Where is Waiuku? Nestled between Manukau Harbour and Karioitahi Beach, Waiuku (meaning "brown water") is a quirky township with a rich history. The Kentish Hotel, Waiuku's social focal point, is New Zealand's longest-standing tavern, and its walls are decorated in its...
Blue Borage is a Franklin-based consultancy that teaches the art of making exquisite compost. Blue Borage Composting Solutions in Waiuku Katrina Wolff describes herself as an accidental kitchen garden consultant, an edible garden coach and a soilpreneur. She works...
In the heart of Franklin, artist Katie Blundell is cultivating a flourishing artistic practice. Her painted relief works—carved and coloured by hand with meticulous care—explore the collective human experience, the natural environment, and her deep-rooted connections...
From the kitchen of Origine, Ben Bayly's French onion soup recipe is a rich, flavourful broth that celebrates Franklin's world-famous longkeeper onion. Serves 4 • Prep time 20 mins • Cook time 1 hour Ingredients 500 g oxtail 1 onion, sliced 1 carrot, grated 1/3 cup of...
Ben Bayly, chef and creator of the award-winning Ahi in Auckland’s Commercial Bay, also cultivates a productive garden in Franklin, growing many ingredients for his restaurant. The Longkeeper onion, featured recently on a TV series, is one of the vegetables he often...
Photo supplied by Logan Soole At 19 I was skipping college to play Mario-Kart. At that age Logan Soole had done several years of community volunteering and been elected to the Franklin Local Board. Even now, in my 50s, meeting the now 25-year-old on Zoom from the UK,...