“The compromise works both ways” – the sacrifices rural couples make for work and for love

I’m originally from Ranfurly in the Maniototo and Sam is from the North Island – between Piopio and Te Kuiti. We’ve been in Taihape since 2021 – he moved in July and I followed in August. I had finished studying at the University of Otago at the start of that year. Sam was living in Kurow, so we were about two and a half hours from each other at that point. It’s just over the hill really, but you’ve got to go right round. I got most of my masters fieldwork done before we went into lockdown, and then during lockdown I was doing all my analysis and writing. So I was quite lucky that I had all that stuff done before Covid really got bad, but it was still quite hard – I couldn’t see my supervisor in person or anything, and couldn’t meet up with classmates; I was left on my own a bit. It was challenging but I got it done.

I started off working at a gift store when I first got to Taihape, and now I’m at Taihape Vets as the receptionist/front-of-house person. When I was little I always wanted to be a vet but thought I couldn’t handle the blood and seeing animals unwell. In hindsight, I kind of wish I had studied it, because I’m actually fine with it. Sometimes I get called out the back to help hold animals during procedures, and I helped with a dog giving birth to her pups recently, which was pretty cool – so I’m getting to be with animals, which is what I’ve always wanted to be doing.

I found that at uni I really enjoyed the research and scientific writing – all of that side of it – and that’s a job I could work remotely in, too. Maybe as a research assistant. So I’m always on the hunt for those kinds of remote jobs. I’ve also always been into animal photography, and I’d love to one day tie it all together. It’s a bit hard at the moment because there are fewer people leaving for overseas, so fewer job vacancies.

No matter what my partner’s job was, I would still be living rurally. I’ve never been one for cities. After six years studying in Dunedin (but living in Ranfurly) I was definitely ready to get back to country life; I’ve always lived in a small town. So I would still be living rurally I think – or I’d be living overseas. And hopefully tying in my curling, too! I just love it.

It’s a big thing in Ranfurly. The curling rink is in nearby Naseby, and it’s a really popular sport – up there with rugby and netball. Everyone plays. It’s two flights and an hour-and-a-half drive for me to get there now. I miss out on lots of the in-person practice but we have lots of team Zoom calls, and I can study my strategy. We organise a long weekend every couple of months where we all get together as a team and train. Everybody has other commitments – we all work full-time jobs, some have kids. And it’s all self-funded.

Sam and I always said we’d live here five years, but if an absolutely perfect job came up for one of us, we’d stay longer. Ideally I think we’ll eventually end up back in the South Island, but we always said we’d take it as it comes. Sam did all of his study and first shepherding jobs in the South Island – the Rakaia Gorge and Kurow way – and he loves the South Island. He’s keen for me to find my dream job, too, and is happy to go where ever that may pop up. So the compromise works both ways.