Happy Sams, nr Rainbow Valley, Golden Bay, New Zealand
One of the grooviest addresses on the planet and where we spent Easter weekend. Chelfyn met the Happy Sams crew on New Year's Day at The Full Circle, and was asked to play at their birthday party. We were excited to hear that it was to be held at a commune, which was celebrating its 30th anniversary.

I've heard about places like Happy Sams, from backstage stories at festivals. Tales of 60s and 70s communes formed by hippies, artists, and musicians. Paradise found off beaten tracks. Beautiful spaces to kick back and relax. While most twenty-somethings were at University or on an OE, some local lads pooled their resources, and bought 500 acres of bush clad valley. There they built The Lodge, a few homesteads and above a close knit community. Hundreds have passed through Happy Sams over the years creating a huge extended family.

We arrived at Happy Sams after dark. It was raining hard on the metal track with the river roaring below. The Lodge was already a hive of activity and a fish dinner was on the way. We cracked open some beers and started on the epic task of remembering everyone’s names. The Happy Sams Lodge was built to stand the test of time. It has an octagonal wooden roof over a balcony and a huge central column of river rocks carried up by hand. The ground floor has three areas for dancing, sitting, or lounging, a covered deck and a Whanau sized barbecue.

After dinner we were taken to the tree-house which was to be our home for the weekend. A tree trunk ran through the middle of the house, with another gnarled trunk for a bannister. The octagonal roof and bush surrounds made you feel like you were sleeping on top of some ancient tree canopy. We woke to the bell like birdsong, turquoise skies and air like wine.



I spent the day doing yoga and reading Sky Dancer (by Witi Ihimaera), conserving my energy for the following night's partying. We ate more wonderful food grown locally, such as an apple/pear cross that tasted like honey, juicy local scallops and whitebait fritters. Everything was simple, fresh and tasted heavenly.



The party started on Saturday with psy-trance sets before moving into breaks and live bands on Sunday. Most people we met had spent some time at Happy Sams over the years, and we heard some incredible stories. There seems to be a Golden Bay, West Coast, Christchurch triangle, and many of the guests work in the New Zealand film industry.

I found myself chatting with some fascinating people while lounging on the balcony. On beds covered with crushed velvet throws and beautiful Indian cushions, their ornate embroidery and intricate beaded pieces made from vintage saris. It made a sumptuous chill out space, a cascade of fairy lights down the central column providing laid-back lighting. I found an acoustic sweet spot where the roof became the bass, and spent the morning watching people dancing with the shadows of parties past.

I was cooked breakfast by a delightful young man, and we chatted about life the universe and travelling. I felt thoroughly pampered all weekend and it got me thinking. If more groups of people lived like this then we'd need less of everything. As one long term resident puts it “Life at Happy Sams is like a loooong slooooow party”.



I left a little piece of my heart in Golden Bay. It's the place and the pace I'd love to live at one day.