Five things living in Dargaville has taught me.

Climbed Tokatoka peak, an icon in Dargaville.

I have been living in Dargaville now for six months, SIX MONTHS! I can’t believe it. Here’s five things this not so sleepy town has shown this former city girl:

Where food comes from:

The moo cows down the road I walk - they always stare at me as if they are plotting a take over...

We killed the brown cow the other day. When I say “we” I mean the butcher who does home kills but I was certainly an accomplice. I have watched her grow while I have been living here – I almost told her to slow down as she chomped away at the grass so she got to live longer. Grant and Cherry, who I live with, rear cattle and now there are three cows left in their paddock wondering where their mate went... Yes it’s sad – but if you eat meat then an animal has to die, that’s the reality of it.

Mixing with people you wouldn’t normally is refreshing:

A 24 year old single mother of two young boys has befriended me at work. My close friends in Auckland don’t have kids and they’re all living similar lives to me – adventure and travel seems to be at the top of their priority lists not nappies and baby oil. She is someone I wouldn’t normally socialise with but we get on and I am pretty inspired by her. She got expelled from school at 16 and went on to be a partner in a catering business, she owns two houses and works almost fulltime in the accounts department at the Lifestyler – she seems to be living the life of somebody much older than 24 and although I’m no where ready for that life – she intrigues me.

Everyone makes mistakes:

In my first week of working at the paper I learnt what happens when you make a mistake in the news industry. In Dargaville, people take what is printed as gospel fact and what may seem like a tiny error turned out to have a major effect on someone’s life. The actual story was a fluffy little photo caption about high school students tramping the tongariro crossing but I quoted the wrong person as the principal. The actually principal got sent leaving gifts as everyone thought he had been fired! Ever since then I have been very careful to triple check titles and names as it is so easy to get it wrong – especially over the phone. 

Trying new things:

 I played my second game of volleyball with a group of really good people. Most of them know each other through going to the same church and even though I’m not religious they accept me and laugh with me when I hit the ball in the opposite direction than where it’s supposed to go. 

I went to my first hip hop dance class tonight – filled with the girls I play volleyball with – so we laughed when we couldn’t do the moves and cheered when we could! There is speak of doing a routine in front of an audience.............. hmmm.

Quirkiness:

Leon Searle in the gardens he has created over the past 40 years

Dargaville has such quirks to it which is kind of adorable – there is Leon Searle in Te kopuru who has built a garden out of buoys and this town has a community circus where kids gain confidence by learning new trick, there’s a woman with mental health issues who keeps clam by tending to her garden made out of dolls (yes you heard right, dolls as in the ones little girls play with.)

I went to a festival in the weekend which was a mix of live music (expected) but then they also had cheese making workshops as well as drumming and learning circus tricks and even a kids corner filled with toys.

Things are done a bit differently up here and it’s definitely starting to grow on me and get me out of my Auckland soy latte sipping bubble, although I have to admit I do miss them!