Couple Preserves Traditional Wagon Wheel Craft in New Zealand

Why this is here: Greg Lang stops work to encourage viewers to appreciate the scent of elm wood, highlighting the sensory experience of traditional wheelwrighting.

Greg and Ali Lang, a couple in Wairarapa, New Zealand, are the country’s only remaining makers of wagon wheels and traditional wooden carriages. For over 30 years, they have practiced the craft, supplying pieces to films like Xena: Warrior Princess and Lord of the Rings, even building the wheelwright shop at Hobbiton.

They build, restore, and conserve carriages, alongside making wheels for both the film industry and private owners. Greg Lang trained as a wheelwright in Somerset, UK, and finds many suitable tree species readily available in New Zealand—elm for hubs, oak for spokes, and ash for the wheel’s outer parts.

The couple recently established a heritage trust to adopt a UK-style apprenticeship system, planning to take on their first apprentice in 2027. A documentary, By Hand, captures their work and love story, but passing on these skills remains a challenge. The film premiered to over 200 people at the Wairarapa Events Centre and the director hopes to share it internationally.