Stuff Heads Back to K’Road Post COVID-19

A new season of the unique web series about homelessness in NZ, K’Road Chronicles, starts Monday on the Stuff platform.

Unlike the acclaimed first season, the second won’t be streaming on TVNZ OnDemand (where you can still view S1).

But S2 will still boast the same high production values.

It was directed and edited by Paul Oremland, whose credits include the movies Like It Is and 100 Men (which was on Netflix).

He also developed Heritage Rescue for Choice TV and is working on the feature-length drama, Mysterious Ways.

“Stuff is a wonderfully supportive emerging platform,” producer Brian Holland, of Magnetic Pictures (Paradise Soldiers, Breaking Silence), says.

“The programmes we make for them are in full HD and crafted as if for television.”

The NZ On Air-funded series explores homelessness through the perspective of Six, an “overqualified, underemployed, transgender journalist” who publishes the street paper, K’Road Chronicle.

As well as affording a broader perspective on homelessness than just her iconic neighbourhood, S2 explores the impact of COVID-19 on the homeless.

Here’s the press release:

K’ Road Chronicles: Season 2

Never before has a series been produced that gives an ongoing voice to the homeless of Aotearoa, until the making of K’ Road Chronicles. The series casts a critical eye on issues often overlooked and brings stories of hope and inspiration from the street community. 

Stuff and Magnetic Pictures are proud to present a second season of this NZ On Air funded webseries.

New Zealand has the highest rate of homelessness of any country among wealthy OECD nations. 

K’ Road Chronicles is powerful gritty storytelling about those living on the margins of society and those with a passion to help and support them.

In each episode, host and journalist Six, publisher of the street paper K’ Road Chronicle, gives us her unique take on poverty, homelessness, and life on the streets.

Six’s knowledge on these subjects is equal parts ‘lived experience’ from being homeless herself on Auckland’s iconic Karangahape Road and the daily interactions with the many colourful characters within the community she knows and loves. These people trust Six to share their very personal stories.

The first season was a critical success and resonated with audiences both on the Stuff platform and via social media.

Season Two sees Six begin to travel beyond K’ Road looking at homelessness from a wider perspective. 

The new episodes start with a look at the impact of Covid-19 on the street communities. As Six steps out into the wider community later episodes explore stories and solutions for addiction, obesity, youth homelessness, and LGBTQ+ issues.

Expanding on the first season, Six continues to give a voice to the homeless with a much broader, national perspective on the subject.

These are stories of hope and understanding, with advice and information that are important to all of our communities up and down Aotearoa.

K’ Road Chronicles enters Six’s world and allows her to be herself; smart, insightful, opinionated, funny and honest. T

he series strikes a balance between honestly and candour. We see both the resilience of those living rough and how their sense of community helps them survive.

K Road Chronicles Season Two: Episode Billings

Episode 1:Covid-19 and the Streets

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Clearly staying at home during a pandemic s a problem if you haven’t got a home! This episode explores the unique problems Covid-19 posed for both the homeless community and those seeking to help them.

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We were due to start filming the second series of K Road Chronicles just as the first lockdown started. Clearly staying at home is a problem if you haven’t got a home! 

Picking up with Six as soon as the alert levels relaxed, we explore the unique problems Covid-19 posed for both the homeless community and those seeking to help them. Six’s work on the Chronicle and her role as street ‘Agony Aunt’ gives us a unique perspective on how the pandemic affected the street community. 

There are some amazing tales of kindness, real hardship and unexpected solutions… like managing to house a Whangārei man who had been living in his car with six dogs! Or a South Auckland drop-in centre who provided food for those who had been forgotten and were literally starving.

Six also talks to the authorities involved in the massive effort to re-house the homeless in motels for lockdown. This is a community that already have health issues and the introduction of the virus to that community would have been catastrophic. 

And of course, throughout the various alert levels there is the constant pressure to bring out a new edition of Six’s newspaper and its update her website which became a vital source of information for those on the street.

Episode 2: Waka of Caring

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At an amazing drop in centre in South Auckland, an unlikely love story shows how people’s lives can be transformed by the power of a community that cares.

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This is an unlikely love story that shows how people’s lives can be transformed by the power of a community that cares. 

Debbie has set up an amazing drop in centre in South Auckland. On visiting, Six is amazed at the scale of her operation – feeding, clothing and providing comfort for hundreds of people seven days a week – and all for free. 

And the need is huge… “you can see the families walking in and you can just see the kids starving” says Debbie.

