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.

Hunter, Teacher, Mother, Wahine Toa

When Tui Keenan discovered hunting four years ago, she had an epiphany – she was a wahine toa, and proud to be Māori.

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A Legacy in the Sounds

Kristen and Michael Gerard have made it their life’s work to leave their land deep in the Pelorus Sound healthier for the next generation.

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Buckets of coffee beans

Home to Roast

It’s hard to imagine Anne as anything but an artist or craftsperson, but this great-grandmother of five has several feathers in her metaphorical cap.

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A Mirror for the Soul

Sara (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tarāwhai, Te Arawa, Pākehā) is a documentary photographer, māmā and feminist.

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Robyn and Jana on a farm gate

“My mother-in-law is my best friend” – how kindness, consideration and respect make this relationship work

German immigrant Jana, mum to three boys, lives and works on the family farm in Te Aroha with her husband Chris and his parents, John and Robyn.

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A Hokianga home bursting at the seams with aroha, art, taonga and whānau connections

Writer Claire Kaahu White and her husband have created a home in Hokianga that celebrates their shared values and the many people and places that have influenced their lives.

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Takurua Winter 2026 Edition

Twenty-Sixth Edition

Our beautiful Takurua Winter 2026 Edition is out now.

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