25 Years of Country Life - Queen of the Castle

In celebration of Country Life's 25th anniversary, we're resurfacing stories that have captured the interest of our listeners and readers over the years.

This 2008 piece about writer Christine Fernyhough's midlife change from the Auckland business world to a spectacular high country station in Canterbury is one of them...

Castle Hill Station. Photo: Bayleys

Fernyhough left the city to become a farmer just four years before Cosmo Kentish-Barnes visited her at Castle Hill. In 2007, she published the bestselling The Road to Castle Hill: A High Country Love Story.

In 2019, Christine moved to 25 acres on the clay soils of Hakaru in Northland, an hour and a half north of Auckland.

Photo: Supplied

Photo: 123rf

Castle Hill Station, Selwyn, Canterbury Photo:

The homestead at Castle Hill Station. Photo: Bayleys

Related:

Christine Fernyhough: mid-century living in the Butterfly House

For over 30 years, Christine Fernyhough has built an extraordinary collection of over 4,000 everyday objects of mid-century New Zealand craft, design and folk art. She talks to Jim about the collection.

The Crown Lynn display in Christine's bedroom

The Three Faces of Eve lampbase. Ceramic Crown Lynn potters circa 1945 - 1955

Flora's dressing table with Burlington Berties' bone china flamingoes and hand carved clothes brushes.

The sleepout with its vinyl orange poufs

Living room with 60's surfboard

The bach from the back

The Living Room with its many colours; leopard print, bright orange, red, yellow.

A bevy of Crown Lynn swans including coloured swans

Swans and a range of Crown Lynn vases. 1950's Vitra sunburst clock by George Nelson for Howard Miller clock manufacturer. And Vladimir Tretchikoff's Chinese Girl.

The living room, home to the Dolls House

The kitchen with its formica table, vinyl sleigh chairs and chrome stools.

Christine Fernyhough - The Museum of the Everyday

Christine Fernyhough's Museum of the Everyday is a collection of objects related to New Zealand craft, design, folk art and social history. 

Auckland businesswoman turned high country farmer and writer

Kim Hill meets Christine Fernyhough