23 February 2022

Old Traditions Made New

Mano Whenua. Heartland

writer: carly thomas

photographer: abbe hoare

Over the past six years, a group of dedicated women have gathered at Palliser Ridge, a station in southern Wairarapa, to share their passion for wool. Founded by Lisa Portas as a way to bring the community into the beef and sheep station where she and her young family have lived and worked for over a decade, the knitting group has created an opportunity to connect and enjoy the simple things in life.

The first Sunday of the month is when the woolshed at Palliser Ridge becomes full with the sounds of laughter. Follow the noise of chatter up the wooden steps, push open the heavyset door and you'll be welcomed in by friendly faces and the click-clack of knitting needles. This is the home of the Palliser Ridge knitting group - where everyone brings a plate and the newbies are gently ushered in alongside the old hands. In the middle of it all sits Lisa, a sunshiny mother of two and the quiet, driving force behind the wool-mad meetups.

"It's really neat when we all get together," Lisa says, with a cup of tea warming her hands. "Everyone starts reminiscing and telling stories about how they learnt to knit and holding the ball of wool for mum when they were little. I've learnt a lot from just listening and taking it all in."

Afternoon light slices in from the old, cross-hatched windows and the shed is bathed in a warm glow. Built during the 1918 pandemic, the woolshed's native timber floorboards are naturally oiled with lanolin and its walls carry old-school graffiti made by shearers who have long-since passed through. "Our get-togethers are a real social event," Lisa explains, gesturing to the comfy couches that add some slouchy chic to the space. "And as much as it's about knitting, it's also about life in general. There's nothing off limits here, anything and everything gets talked about!"

Lisa cooked up the idea for the knitting group four years ago as a way to reach out to others who live in the nearby village, Pirinoa, and the wider Wairarapa. She put up a community notice and a Facebook post and, as word got around, the group quickly grew in size. Lisa kept boiling the jug and lighting the fire, and soon the woolshed doors were flung open to accommodate the women travelling in from Ngāwī to the outskirts of Wellington. Today, the knitting circle has around a dozen regular members and makes everything from scarfs to jumpers.

"At first, everyone kind of pigeonholed the group that it would be this older crew, but we have had all sorts of ages coming through," Lisa says. "We even had a woman from the Hawke's Bay come and park up her camper for the weekend because she had heard about the group and just wanted to experience it. We have some really cool women who have led really amazing lives."

Lisa and her husband, Kurt Portas, made the South Wairarapa station their home twelve years ago after Kurt started as a shepherd. Raised rurally in Takapau, Central Hawke's Bay, Kurt had farming jobs during the school holidays growing up and always enjoyed working on the land - but for Lisa, a city girl originally from the United Kingdom, it's been a steep learning curve. For several years she held down her successful career in retail management, commuting from the station to Wellington - and later, Masterton - every day, but it soon became a slog.

"I was really eyes on the prize for a while and working my way up," Lisa says. "Kurt was out here doing what he loved, and I was leaving at six in the morning and getting home at eight at night - and that wasn't what we wanted our family life to look like. Then all of a sudden, Palliser Ridge was the right opportunity and everything fell into place here."

The owners of Palliser Ridge, Jim and Marilyn Law, had seen Kurt and Lisa's commitment and spark and, on a day like any other, they asked the couple to stop by for a chat. The Laws brought the couple in as equity partners, with Kurt managing the farm and Lisa using her knowledge in retail to help expand the Palliser Ridge brand, and now the young family own a good chunk of the land they care deeply about.

"Our eldest son, Beauden, was tiny, he was really little, and Jim and Marilyn just sat us down and said they were keen to bring us into the farm," Lisa explains. "It was a real shock for us. I don't think it was something we ever aimed for because it just felt so far away that it wouldn't be a reasonable goal to have. We had already put down roots here, we were already pretty invested anyway, so it was amazing to know we could stay for the long-term."

Today, the old woolshed is still the heart of the farm - just with a few new projects that add to its character. The farm offers creative classes where artists are invited to share their knowledge of natural dyeing, wool spinning, weaving and needle punch. There's also off-grid accommodation, tours and a little shop to show off the Palliser Ridge range of blankets, beanies and scarves - all from wool grown on the station. "The artist classes evolved out of the knitting group," Lisa says. "There are lots of women in the area who have skills to offer. They are all so passionate, and they also help to tell our story because they know what we are about and support what we are doing on the farm."

This is the way Lisa and Kurt want to bring up their two sons, Beauden, 8, and Axel, 6 - where life and work fit together and where connections to the land and the people matter. "Sometimes when you live a bit further away, getting out and about isn't always as easy. So, when I see a car full of people pulling up who live an hour and a half away, it's so great. My colleagues from Wellington come over sometimes and say we are in the middle of nowhere, but it has never felt like that. Kurt's always been involved with the local rugby club and now we are involved with tennis, school and church. Kurt's also on the local Beef + Lamb Farmer Council, which supports lots of activities for sheep and beef farmers. There's all sorts of different things going on and we love feeling like we are a part of something."

Lisa and Kurt have always had an open-gate policy at the 1,500 hectare station and enjoy inviting strangers to come and have a nosey during Open Farms, which they have participated in over the past two years. The old woolshed fills up with people sitting on hay bales, and Lisa and Kurt share their story with whoever wants to listen. "We've been able to connect to some neat people and have made some amazing friendships through Open Farms and our work with Beef + Lamb," Lisa says. "It's really awesome to be able to have so many people visit the station with their children. They might not have a strong tie to farming like people used to, but they want their kids to see what we are doing - to watch the dogs, sit out on the grass, have a picnic. And then we have people who are really keen on understanding the decisions we make and what kind of environmental things are happening. It's all an opportunity to connect."

The couple's two boys tag in on whatever mum and dad are doing, helping Kurt in the yards or basking in the attention of the wool-covered women - especially during smoko time. "Beauden and Axel love the bikkies!" says Lisa, with an eye roll and a laugh. "The farm staff also have an uncanny way of showing up five minutes after the knitting group has finished to see if there are any treats left over. We are so happy with the life we have here. When Kurt and I do things, we do them fully and everything with the station and the classes has just evolved naturally. They're a really neat part of our community now."

Lisa admits to only being a quarter of the way through a scarf herself. Her contribution is more about making sure that the cuppas are hot, the banter is lively, and the baking is close at hand. It's a way of life that's stitched indelibly to the land and makes you feel at home.