Just kidding, but I was very pleased to pick up the latest issue of North & South Magazine, NZ's #1 current affairs publication, to see an article on the recent "Running of the Sheep" in Te Kuiti. The team that wrote and photographed for the article stayed with us at Struan Farm during their visit to the area, and we were hoping we might get a positive mention.
Well, guess what? It was more than a "mention!" Several lovely photos by photographer Ken Downie, of the track that passes alongside the pond, a delicious-looking bowl of my homemade muesli with Piopio Berry Orchard berries, and one of John & me (both of us are rather camera shy, so we're flinching a bit about that one...). Jenny Nicholls, who authored the article, was kind enough to send along Ken's photos for us to share with you.
And to quote what she had to say about Struan Farm:
A drop-dead gorgeous 25 ha sheep farm north south of Piopio studded with two blocks of QE2 Trust-covenanted native bush, plus park-like stands of established exotic trees planted by the owner's parents before the mid-1950's. Accommodation options are private and self-contained, and consist of a lovely homestead built in 1908, a three-bedroom farm cottage, and a mega-cute riverside hut. You will find plentiful breakfast ingredients, including homemade bread and muesli and local berries. For a bit of an adventure, we loved the awesome "Jim's Hut" next to the Mangaotaki River."
Many thanks to the team at North & South for this. They also had great things to say about Piopio's "legendary" Fat Pigeon Cafe and its owner Melanie Simpson. Our friends at Hairy Feet Waitomo also were mentioned. Hooray for Piopio!
Excellent! Of course they loved Struan Farm! (These were the folks that visited when we were there I presume?) Well deserved!
Posted by: Tracy | 06/15/2017 at 01:47 PM