Pick of the crop

Here’s our pick-of-the-crop. Zealong Tea Estate was thrilled to host Miss Universe NZ finalist Nurul Shamsul’s Beyond Beauty on Sunday. 

Nurul is one of 20 finalists in this year’s pageant.  The 20-year-old former Morrinsville College student is the first Muslim hijabi contestant in the history of the competition, and only the second in the world.  She told Stuff she wanted to prove that beauty is so much more than what can be seen on the outside.  “To me beauty is about holding yourself with integrity and grace and above all being true to yourself.”  The grand final is in Auckland on August 4.

Still at Zealong, and a flashback to Fieldays –  the team were visited at their site by Darryl Roberts, who grew up on the farm.  He even brought photos of the dairy farm which his father, Richard Roberts, ran from 1952 to 1985. Dick was a Welshman and a great lover of tea, so Darryl thinks he would have loved what happened to the farm.

There was plenty going on at SKIDS Puketaha when the task was making s’mores recently. (Could someone please tell N8N was a s’more is?  I think it’s something round and yummy…)

Classic cars were out in force at Prof’s @ Woodlands last week – “We love it when car clubs come visit us. Many photo ops, plus great people with a common passion.”

And finally, a wee something from me. When I was little, I loved visiting the most beautiful garden in Auckland, cared for by my Grandmother Iris. Not long before she died, she told me her one regret from all her years’ gardening was that she couldn’t grow bird of paradise. Annette, aged 6, vowed to grow some for her. It took a little longer than I expected, but here it is. Because of the frosts we get in Gordonton, this plant has been kept indoors for its first few years, then planted out in the courtyard and thoroughly fussed over. When it threw up a flower spike in late Summer, I wasn’t sure if it would make it. But look. For Grandmother, with love.

Who says we’re not tropical in Gordonton?

Share this page: