For anyone thinking about moving to a rural lifestyle, here's the hilarious, heartwarming and brutal reality.
 
Rebecca Hayter was a high-profile yachting journalist based in Auckland, New Zealand when she followed a whim to buy a lifestyle block at Golden Bay in the South Island
— but she didn’t know what she didn’t know.
 
Unexpectedly in charge of chickens, sheep and an orchard, Rebecca shamelessly exploited local knowledge as she tackled drought, isolation and the mysteries of her Massey Ferguson 135. As a journalist, she explored local politics and the differences between urban and rural New Zealand. As a daughter, she explored the most complex relationship of her life.

Based on High Heels and Gumboots, Best Columnist/Blogger, Magazine Media Awards 2020 (North & South magazine).