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.

Butterflied Spiced Chicken with Kohlrabi Apple Slaw

Butterflied Spiced Chicken with Kohlrabi Apple Slaw

When a friend offered me a huge kohlrabi from her garden, I had to confess to having never cooked with it before.

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Wearing Many Hats

Since moving to the district almost two decades ago – with two young children – Claire Graham has volunteered for various organisations around Mackenzie.

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Fiona Robinson

Fiona Robinson

This savvy stylist and designer walks Shepherdess through a day in her life from her vintage-inspired homewares and furniture shop in Tarras.

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Annie, principal of St Mary’s School in Gore

Gore

Annie, principal of St Mary’s School in Gore, is a passionate educator who shares how the community bands together to give back to the school.

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A good education: three different approaches to schooling from three rural families

School is not always straightforward when you don’t live in a big city with plenty of options.

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Georgie Archbold

Just east of Kahurangi National Park on Golden Bay’s West Coast, in the area of Paturau, Georgie teaches her two kids from her farmhouse kitchen table.

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Takurua Winter 2026 Edition

Twenty-Sixth Edition

Our beautiful Takurua Winter 2026 Edition is out now.

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