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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“You feel like you’re part of something and part of the community”: two Canterbury mothers helping to run a small rural preschool
Kiri and Louise talk about what is involved in volunteering at a community-run country preschool.
‘How we met’: rural couples share their dating stories … and what came after
What does Cupid look like in rural New Zealand? It’s hard to imagine the winged boy being able to hack the rural lifestyle, although his bow and arrow might come in handy.
Best Tomato & Mustard Tart Ever
My darling mum whips up this tart on a regular basis and we never complain.
The Whānau Collective
Nukuhia and her husband have been farming in Wairoa’s Ruakituri Valley for the past twenty-one years, thanks to the intergenerational farming model that has set their whānau up for success.
Orchard overload: when life gives you a plethora of pears, make craft gin
When Nikki and her partner stumbled upon their dream house on the banks of the Whanganui River, they found themselves the proud owners of a large pear orchard.
Trading the corporate life for flower fields, and learning to take it slow
Gisborne’s Kate Briant worked in the agri-corporate world before making a big lifestyle and career change after having her first child.
Takurua Winter 2026 Edition
Twenty-Sixth Edition
Our beautiful Takurua Winter 2026 Edition is out now.