12 December 2023

Gardening in Omau Cape Foulwind

Illustrator: Zoe Paterson

Nā Te Kāhui. Letter from the Flock.

For our Summer 2023/24 Edition, we wanted to hear about your garden – from planting natives to your favourite flower, anything that got your hands in the dirt was fair game.

For our Autumn 2024 Edition, tell us about the best vintage or op-shop purchase you’ve made. What was the moment of discovery like? How did you know it was absolutely for you? And of course – what was it?

If you want to join the conversation, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @shepherdess.nz; send us a letter to Shepherdess, PO BOX 41, Manakau, Horowhenua 5541; or email [email protected].

Dear Shepherdess,

A chance to flee the confines of our suburban Richmond home to remote Cape Foulwind in Buller as soon as the first Covid lockdown was lifted ignited a fire in my husband, Rowan, and me. The windswept coastline and sunsets had us wanting more. We have always loved the West Coast, and I have a personal attachment, as I lived in Hokitika for two years as a young child. Sparsely populated with stunning views, it suited us perfectly.

Fast forward eighteen months and we became the proud owners of 1.28 hectares of beach-facing land with a delightful bach on it. The land itself is undulating sand dunes, with its own wetland area. The majority of the property had been neglected for years and sported a plush growth consisting mainly of gorse, muehlenbeckia and blackberry. Negotiating the land required gumboots as well as thick layers of clothing to avoid being scratched to pieces. Our vision is to eventually clear the bulk of gorse and blackberry and retain some of the muehlenbeckia in a more orderly way to hold the sand dunes together. We set about clearing with a mix of spray and the enormous help of an all-terrain mower that is able to chomp through almost anything!

Since we have taken over the property, we estimate we have planted 1,000 plants, with probably triple that amount to go. The bulk of the plants we have grown from seed at home. These are mainly a mix of cabbage trees, māhoe, hebes, harakeke and kawakawa. Our garden shed in Richmond has had quite the production line going to propagate the seedlings, and we transport them to Cape Foulwind in our ute when they are big enough. It’s been a very rewarding process, with more hits than misses! The vision is to cover the property in native plants that are endemic to the region.

I find nothing restores my soul more than a walk on Nine Mile Beach, just a few minutes’ stroll from our lounge. Surfers love the spot, and we often sit on the deck with a glass in hand, watching the few remaining hardy souls catch the last waves as the sun sets amid the most amazing colours. Our hard work is paying off and we love nothing more than to share it with family and friends. Pure bliss.

Julie Coutts
Omau Cape Foulwind, Te Tai O Poutini West Coast

Glossary. Harakeke, flax. Kawakawa, pepper tree. Māhoe, whiteywood.

This letter appeared in our Raumati Summer 2023/24 Edition.