Today New Zealand's best-known poet is celebrating his 70th birthday, and showing no sign of slowing down.
The poet has now been living in the Kaipara Harbour, near Paparoa, for 14 years -- a long time for the nomad described as the Kiwi Jack Kerouac. His home overlooks the river.
"Oh it's beautiful," says Hunt. "Oh, big tides come in here. It's lovely. It's great."
He doesn't enjoy touring the country as he used to. He says he gets severe panic attacks and just gets recognised too often.
He says one time, while the Rugby World Cup was on, a group of tourists harassed him.
"They were convinced I was Rod Stewart, and the more I said, 'No, I'm not Rod Stewart. My name's Sam,' they said, 'Oh, Rod, Rod!'"
They took the shirt off his back, and airport staff hustled him away.
Although he tours less, Hunt is still busy. He's released a book of poems, mainly about death.
"I'm not planning on living to any great age. I can never work out why people want to live so long. I've enjoyed my life enormously, and I'm continuing to enjoy it, but I can't help but become aware of death, and I'd be pretty insensitive if I didn't."
He insists he isn't unwell, but then says he has been suffering from vertigo, so bad he falls over when getting out of bed.
At one of Sam's locals, you can understand why he enjoys staying put. The café owner knows which pie Sam would like -- the chicken and mushroom.
He's become one of the locals.
"It's a good life. I enjoy being alive and wondering what's going to happen next."
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