The Rose in the Lily Pond

After that horrible anxious moment of waking up and thinking you’ve slept through you’re alarm and now you’re really late for work, and you’ll probably be fired, and forced to do something treacherous to make a living and... then, realising that it’s Sunday and you snuggle back into your covers not caring about the time. It’s the first Sunday that I’ve had absolutely nothing to do, and after relishing it, I was a bit lost. What can I do? I feel like you need knowledge to have fun in the country. There’s an amazing surf beach, but I don’t know how to surf, I want to learn eventually but I’m a bit scared of drowning at that rough west coast beach, you see people riding horses, but I don’t have a horse, and I don’t know how to ride one. I have no interest in hunting or fishing... but I do have legs! So off I go down Turkey Flat road in Te Koporu. First off, it wasn’t flat, and I didn’t see one turkey, so misleading if you ask me, but it was lovely... Peaceful. Rolling coun

Hiking up from the lakes and overlooking the longest drivable beach in NZ. It’s an absolutely stunning area to live. Fresh water, Kai Iwi lakes is only 30 minutes away, and the rough beauty of the wild west coast is accessible at Baylys Beach, a short drive away, but living in a small town will take some getting used to.    I remember coming up for my interview and feeling very much like an outsider. I got a flat white at a local cafe which could compete with any cafe in Auckland, and observed people coming and going. I didn’t feel at ease as I usually do when I enjoy a solo coffee, and I couldn’t really put my finger on it, but now I can – in Auckland, I’m anonymous. No one really cares who you are or what you’re about when you’re sipping on a latte in Auckland which kind of gives you privacy in public spaces. I could happily read ‘50 shades of grey’ for example, but in Dargaville – and I’m not sure if I’m imagining this or not – comers and goers gave me sideways