Everything is given away, relying on donations from local families and businesses. Even the premises are funded by an anonymous donor. And working in the kitchen is Troy… “I never had a chance to cook and now I am cooking for others which is so cool”. 

Troy’s story is truly inspirational. Orphaned at 12 he spent the next 20 years living on the streets. His family became other streeties and the prostitutes who helped him survive. As Six and Troy revisit the doorways and alleyways that were once his home an incredible tale unfolds. We hear how a chance meeting with Debbie transformed his life – getting him off drugs and helping him find love.

Episode 3: Open Arms, Whangārei 

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A trip to Whangārei provides an unexpected challenge to Six when she meets Carmen who used to live in a park. Now housed, Carmen is giving back to the community although Six is surprised to hear how much she misses her old life. 

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A trip to Whangārei provides an unexpected challenge to Six and forces her to questions some of her own assumptions about the solutions to homelessness. 

During Covid-19, the homeless of the city had been rehoused in a motel. Many of these came from a facility called Jubilee Park on the outskirts of the city. Six explores the grounds and finds evidence of life before the pandemic.  

This leads to a day centre, called Open Arms, that has been set up to help the homeless. Working in the kitchen as a volunteer is Carmen who had been a resident of the park before being rehoused during lockdown. Carmen seems lively, together and hard working so Six is puzzled as to how she ended up homeless. It’s an unexpected tale though it echoes many of the issues that Six recognises from K Road … particularly the need for community. This causes many of the homeless to return to the streets even if they have been housed. 

And when Six goes back to visit Jubilee Park with her subject she is surprised by a surprise revalation. 

Episode 4: Rainbow Youth and Jacques 

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Jacques is a 17 year-old trans male who found himself couch surfing after life at home became intolerable. Six, herself transgender, finds a lot to talk about with this young man who with the right support, is turning his live around.

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Jacques is a 17 year-old trans male who found himself couch surfing after life at home became intolerable. Now with his own house he is exploring his trans identity with the help of Rainbow Youth an organisation set up to help LGBTQ+ young people. 

Six herself transgender, finds a lot to talk about in this episode which explores some of the unique problems that the Rainbow community face. 

Despite greater acceptance by society of trans people there is still much prejudice, bullying and family rejection. Once again it’s a story of hope as both Rainbow Youth and the wider community come together to provide support and practical help.

Episode 5: Wiremu

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When living on the street Wiremu weighed a massive 280kgs, was an addict, and about to die. All that changed when he met Linda.

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When living on the street Wiremu weighed a massive 280kgs. An addict, and barely able to move, he slept on Karangahape Road. People regularly abused him, threw things at him and walked around him. He was living in a shop doorway, sniffing glue, being fed fast food every few hours by kinder passersby, and about to die!  

Linda, a social worker from the Auckland City Mission, intervened and after a stint in hospital Wiremu began a long road to recovery. Six meets Linda from the Auckland City Mission who helped in Wiremu’s journey back. 

Six talks to Wiremu, who opens up to tell a tragic tale of what led to him being in such a bad way. 

Episode 6: Hidden Homelessness 

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There are hundreds of young people who are couch surfing or crashing at friends who don’t even realise they are homeless. We meet a young man whose life has been transformed by the work of a team focussed on youth homelessness. 

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Lifewise, one of the organisations who try to help the homeless, have a special group who deal with young people. As Six meets the team she is shocked at the scale of the problem. There are hundreds of young people who are couch surfing or crashing at friends who don’t even realise they are homeless. 

Although Lifewise have some flats for homeless youth, the demand is overwhelming. They are constantly turning young people away or sending them back to emergency accommodation which is inappropriate. But this is also a story of hope as Six meets Samie one of the youth workers who explains that it’s not just about finding a house. Their role is one of long term support and mentoring for people who have continually been let down by those who should provide care. 

And such dedication works as Samie visits a young man who had been on the streets as an 18 year old after being released from jail. Now he has a job, a house and even bought Samie dinner with his first pay cheque.

Episode 7: Housed

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Sammy was a sex worker when she lived on the streets. Six and Sammy reminisce about the times they spent together living on the streets as they revisit their old haunts.

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Six reconnects with her friend Sammy; her friend from her days spent homeless on Karangahape Road. 

Sammy was a sex worker when she lived on the streets. Six and Sammy reminisce about the times they spent sleeping in the doorway of K’ Road’s Merge Café as they revisit their old haunts.

For Six, a it was a disagreement with Merge management which lead to a brush with the law and ultimately a housing solution for her. Sammy too is now housed and the two reflect on how far they’ve come.

Six also re-visits Keith from last season. Keith too is now housed and is looking to give back to the community he came from.