Tales of the Buller

The podcast warmly welcomes Ritchie Letchford, a renowned musician from Granity. Recorded in Granity this episode tells the story of a man who has truly been there and back. A man who has rubbed shoulders with some great musicians and has been in a number of well-known Buller bands such as Dirty Mary's Blues Band and 5 Miles High.  The episode contains stories of beating addiction and of the...

This is the second episode with the legendary Johnny Currie from Madman's Creek, Charleston. This time he is joined by his old mate, another Buller legend, Gerald Hart. I felt privileged to have been there. Enjoy! Click here to send me a message! I would love to hear from you. Support the show

The podcast is privileged to welcome Johnny Currie from Madman's Creek, Charleston.  This was recorded at Johnnies place and I thank Jeff Richards, Gerald Hart and Alex Forbes for getting me up there. Johnny is more than just a Buller legend; he is a Kiwi legend. A real old school West Coast bushman with years in the bush Johnny has a raft of tales to tell. Living off grid for most of his lif...

The podcast welcomes Phil Hyde from Granity. Phil runs a popular local radio channel Dagsy FM on 108.0 out of Granity. Phil hails from the Upper Hutt region and has been in Granity for a number of years. He has strong ties to the Buller with his grandparents, Archie and Zola Simpson having lived here. Phil has been in radio/music for over 20 years and has interacted with some of the greats of NZ (...

The podcast welcomes back Norm Crawshaw for the final of three fascinating episodes. Norm (QSM) is an example of a life well lived. A life full of travel and of contributing to the community. A stalwart of so much in the Buller he is an icon and it was my privilege to interview him. I think it is fair to say we have not seen the last of Norm so look forward to hearing from him in future seasons. T...

The podcast welcomes Norm Crawshaw back for episode two of his illustrious life. This is a great episode, one of my favourites, concentrating on life in the Buller, Buller cricket and we make a very interesting start on Buller Rugby. Norm, a winner of the Kings Service Medal (Queens as it was then) and an author of 35 books is truly worthy of multiple episodes. If you have even a passing interest...

The podcast warmly welcomes Norm Crawshaw. Norm is an extremely well known man in the Buller region having been heavily involved in rugby, cricket and the Buller marathon to name but a few. He was a teacher for many years and taught multiple generations of Buller students. Norm has had an extremely interesting life and has been heavily involved in the Buller community for over 50 years. A good nat...

The podcast warmly welcomes Michael Hart, a member of the illustrious Hart family of the Buller. Michael tells tales of his early life in Westport, playing rugby and rugby league, boxing and more. We get an amazing account of tunnel boring in North Sydney to playing international league for the Irish Wolfhounds. Towards the latter part of the episode is a truly amazing tale of a training session w...

The podcast welcomes Ray Chandler. A great bloke and native Coaster, born in Hokitika and raised in Reefton Ray has some great tales. Some are not for the faint hearted and include a truck loving duck with sore feet, an Englishman's interesting encounter with an eel and a Danish Aboriginal. I kid you not. Enjoy! Click here to send me a message! I would love to hear from you. Support the show

The podcast is back in Reefton and talking to the wonderful Moira Lockington KSM. Moira is an incredibly community minded woman who has contributed massively to the community right throughout her life. Presented with the Kings Service Medal in the 2025 honours list Moira is a worthy recipient. Moira tells tales of her childhood and her life in Reefton, her family and some wonderful tales of the pa...

The podcast warmly welcomes Buller sporting legend, David Baird. David has represented the Buller in multiple sports and is still active in coaching and mentoring youth teams today. We have tales of rugby, soccer, basketball and tennis and a marvelous tale about David's illustrious father Bill. This episode has great tales and is told with a great sense of humour. Enjoy! Click here to send me...

