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.

Ophir

Val Butcher, 81, the postmistress of the country’s oldest continuously running postal service, shares her memories of cold winters and fitting cabbages into postboxes.

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MAKE, a workshop series by Shepherdess

We’re very excited to announce something we’ve been working away on for a little while now…

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Te Mana o te Wai

The mahi of Tina Porou supports the way to a more resilient future of freshwater management in Aotearoa.

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Mother and daughter in their sewing studio

Mandy & Shania

In Riversdale, mother-and-daughter team Mandy and Shania are combining their skills and setting the bar high with their beautiful, classic women’s clothing.

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Perspectives from the Paddock

Sarah Swinbourn gets stuck in the finer details of farming.

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Small Town Girl, Small Town Bookshop

Once upon a time, Millie Blackwell was a restless teenager looking for the adventure of the city.

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Takurua Winter 2026 Edition

Twenty-Sixth Edition

Our beautiful Takurua Winter 2026 Edition is out now.

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