As we continued south along the east coast of the south island there is a long stretch of road interrupted by only one point of interest, that stop is called The Store in Kaikura. For about 45 km either way there is nothing but sheep, cattle and coastline. The store is a rest stop, a leg stretch and a wonderful place to eat. For those that know, just up the hill from the store is the home of Susan and Richard Macfarlane, called Wintherhome.
Perched high on a windswept bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with views extending north to the North Island and south to Christchurch.
Sue generously took time for her work in the kitchen at the store and dove us up the hill to show us the garden, what a treat. Sue is third generation to that property, and is a part of the farm, the coast and the fabric of this country. A woman of absolutely no pretense, she told us the garden is not up to being shown at this point, but made no apologies for it. The wonderful old bones of the original design are still their if you look, but native New Zealand bush has taken over some areas of the garden, the paths a beds still define the spaces, only the palette has changed. One might think this is laziness or sloppiness on their part, but no. There is certain relentlessness to the native flora here. Unlike back in the states, were bare or disturbed ground is not maintained, invasive or aggressive often exotic species invade and cause problems.
In the island biology of New Zealand, that same exposed area simply reseeds or recovers with dormant seed of primarily native species, culturally adapted to this environment, with regional subtleties of course. These native species are suited to this environment and need little in terms of additional moisture or fertility.
I have a much better understanding of why Sue chose to allow this to happen, she’s simply not the type to give up without a fight.
We had the opportunity to meet two of Sue’s sons, one manning the front of the house at the restaurant, and another washing dishes on a break home from training. He is on the New Zealand Yacht crew for the Americas cup to be challenged in two years in Spain.
Be still Lenny’s beating heart……
Sue and RichardMacfarlane
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