The fox town is fizzing back into life
When I was growing up, Foxton was a magical place down the line. I may have only been small, but after what felt like days of driving from our home in Hamilton, arriving at my Granddad’s place was always met with much excitement.
His home, a stone’s throw from the Busy Bee Dairy on State Highway 1, felt like an important place to be, with the constant reminder of life passing by every time a large truck shook the house like an earthquake, which also frequented the area.
My parents would take me on a quick drive-by of the town, pointing out the school where they met and where their favourite milk bar was, the rose gardens, river, the sawmill and the carpet factory and then, well, that was the end of the tour, because let’s face it, that’s about all there was in Foxton in the 1980s.
Oh, and flax. There’s quite a lot of flax. Despite appearances of a busy road through the middle, Foxton is about as stereotypically sleepy Kiwi small town as it gets. I’m talking weatherboard houses with oversized butterfly adornments, a lemon tree out the front, with a derelict teal 1960s caravan parked at the side of the house.
I am struck with equal parts irony and nostalgia that now as an adult, I find myself spending time back in this little Kiwi town.
Since moving to Palmerston North a few years ago, I have visited Foxton numerous times. The first time I went back, I had to do a drive-by of Granddad’s house.
There it was, still on SH1 and still near the Busy Bee Dairy, which looks like it hadn’t been painted since I last saw it in the 80s.
Much has stayed the same, but, surprisingly, much has also changed.
Foxton – ‘‘The Fox Town’’ – is undergoing what other ‘‘dying’’ small towns like Featherston are experiencing – a gentrification of sorts.
Once the centre of whispered disparaging comments, Foxton is actually such a delightful wee place.
No doubt buoyed on by redonkulous house prices in bigger towns and cities, Foxton has had an influx of residents snapping up properties that can only be described as incredibly reasonably priced – a bargain, if you will.
These new residents have not only bought houses, they have brought with it businesses like cafes, restaurants and dinky little boutiques selling crocheted, you guessed it, foxes.
And they’ve brought with them puns and quirky names. The Dutch Oven is a particular favourite. and if you don’t know what that’s in reference to, may I suggest you visit Urban Dictionary online and all shall be revealed.
A bunch of businesses are hashtagging and cashing in on the ‘‘Proudly Foxton’’ label, which is showing a unique community spirit among the township.
It’s not just the eateries and house prices drawing people to the fox town, there are also attractions – things to do. Most importantly in this day and age, there are places where people can check in through social media to tell the world They Were Here.
Off the Loop cable wakeboard park has apparently been quite a hit and if you haven’t had a sandy doughnut from the Little White Rabbit in Foxton Beach, I’m not sure you’ve lived.
There’s the wonderful windmill, which manages to baffle most people, but the Dutch heritage is charming and the de Molen Foundation, which is behind many exciting developments, should be lauded for its mission, including attracting visitors and providing local jobs.
Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom Te Takere, the flash new library and community and culture centre, is a welcome new design for the more traditional main centre and the main road sparkles after a refresh earlier in the year.
The hanging baskets of potted colour might remain, but that kind of detail is small-town Kiwi kitsch heaven.
Without wanting to make this sound like some kind of tourism advert – but let’s be honest, most towns could benefit from some good news – Foxton really has upped its game of late.
The confirmation of the highway improvements north of Levin is sure to have more flowon effects for Foxton, so it might just be the start of something really exciting.
Surely there will be bearded Wellington hipster folk and Waikanae retirees migrating north as word gets out Foxton is on the rise, shaking off its reputation of bygone years. In which case, as the radio adverts say: ‘‘Focky yeah!"
The hanging baskets of potted colour might remain, but that kind of detail is small-town Kiwi kitsch heaven.