. Good. Man
Amön Greening
Done my fair share of pickin moss back in the day..
Mark Frewin
Can't say I miss doing that lol
Margaret Grant
We still do it
Jo Evans
Hard physical work
Janetta Stead
The kids picked moss, dried and sold it to Les Sutton. Great days drying it, turning it, picking out the weasel etc Building the moss racks
Cindy Hardy
I was 18 up the maruia picking moss with Byron Kelly and few others LOVED IT ,
Ann-Maree Duncan
I did that with
Kerri Mortimer as a baby
Juanita Materita
No 1 has pick more fadges of moss on the coast then my cuzn gag end of if u no u no
Richard Cudmore
Bit of nostalgia
Barry Sheard
Used to love going out in the swamps picking moss.
Graham Whitiskie
Is that Johnny Craig in the overalls?
Sidogg Barbarian
Jayden Secker we must pick,dry and pack the most on the west coast then
Jo Evans
Hard physical work
Carl Smith
It has a marvelous story to it & is a West Coast Tale in the book
Janetta Stead
The kids picked moss, dried and sold it to Les Sutton. Great days drying it, turning it, picking out the weasel etc Building the moss racks
Tamai Sinclair
Did you ever watch a R22 fly fadges from swamp to back of a truck? Poetry in motion, I had the thought back then that there should be a competition for pilots at the Greymouth Show, but OSH would have banned it lol.. Pity that there were no cameras on phones in those days, in fact there were no phones, because it had to be seen to be believed. Those pilots gave value for money especially as they were probably charging by the minute
Jimmy Teen
Tamai Sinclair would’ve been Tweezers
John Kerr
Tamai Sinclair Got some video of Dave Mac doing it and you are right, poetry in motion.
Griff Syron
Tweezers and Giffy mossing bolder head Ross
May be an image of 2 people and helicopter
Noel Glass
Steph says moss picking taught her how to work
Robert Miedema
Whatever happened to the spagnum moss industry
Vickie Ennis
They were the good days I lived in maruia picking for the hunt family
Leanda Moka
Yeah them were them days hard yakker back breaking at times, fresh air, good swamp kai, good company
Leanda Moka
It looks like second grade not enough green in that lot and too short
Cindy Hardy
I was 18 up the maruia picking moss with Byron Kelly and few others LOVED IT ,
Cherie Cochrane
Yip done that in the early 90s in Punikaiki. Dryed it under the bridge
Shane Johnson
Loved it
James Piner
May be an image of helicopter
Paul Sutton
James Piner I can see you there lol, the good old days mate
Juanita Materita
No 1 has pick more fadges of moss on the coast then my cuzn gag end of if u no u no
19h
Wayne Rogers
Big John , worked with him in Shags sawmill,Snap shot creek,Haast, Memories
Tania Howley
Seebthus mum
Wjohn Sweney
Paddy talked his way into a PhD apparently... Bit of a runner in the day
Did you ever watch a R22 fly fadges from swamp to back of a truck? Poetry in motion, I had the thought back then that there should be a competition for pilots at the Greymouth Show, but OSH would have banned it lol.. Pity that there were no cameras on phones in those days, in fact there were no phones, because it had to be seen to be believed. Those pilots gave value for money especially as they were probably charging by the minute
Neville Moka
I can smell that just looking at the picture.
Dorothy Wills
Some of my family used to harvest moss back then too
Kay Hewer McArthur
Uncle John and Aunty Sarah in the 90s when I first met them.
Sandra Arnott
I was busy doing this year's ago,plus drying it great money eh!
Tom Jones
Those were the days
Lee Henderson
My Canadian friend imports spagnum moss for her 100L indoor pool filtration system. Water is super soft n silky.
Kristal Condon
John Hewer -grandad (in the front)
Lived in Haast for over 60 years passed away 2022 at age 84
Both him and my nan (Sarah Hewer) picked, carted and dried moss such a labour intensive job.
Danny Tawhiti
Sheryl is that Big John?
Amy Wright
Hayley Marie Glass Stephanie Glass I’m triggered
Robert Miedema
Whatever happened to the spagnum moss industry
Wjohn Sweney
We picked moss in the 1950's at the Hendes( Cliff and Coral) Ten shillings was a big week!!
