Kate & Koko

Kate: When I was a kid, Mum used to send me to the station to visit my grandparents. That was the beginning of my history in this building. I have so many memories of it as a working train station, so to go on this journey with Koko is really special. There wasn’t much going on here before it was bought by a local family business. They turned it into a cellar door and decided to put in the new cafe.

Koko: Kate and I were at the local dog trials three years ago when we heard that there was an opportunity to run The Station Cafe and we were both thinking “Shall we do it?” Kate is amazing in the kitchen, and I am the “out-front” person, but we can also cover each other in both of those roles, as well. We knew that together we could do something pretty cool, so we sat down and had a discussion about “What would we create if we could?” Kate and I didn’t know how to start a business, neither of us had done that before, but we knew we could support each other.

Kate: After a few wines, we decided to put ourselves forward to run the cafe. We were juggling six kids between us, and we both had different perspectives on things, so we got a mentor through the Chamber of Commerce who really helped us step into line with each other. It was nice to get that input. It helped steady us.

Koko: The owners liked our ideas and it was all decided – we had it! And then we were like, “OK, now how do we do this?” We spent six weeks getting everything set up. We worked really hard, going a million miles an hour!

Kate: In April of 2019, we opened our doors to a train filled with 300 people who stopped off for fifty-five minutes. Crazy! We thought, “Let's do this with a bang right from the start.” We got the last coffee out just before the train was leaving. It was unreal. We had aunties, we had cousins, we had everyone here running around for us. Day one was a bit of a blur.

Koko: After the train left, we held a small gathering where I gave a mihi and a haka was performed by whānau, some having travelled from afar to support our day.

Kate: Then it was just the two of us, and you just never know if it's all going to work, do you? But word got around, and the locals started to come in and then they started to come back every day. They chat about what happened at rugby on the weekend or just have a good catch up. It has been nice right from the start.

Koko: We live in a pretty special place here. Being active in the community is important to me and it has helped us build a home here. I’m originally from Wairoa in Hawke’s Bay, and down here is really different from where I grew up. My family aren’t all here, and that can be tough, but at the same time it’s a supportive community and we are privileged to be a part of that.

Kate: It’s how we raise our kids, too. Everyone knows each other so well and we are here in this community for the long haul. Koko and I help each other out and we understand each other. My husband has bright red hair and Koko’s husband is a big Māori dude and we all just get along.

Koko: The husbands do the dishes sometimes, too. They mow the lawns and they eat the leftovers and our kids come in and help as well. It’s very much about family.

Kate: I think we balance each other really well. Koko is the spark out the front and I’m the mellow out the back. We don’t really have to talk; we just know what each other is thinking.

Koko: We are in sync. We call it “telepath-ity,” eh, Kate? Is that a word?

Kate: Not really…but it is now!

Glossary. Haka, a traditional Māori dance often performed to show honour or respect. Mihi, an acknowledgement. Whānau, family.

This story appeared in the Raumati Summer 2021/22 Edition of Shepherdess.