Chat on the Chathams

Greer Paterson, 32, our resident columnist – and also a school teacher, fencing contractor, mum of two and much-loved Shepherdess team member – shares the special highlights and challenges of teaching in a place as remote as Rēkohu Wharekauri Chatham Islands.

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Still on the Station

Cath Ward (Ngāti Raukawa) found a new purpose for both herself and Pahi Station when she and her husband, Zander, established the Pahi Coastal Walk – a private walk that takes in the farm’s sweeping coastline, rolling farmland and native bush.

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Our Whare

Letter from the Editor, Ngahuru Autumn 2026 Edition.

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Leek & Cauliflower Cheese

“Cauliflower cheese is a classic family favourite, made even tastier with chunks of sweet and tender leeks and crunchy breadcrumbs. This is fab served with a roast or sausages, or it could easily be served as a vegetarian main dish with fresh crusty bread and a green salad.”

This is the third comforting recipe Olivia Galletly shared with us from her first cookbook, The Hungry Cook.

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Rustic Fruit Tart

“In my eyes, a seasonal fruit tart is hard to beat. This tart is the perfect way to use up any of the final sun-ripened autumn fruit.”

This is the first of three recipes Jaz Mathisen shared with us from her cookbook, A Year at Awakino Station.

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Turning up for Each Other

Kath Menpes, 48, a born and bred Southlander, grew up inland in Heddon Bush and now lives in Orepuki, a small coastal settlement, with her husband, Paul, and their two children, Jamie, 15, and Lizzy, 13, on Paul’s family’s third-generation sheep farm. Three years ago, she joined PGG Wrightson as the store manager at Tuatapere. Five times a week, she channels her commitment to staying active into community fitness sessions for local women, where it’s not just muscles that get strengthened.

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A Dream & Hard Graft

A way of life with a love of horses at its core, encompassed by a strong belief that horses can heal.

Herb and Mussel Fritters

My husband has been gathering mussels off Memory Rock on Medlands Beach, Aotea Great Barrier Island, for as many years as he can remember.

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The Goud Life

For Jodie Goudswaard, to get from share milking to farm ownership in the rolling hills of the Waikato has been a fourteen-year journey – one made up of long-term strategic planning, juggling the daily grind and knowing when to take a break.

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Running the Farm

Megan Grant, 36, always knew she would end up working on her family farm in Orton, South Canterbury. But when both her parents passed away in the space of six months, it was farm succession at speed.

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Best Laid Plans

Emma might be slightly afraid of chickens, but that hasn’t stopped her from helping to build a paddock-to-plate delivery service, Local Food NZ, with the fresh eggs laid by their flock of free-range hens.

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Milking Sheep in Italy

Genevieve Bennett of Waipukurau, Te Matau-a-Māui Central Hawke’s Bay wrote to us about her overseas experience for our latest edition Letter from the Flock.

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The World of Kapa Haka

Melissa’s black-and-white documentary-style photographs draw you in to the world of kapa haka, unveiling the emotion and spirit that goes in to each of the performance’s artistic threads.

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Takurua Winter 2026 Edition

Twenty-Sixth Edition

Our beautiful Takurua Winter 2026 Edition is out now.

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