Mataia Homestead

The fist stop off on the Hyundai Country Calendar cook book is Mataia Homestead at Glorit.  You'll find this beautiful old building west of Wellsford on the Kaipara Coast Highway. 

Featured here are three generations…Jane, Jenny, Allyson in front of the homestead, with our handsome Hyundai Santa Fe.  Kevin finds himself in the driving seat and wordsmith Joan is at the end of the line.  

The lovely old home was built in 1890 and, although it’s been substantially restored after falling into disrepair, it still reflects the lives of the seven generations of the Gardner family. With a very rich 144 years of history, they are connected to the home they grew up in. Part of the property is now a conservation area where a major Kiwi recovery project is overseen by fifth generation family members Gill and Kevin Adshead and son-in-law Shane. Gill and Kevin’s daughter Jenny manages the homestead as a guest house, function center and the base for a two-day walk over the farm. The walk through native bush, to coastal forest and salt marshes is the home to a wide range of birds,

No surprises from a farming family, baking is a family affair among the ladies and a lot of fun takes place in the farmhouse kitchen while baking mumma's, mum's, mum recipes.