Author(s): Shirley Heath Bastin

Nelson

Tobacco has permeated life in New Zealand since first arriving here, and the stuff continues its insidious hold even after the demise of the local tobacco growing industry in 1995. The 'golden harvest' of tobacco is more than a blip in New Zealand's horticultural history - for seven decades tobacco dominated both the landscape and the community of the wider Motueka region. The crop presented unique opportunities as well as formidable challenges for growers and their families. It also affected the lives of thousands of young seasonal workers who came to Motueka to work hard, and to play hard. These are the experiences and observations of one Motueka Valley 'tobacco kid' from a family which was ruled by the demands of tobacco growing for four generations.