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.

Woman hanging out washing with one of her children playing in a sheet

Building Upwards

Despite being flat-tack running a dairy farm and raising three children, Te Aroha farmer Kate is the successful owner of two small businesses.

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Black and white image of a woman holding an axe

The Swing of Things

Emma is a criminal defence lawyer in Whakatū Nelson. She discovered competitive woodchopping three years ago and fell in love with the heritage sport’s balance of power, grit and camaraderie.

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Mona Lisa with a Mangaweka backdrop, painted on a fence

Mangaweka

Born and raised in Mangaweka, Alison Dorrian, 73, and her husband, Henry, worked to protect its bush and wildlife while raising their six children.

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Woman and man stand with their horse and two farm dogs on a big grassy hill

The Richness of Lawrence

A day spent exploring Lawrence like a local, with a local, enjoying everything from historic landmarks and eclectic shops to serene retreats that will entice you to stay a while.

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1979 colour photo of a woman and her father at Millers Flat

Robin’s South Island

One of New Zealand’s most notable documentary photographers, Robin Morrison spent seven months in 1979 documenting his travels to the tiny towns and villages across the South Island.

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Dr Shannon Davis stands in an apple orchard, holding apples

The Peri-Urban Pantry

Dr Shannon Davis is examining how bringing farming back into local communities can make Aotearoa think differently about the edges of its cities.

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Takurua Winter 2026 Edition

Twenty-Sixth Edition

Our beautiful Takurua Winter 2026 Edition is out now.

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