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.

Read More

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.

Read More

Our Whare

Letter from the Editor, Ngahuru Autumn 2026 Edition.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Neat in Neutrals

Whether woven, felted or knitted, there’s something irresistible about high-quality fibres – a hallmark of fashion labels from heartland Aotearoa.

Read More

Amie Bingham

From podcasts to packing, Amie, 43, shares what a typical day at Dark Hampton is like for her.

Read More

Reaching New Heights

The twenty-eight-year-old farmer, vet and mum has made history, becoming the first woman ever to win the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition in its fifty-five-year history.

Read More

Slow Stitches

Self-taught fibre artist Fleur Woods is crazy about the chaotic creative process. From her eclectic home in Upper Moutere, she surrounds herself with colourful fabrics and threads, combining them with beads and paints to create the intricate stitched paintings she’s known for.

Read More

Crookston

After finishing university, Kirsten McIntyre, 33, returned to her West Otago hometown, Crookston. Today, she helps out on her partner’s and parents’ family farms, teaches at the same rural school she attended and strives to inspire a passion for agriculture in her students.

Read More
Potatoes and herbs in a salad bowl with serving spoons.

Herb & Vinegar Potato Salad

My German-born husband loves this potato salad, as it reminds him of one his oma used to make. The combination of sharp vinegar, gherkins, fresh herbs and red onion are the secret to this flavourful potato salad, and I make it often through the summer months to take to potlucks and barbecues.

Read More

Takurua Winter 2026 Edition

Twenty-Sixth Edition

Our beautiful Takurua Winter 2026 Edition is out now.

Do you have a story to tell?

We'd love to hear it.