Chat on the Chathams

Greer Paterson, 32, our resident columnist – and also a school teacher, fencing contractor, mum of two and much-loved Shepherdess team member – shares the special highlights and challenges of teaching in a place as remote as Rēkohu Wharekauri Chatham Islands.

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Still on the Station

Cath Ward (Ngāti Raukawa) found a new purpose for both herself and Pahi Station when she and her husband, Zander, established the Pahi Coastal Walk – a private walk that takes in the farm’s sweeping coastline, rolling farmland and native bush.

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Our Whare

Letter from the Editor, Ngahuru Autumn 2026 Edition.

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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.

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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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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.

Pea & Potato Curry

This dry-style potato and pea curry is traditionally eaten as a filling in dosa (thosai) in South India, Sri Lanka and parts of Malaysia.

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Hidden in the Hokianga

For this Back Roads, Tina takes us on a personal tour of her hau kāinga.

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5 Minutes With Amey Bell-Booth

Of Rangitāne o Wairau descent, Amey shares with us a glimpse into her life living in the little town of Tokomaru in the Horowhenua.

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drone view of Lake Hāwea

Love in the Back Blocks

A future husband was the last thing Jaimee Coulter expected to find when she was doing her rounds as a fertiliser rep.

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Nature’s Medicine

With the help of her enterprise, Hau Botanicals, Mahuru Wilcox is a mana wahine helping others to connect to nature and te ao rongoā Māori.

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Sophie and Lucy hugging on a rock

Special Delivery

For the Macdonald sisters, the wild hills of their childhood provided the perfect launching pad for their business, Middlehurst Delivered.

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Takurua Winter 2026 Edition

Twenty-Sixth Edition

Our beautiful Takurua Winter 2026 Edition is out now.

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