The first episode of season 6 will drop on Friday, July 11th. It's been a while, and we are super excited to return to hearing some great tales from some interesting people.  Click here to send me a message! I would love to hear from you. Support the show

Hi there. Another season comes to an end. It's been a great season with great guests and fascinating conversations. I thank all the guests who have appeared and all those who have helped me along the way. Please contact me at talesofthebuller@gmail.com if you want to come on or have a suggestion for someone else to come on. Keep your notifications turned on so you are notified when the next s...

The podcast warmly welcomes John Reedy Snr and John Rogers. Both these men have spent a lifetime contributing to Buller and NZ harness racing. Legends in the sport both have bred and trained many horses, and both have contributed to NZ harness racing at the highest levels. This is a great episode where we get some fascinating insights into the industry and some hilarious yarns along the way. I hop...

The podcast welcomes Buller legend and retired teacher Barry Townrow. This man has an incredible list of achievements and is a true champion of the community. Barry is, among many other things, a local JP since 1998, board member of Buller cricket for over 50 years and current President, board member of Buller Rugby for over 50 years and former President. Barry hosts a long running sports radio sh...

The podcast welcomes a true Buller sporting legend: Mr Alan Ireland. Alan has represented Buller in both Rugby and Cricket and he has been involved for 66 years with his beloved Ngakawau  Rugby Club. Alan was awarded life membership of the Buller Rugby Club in 2019. Alan has played, coached and done just about everything in between. This is a truly fascinating episode. Enjoy! Click here to send me...

The podcast warmly welcomes Wayne Fleming. Wayne is a well known figure in both the Buller Rugby and mining communities. In this episode Wayne tells of mining both in Australia and NZ and much more which makes for an informative and entertaining episode. Enjoy! Click here to send me a message! I would love to hear from you. Support the show

The podcast warmly welcomes Steve Bell. Steve is from an illustrious mining/mineral/drilling family and was himself the youngest mine manager in NZ when he took on the role at Stockton. This is a fascinating episode with a girth of knowledge of mining both in NZ and Australia. Steve was also the Senior Manager of the Kaikoura rebuild and he shares some stories of that fateful time. Enjoy! Click he...

The podcast welcomes the incredible Tony Fortune. This is the first episode on the road and was recorded in Reefton. Tony is an amazing character and has had a fascinating life. Educator, adventurer, mountain climber, cyclist and President of the West Coast Justice of the Peace Association to just name a few. Tony is a true West Coast legend. Enjoy! Click here to send me a message! I would love to...

Quick hello, season 5 intro and a shout out to Sounds Air who did me a big favour recently. The first season 5 episode will be tomorrow July 29.  Click here to send me a message! I would love to hear from you. Support the show

End of Season 4. Click here to send me a message! I would love to hear from you. Support the show

Phyllis Phipps passed away this week in her 98th year. She was a treasured guest of this podcast and I wish to pay her tribute and pay my respects to Phyllis and her friends and family. The Buller has lost one of its best. Click here to send me a message! I would love to hear from you. Support the show

The podcast warmly welcomes Gary Bainbridge. Gary is a 4th generation coal miner and was born and raised on the Denniston Plateau. Gary tells fascinating tales of growing up on Denniston and what it was like at that time including working on the Incline and riding the wagons down to the middle break. Gary also shares tales of his times in mines up and down the Buller and also in the Grey District....

The podcast welcomes the fantastic Marissa Stuart. Marissa was born and bred in Reefton and spent her high school years and more in Westport. Marissa shares some hilarious tales of life in Westport as a teenager and just what Westport was like at that time.  Marissa owns and operates Bodyfix physiotherapy in both Nelson and Richmond and has been a physio to the All Blacks for many years. This epis...

The podcast welcomes the fascinating Howard Hill. Howard is Westport born and bred. He is a successful businessman, and an alumni of Cornell University in the USA. He was a member of the RNZAF which formed the foundation of his later success.  Howard talks of his family and life growing up in Westport and the path he has taken through life. This is a truly interesting episode. Enjoy! Click here to...