Donna Brydon
those were days, a great way of making extra $'s if you didnt mind the hard work and swampy conditions
Trish Rennie
Joanne Jarden bring back any memories…
Graham Whitiskie
I did that with my Father after school and on Weekends and it was easy money if you had a good area, best pocket I ever made, $120 a week pocket money was good earnings back in the 1980s.
Leanda Moka
Been there done that my husband and I tried to start up our own business had a block on the taramakau, turn off to hokitika and kumara whilst we were away up north at my dad's tangi we got ripped off really sad
Murray Brown
Been there
Done that, near Ahaura back in the day
Benjamin Murphy
Russell Smithers my first job in early 2000s
Craig Thin
Rookies used the garden fork was a bit faster
Paul Diedrichs
Done plenty of that back then
Andrea Summerfield
Oh the memories of picking moss - finding a patch of untouched super deep moss with green tops - such amazing stuff - the smell of the moss drying on racks - cleaning and fluffing it as kids - must have made our house damp when you think about it drying in our garage underneath the house Bronwyn Hibbs
Edited
Andrew John Wilson
Remember doing that to pay for wedding
Carl Smith
big load jobs
May be an image of helicopter
Gayle Rae
The Blackball Community Center held the Moss Pickers Ball in Blackball. Named Moss Pickers because of the amount of pickers in Blackball at that time. Brilliant night was had by all as well as money being raised for the Community Center
Robert Johnston
Picked. For. Les. Sutton. Good. Man
Amön Greening
Done my fair share of pickin moss back in the day..
Mark Frewin
Can't say I miss doing that lol
Margaret Grant
We still do it
Jo Evans
Hard physical work
Janetta Stead
The kids picked moss, dried and sold it to Les Sutton. Great days drying it, turning it, picking out the weasel etc Building the moss racks
Cindy Hardy
I was 18 up the maruia picking moss with Byron Kelly and few others LOVED IT ,
Ann-Maree Duncan
I did that with
Kerri Mortimer as a baby
Juanita Materita
No 1 has pick more fadges of moss on the coast then my cuzn gag end of if u no u no
Richard Cudmore
Bit of nostalgia
Barry Sheard
Used to love going out in the swamps picking moss.
Graham Whitiskie
Is that Johnny Craig in the overalls?
Sidogg Barbarian
Jayden Secker we must pick,dry and pack the most on the west coast then
Jo Evans
Hard physical work
Carl Smith
It has a marvelous story to it & is a West Coast Tale in the book
Janetta Stead
The kids picked moss, dried and sold it to Les Sutton. Great days drying it, turning it, picking out the weasel etc Building the moss racks
Tamai Sinclair
Did you ever watch a R22 fly fadges from swamp to back of a truck? Poetry in motion, I had the thought back then that there should be a competition for pilots at the Greymouth Show, but OSH would have banned it lol.. Pity that there were no cameras on phones in those days, in fact there were no phones, because it had to be seen to be believed. Those pilots gave value for money especially as they were probably charging by the minute
Jimmy Teen
Tamai Sinclair would’ve been Tweezers
John Kerr
Tamai Sinclair Got some video of Dave Mac doing it and you are right, poetry in motion.
Griff Syron
Tweezers and Giffy mossing bolder head Ross
May be an image of 2 people and helicopter
Noel Glass
Steph says moss picking taught her how to work
Robert Miedema
Whatever happened to the spagnum moss industry
Vickie Ennis
They were the good days I lived in maruia picking for the hunt family
Leanda Moka
Yeah them were them days hard yakker back breaking at times, fresh air, good swamp kai, good company
Leanda Moka
It looks like second grade not enough green in that lot and too short
Cindy Hardy
I was 18 up the maruia picking moss with Byron Kelly and few others LOVED IT ,
Cherie Cochrane
Yip done that in the early 90s in Punikaiki. Dryed it under the bridge
Shane Johnson
Loved it
James Piner
May be an image of helicopter
Paul Sutton
James Piner I can see you there lol, the good old days mate
Juanita Materita
No 1 has pick more fadges of moss on the coast then my cuzn gag end of if u no u no
19h
Wayne Rogers
Big John , worked with him in Shags sawmill,Snap shot creek,Haast, Memories
Tania Howley
Seebthus mum
Wjohn Sweney
Paddy talked his way into a PhD apparently... Bit of a runner in the day
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West Coast New Zealand History (6th Apr 2024). Spagnum Moss Pickers loading bails.ca.early 1990`s. *PHOTO ALBUM*. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 26th Mar 2026 08:42, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/33381