West Coast Travels with Agatha Christie
For the last couple of months, the Hokitika Museum has been working with a British production company who were preparing to shoot a documentary on Agatha Christie’s visit to the West Coast in July 1922.
The five part documentary – tentatively titled “Travels with Agatha Christie” – follows Agatha’s round-the-world tour of the British Empire as part of The British Empire Exhibition Mission. The goal of the Mission was to enlist commonwealth countries to participate in British Empire Exhibition to be held at Wembley in 1924. It was hoped the exhibition would stimulate trade between Commonwealth countries, as well as promote British economic dominance both abroad and at home. The Mission visited South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Canada, and Agatha captured each step of her tour in photographs taken on her camera, and in lively letters home to her family.
The Museum worked closely with the production company to help them plan their journey through the West Coast, to identify filming locations, potential people to interview, and key stories about the region that should be included. They initially planned to visit five West Coast locations, however time constraints resulted in a decision to reduce the filming schedule to a two-day visit to Hokitika.
The original journey made by Agatha in the South Island included a drive from Picton, through the Buller Gorge to Westport; a day on the Denniston plateau inspecting the mine, before the party headed to Reefton, Punakaiki, and Greymouth, before they eventually arrived in Hokitika on July 14th. Coming into Hokitika, Agatha caught a glimpse of Mt Aoraki and the Southern alps which she described as ‘really beautiful’. Not so impressive was the Hokitika beach which was covered in litter deposited by the houses and shops that ran along Revell St. She also struggled to fathom why all the buildings along beachfront faced away from the water and instead faced eastward.
In some of the towns they visited the Mission held public meetings promoting the Exhibition, in others they inspected local industries with a view to encouraging them to promote their business at the Exhibition. In Hokitika, they held a meeting at the old Town Hall in Revell St, which was attended by about 50 people including the Mayor Mr G A Perry. Earlier in the day they were taken to visit the newly commissioned Rimu Dredge, and in the afternoon, they were driven out to Lake Kaniere. Agatha described Lake Kaniere as ‘one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen’. They next day they were driven to Otira, where Agatha and her husband Archie opted to walk over the Pass instead of using the coach provided– an 18-kilometre stroll.
With a reduced filming schedule, compounded by variable weather conditions, the production company’s filming was limited to a day on the Arahura River with Te Rua Mason, and a second day filming an interview with Paul Madgwick at the old Renton’s Building. Some outdoor filming was completed around town between rainstorms. Te Rua and Paul were interviewed by actor David Suchet, who has played the role of Agatha Christie’s Poirot for almost 25 years.
The documentary is expected to be screened in the UK in December 2024, a screening date for NZ is yet to be confirmed.
Text and photos: Vaughan Bradley, Hokitika Museum Collections Researcher
