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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Hearts Racing

A shared passion for horse racing brought Jessica Murphy, known as Jess, and Marc Hamilton together, so when the couple exchanged vows on a bluebird autumn day in Central Otago, it made sense for Jess’s Appaloosa gelding, Micah, to take a starring role.

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Generations of Care

Robyn Stephens, a Te Rohe Pōtae King Country farmer and grandmother of nine, took up dog trials at the age of fifty-nine, following in her father’s footsteps, and at seventy-six is still working as a casual musterer. Here, she reflects on her connection to the past and how her whānau Māori has influenced her.

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Still Here

Her father’s influence and a deep love for animals inspired her to become a shepherd, but it’s not been an easy road for Wairarapa-based Lara Smith, 29. Here, she shares how her persistence has paid off.

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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.

Renee plays with her two young children on the footpath.

A Peaceful Place

From her home in Geraldine, Renee (Rangitāne, Ngāti Kahungunu) reflects on how her upbringing has influenced how she is committed to raising her two children with gentleness.

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Woman stands in a farm paddock

“My job is helping out the farmers where I can”

Belinda has balanced her dynamic career with raising four children as a widow, drawing on her own dairy farming experience to build connections with customers.

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A filo pastry tart with asparagus and other green vegetables, on a wooden board on a table

All the Greens Ricotta Tart

Sometimes the garden gives a little bit of many things – this is a good way to turn it all into a delicious dish.

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Woman plays with her two young children on the floor at their home

Close Companions

Letter from the Editor, Kōanga Spring 2023.

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Two women standing in a field of wildflowers.

Rewilding

Untouched World’s new collection tells the story of letting nature back in and taking time to reconnect as the days get ever warmer and longer.

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Photo of a painting of a couple, hung on a blue wall over a bed

On My Wall, Kōanga Spring 2023

The artist Mike Worrall lived, as my husband Pat and I did, on Waiheke Island in the seventies. Pat’s idea: we would commission a portrait.

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Takurua Winter 2026 Edition

Twenty-Sixth Edition

Our beautiful Takurua Winter 2026 Edition is out now.

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