Based in Waimate District, but our stories don’t stop at the district line.

Whether you're just down the road or across the world, you’ll recognise the faces and places - and discover new ones.

Every district has its stories.

From farm gates to main streets, kitchens to clubrooms - life here is full of stories.

Join us, share yours, and see what’s happening just across the fence.

Got an idea for a story? Send us an email and share your ideas.

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Featured
Free stalls encourage next generation of market traders
Free stalls encourage next generation of market traders

Young entrepreneurs are now a regular feature at the Waimate Community Market.

After trialling free stalls for kids in January and seeing a strong response, the market committee has decided to make the idea permanent.

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Roselyn Fauth reflects, one year after her Aoraki Woman of the Year win
Roselyn Fauth reflects, one year after her Aoraki Woman of the Year win

Ahead of this year’s Aoraki Woman of the Year event, we caught up with Roselyn Fauth nee Cloake to talk about the work that led to her nomination, and how the win gave her space to stop, reflect, and ask a bigger question about whose stories get told - and whose don’t.

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Government backs The Waimate Trail with major funding boost
Government backs The Waimate Trail with major funding boost

The New Zealand Government has committed significant funding to The Waimate Trail, marking a major step forward for the scenic cycling and walking project that has gathered steady community support.

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New Waimate Fund invites locals to leave a lasting legacy
New Waimate Fund invites locals to leave a lasting legacy

A crowd gathered at Waimate’s historic Quinns Arcade on Tuesday night for the launch of the Waimate District Fund - a new endowment fund designed to grow over time and provide ongoing grants for local community projects.

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Turning a dream into something real
Turning a dream into something real

There are a lot of stand-out homes across our rural districts, covering every era and style.

This article steps inside one of them. A dream home that was planned and refined on paper and Pinterest for 10-15 years, before being brought to life by David Reid Homes.

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Registrations open for The Big Easy
Registrations open for The Big Easy

The Big Easy is back!

Registrations are now open for the Veterinary Centre Whitehorse Big Easy, which returns on Sunday 29 March 2026.

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Andrew Jones steps into principal role at Waimate High School
Andrew Jones steps into principal role at Waimate High School

We’ve been chatting to new Waimate High School principal Andrew Jones about where he’s come from, why he’s here, and why South Canterbury is a great place to raise and educate kids.

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Whitehorse trails get new signage as use continues to grow
Whitehorse trails get new signage as use continues to grow

Regular users of the Whitehorse trails will notice something new this summer - map board signs have been installed across the trail network, marking a practical step in its evolution - from a local riders’ playground to a professional district asset.

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Culture counts here
Culture counts here

How does a small rugby club on the South Island’s east coast become NZ Rugby’s Club of the Year in 2025?

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We don’t let kids fail
We don’t let kids fail

Did you know that Waimate High School now sits at the top end of schools in the Aoraki region in several areas, including academic?

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Rural high school myth busting
Rural high school myth busting

Small rural schools mean limited opportunities? At Waimate High School - the opposite has proven true.

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Dr Margaret Cruickshank and the town that never forgot her
Dr Margaret Cruickshank and the town that never forgot her

More than a century on, Dr Margaret Cruickshank is still part of everyday life in Waimate.

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District Places

Shining a spotlight on the places locals love and visitors won’t want to miss.

  • Waimate Community Market

    Weekends in Waimo start with a visit to the Waimate Community Market.

    And not just for Waimos, it's a drawcard for people across the district lines.

    It's an old-school farmer's market where you can stock up on produce and plants. There's crafts, lots of second hand stalls, baking, butchery and good coffee.

    Seddon Square, Waimate.
    Every Saturday from 9am - 11am

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  • The Waimate Trail - Te Ara Waimatemate

    The newest addition to Waimate district’s popular network of walking and cycling trails, linking town with country

    Test ride the open section now, and come back to tackle Stage One, from Waimate to Waihao Forks, when it opens this year.

    Learn more

  • Waimate Art Gallery

    A standout regional gallery. Discover established and emerging artists worth adding to your collection.

    Waimate Art Gallery
    18 Shearman Street, Waimate.
    Phone: 027 439 1979

    Opening hours:
    Thursday - Sunday, 11am - 3pm.
    Or, 10.30am on Saturdays in summer. Plus, open by arrangement.

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Imports and exports

Some of our favourite locals started out somewhere else - and some are now calling somewhere else home.
Imports and exports is about the people who’ve arrived and the people who’ve left, their motivations and observations, and just a general catch-up.

Imports and exports
Jo Sutherland
Jo Sutherland

You can’t beat a yarn with a bit of coincidence and synchronicity - and this one has both.

More than a century apart, two Scottish lasses fell in love with men from the same family and ended up calling Centrewood Estate home. And it all began with the toss of a coin.

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Steph and Rick Stevens
Steph and Rick Stevens

This is a story about a boy from Atlanta who met a California girl in the Caribbean. And, after applying for a job in Waimate thinking it was Sydney - ended up building multiple businesses here. Where spiders are smaller and wallabies are a pest, not a national treasure.

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Sarah Thomas
Sarah Thomas

Sarah Thomas grew up on Leonard Street in Waimate, where food was grown and cooked at home.

Years later, that upbringing helped shape Blended by Sarah, an award winning business supplying whole-food enteral meals across Australia and New Zealand - on the cusp of global expansion.

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Kirsten Simmons
Kirsten Simmons

CEO of Talking Tree Hill, Kirsten Simmons, was raised on the family farm in Waimate district - which shaped her early years and has never really stopped pulling her home.

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Lorraine Shortus
Lorraine Shortus

Originally from Ealing in West London, Lorraine landed in Waimate 23 years ago and never left.

These days she’s bringing colour, creativity and commerce to the main street via the The Quirky Magpie.

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Who should we talk to? If you know someone with a story to share - or if that someone is you - please get in touch, we’d love to chat

Nominate someone
It’s back! Registrations are open for the Whitehorse Big Easy! Go big - or go easy. And if a half marathon has been sitting on your 'one day' list - this is it. The event includes a 21km run this year. Register now and: 🚴‍♀️ Get your
Tonight another extraordinary South Canterbury woman will be named Woman of the Year 2026. Congratulations to the nominees and finalists. Ahead of the announcement, we caught up with last year's winner, Roselyn Fauth. It's an inspirational walk thr
Met Lex. It took three separate visits to get him in a photo, but he's a hard case so the yarns were worth it. Lex grows flowers and produce from seed and sells them at the Waimate Community Market . He’s also a wood turner, with fantastic wo
The Waimate Trail - Te Ara Waimatemate project has been successful in securing $200,000 from the Government's Major Events and Tourism Package. Project manager Jo Sutherland and the Waimate2gether committee have had to sit on this news until the off
We talk to everyone's favourite project manager, Jo Sutherland, in our our latest Import column. It's a really lovely story of coincidence and fate that's seen two Scottish lasses make a life and home at Centrewood Estate - and it all started on a G
Meet Stan Seymour. He was a bit of a legend, regarded as one of the all time greats. He played for Newcastle United and later managed the club. He was the first person to win the FA Cup with the same club as both a player (1924) and a manager (195
Quinns Arcade came to life on Tuesday night. The historic building hosted the launch of the Waimate District Fund - an exciting new initiative led by the Aoraki Foundation and Waimate District Charitable Foundation. We’ve got photos from the

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