Vinegar Hill, New Zealand

Location

Vinegar Hill is a camping ground on the banks of the Rangitikei River within the Putai Ngahere Reserve, and is located on State Highway 54, about 5 km north of Hunterville in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand, on State Highway 1.

General History

There is a misconception over how this Vinegar Hill was named. Some think that it is named after the Battle of Vinegar Hill in Ireland. However, the name was derived from a source closer that that. The Manawatu District Council information sheets on the campsite state that it was named after a bullock cart carrying barrels of vinegar overturned after the bullocks slipped on the muddy track on the hillside, covering the hillside in vinegar from the broken barrels.

In late summer 2004, massive flooding caused great damage to many parts of the Manawatu-Wanganui region. The campsite at Vinegar Hill was inundated with floodwater and the toilet block at the northern end of the site was destroyed. However, there was little damage to the southern end in comparison, where the LGBT camp is held, despite a line in the bush showed the floodwater had been over three metres deep. Nevertheless, the septic tank did need replacing, the toilets had to be cleared of silt, and the track leading past the beach had to be regraded.

New toilets have since been built at the northern end, consisting of several uni-sex toilets and lockable showers. The Manawatu District Council is evaluating the usefulness of these toilets, and whether they remain relatively free of graffiti, before replacing the toilets at the southern end with a similar block to comply with environmental codes requiring the septic tank to be further from the river.

Queer History

Since the 1980s, Vinegar Hill has been a popular camping spot for Gay and Lesbian people and their families over Christmas and the New Year holiday period in the height of summer.

The first time gay men camped at Vinegar Hill was shortly after New Year in January 1977. This consisted of six men, among whom were Kevin and Pearl (Peter) and Owen Draper, from the Manawatu and Hawkes Bay regions. It grew from there, and by the early 1980s had developed a particular culture. The first queen was appointed in 1985, for the 1986 camp. This was Bill Armstrong, who was presented with the award by Mal Vaughn, a popular bar operator from Wellington. Initially, the idea of "Queen of Vinegar Hill" was based on a comedic idea of beauty queens, but this later developed into an idea of appointed royalty. As a result, the initial names engraved on the trophy presented each year are the drag names of the people appointed to the role of queen.

Today

The Queen is appointed every year by all the former Queens who are present on the 31st of December. Only those who have been to Vinegar Hill for a number of years, and who have provided some particular service to the camp can be elected. It is part of the Queen's responsibilities to collect the camp fees on behalf of the Council, and to organise events. These events include the entertainment on the nights of the 30th and 31st of December.

The entertainment on the 30th of December usually consists of a series of competitions. Recently, this has consisted of best buns for men, best boobs for women, and best legs for all. Prizes are usually awarded to all competitors, but 1st and 2nd (and 3rd, depending on the number of competitors) get special prizes. This is usually followed by a large party around the campfire. Recently, however, movie nights have been shown on the evening of the 28th or 29th.

The entertainment on New Years Eve often consists of a series of shows that continue up until prize giving. These shows are often drag queen/king performances, and some of them may have adult content. Prizes are awarded for Miss/Ms "Hospitality", and to recognise the 'camp' campsites, Best Use of Technology, Best Lighting, and Best Decorations. The most coveted of the campsite awards is the Best Campsite award. This is usually followed by the coronation of the new Queen, slightly before midnight, and followed by a dance party that lasts until dawn.

Although the weather is generally good, as with all campsites, at least one day of rain or other bad weather is to be expected. Some years are better than others in this respect, but there have been years when rain has been a major problem. In 2006, although it rained several days prior to the 31st of December, including the 30th of December (which meant the postponement of that night's entertainment), the rain was not heavy, and thus did not soak the ground. As a result, the fair weather on the 31st allowed the ground to dry sufficiently for the dance party.

The 2007 camp was perhaps one of the driest in recent years, with only a few showers happening between Christmas day and the 28th of December. A short hail storm on the 25th, however, ensured a "white" Christmas before it melted in the warm temperatures. The lack of rain, and the higher temperatures, meant that the river was at it's lowest level in a decade. This encouraged people to swim more often, and to take part in raft races down the river from a point about 1.5km upstream of the road bridge, giving a total ride distance of about 2.5km. There were no subsidiary competitions on the 30th of December in 2007.

The role of Queen has been filled by people from many parts of the North Island, including Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton, Manawatu, and the Hawkes Bay. Dion Leslie (2006-2007) was the first Queen to to appointed who was younger than the Camp, and the youngest Queen to be appointed. The current Queen is Jenni James (Bob the Builder, GI Jen) of Auckland, the third Lesbian queen to be appointed. The following list a complete list of the Queens appointed.

Index Of Reigned Queens

* Ian's name was not initially engraved on the trophy, causing confusion among following queens, and it was not until after 2006 that his name was remembered. The queens appointed on either side of him were unavailable for consultation to confirm this earlier.
# The running of the 1999 camp, the Millennial Camp, was taken over by Deus, a Wellington group that ran dance parties. This caused considerable controversy.

ee also

*LGBT New Zealand