Field Notes: Where the Road Ends, Everything Begins

Some places slow you down whether you like it or not. Karamea is one of them.

Tucked at the very edge of the West Coast, where the road ends and the bush takes over, life here moves to its own rhythm — shaped by weather, land, and the steady work of tending something over time. When my family and I arrived, we didn’t yet know how deeply this place would change us, or how closely the life we were building on the farm would come to mirror the way I now think about care, nourishment, and what it really means to create something that lasts.

Where We Landed

Flashback to 2022 when my family and I purchased a farm in this very remote town on the West Coast of the South Island called Karamea. It is a dead end unless you are keen to park the car and walk the Heaphy track up to Takaka. It’s also an isolated paradise where you can easily get lost in your own world, and I love it here. 

It took time to adjust to living here. I was born and raised in Christchurch, with every convenience right at my doorstep, so moving to the West Coast was a big shift.

Yet in many ways, it wasn’t completely unfamiliar. The Coast had always felt like a second home. My dad grew up in Blackball, and Moana was where we spent countless holidays and weekends. My parents were living in Westport when I was born and moved to Christchurch when I was just three months old, so this place has quietly threaded itself through my whole life.

We created some of our most meaningful family memories here, long summers at Lake Brunner, family time, and a deep connection to nature and small town vibes that stayed with me even when city life took over.

Still, choosing to live here permanently was different from visiting. It meant learning a slower rhythm and embracing a kind of isolation I’d never known before and that adjustment didn’t happen overnight. Over time, though, it became home in a way I hadn’t expected.

When we first arrived, we didn’t know exactly what we wanted to do with the farm. It was already an orchard, growing feijoas, limes and tamarillos but it didn’t take long to realise we needed to make it our own. Being two very fussy perfectionists, we decided to do it properly and do it our way. Blueberries felt right.

Four years later, we have 3,000 plants in the ground and another 9,000 arriving in the coming months.

This work is demanding, but deeply rewarding. These days I spend more time in the office and with the kids, often watching my husband through the window as he works in every kind of weather building soil, fixing machinery, and most recently constructing a tunnel house to shelter our new plants when they arrive in March.

My to-do list never really ends, but I hardly go a day without learning something new. This way of living has reshaped how I think about everything including skincare.

What Blueberries Taught Me About Skin

It has surprised me how much this business venture has taught me about nature and even more about how everything connects.

We started tahi skincare with the belief that plants, people and place are deeply linked, and that what we grow and use matters. Working the land every day has only strengthened that idea.

Plants are resilient, just like people. They can survive a lot. But without the right care, even small stresses build up over time. When our blueberries don’t get the nutrients they need, they begin to suffer. Our skin works the same way — it’s often the first place stress and imbalance show up. Like pain being a message that we need to listen to, so is each small sign of irritation on our skin. 

Tahi skincare was created with this in mind. Just as healthy soil gives plants a strong foundation, our products are designed to support the skin’s natural function helping it repair, strengthen and glow from within.

Not to overcorrect. Not to overwhelm. But to nourish consistently, so less intervention is needed later on.

Tahi products are designed to fit into the rhythm of busy days. A simple ritual. Something grounding, practical and quietly nourishing. Made with plants many of us recognise from our backyards, bush walks and local parks.

Made From the Same Place We Live

Using New Zealand–grown ingredients isn’t a marketing decision for us. It’s simply a reflection of where we live and what we value.

I have gained a huge degree of respect for those who take on the responsibility of growing food and farming; and I am excited to share more with you as I weave this all together with tahi skincare and The Karamea Blueberry Company. 

This blog is a space for me to share some stories from the farm, from daily life, and simple rituals that shape how we care for our skin and ourselves. I’ll also be chatting with people whose work and way of living inspires me, and sharing what I learn along the way.

Thanks so much for being here and reading along.