{"id":407673,"date":"2026-05-02T01:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T01:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/407673\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T01:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T01:58:10","slug":"aramoana-stations-1905-cooks-cottage-has-walls-that-can-speak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/407673\/","title":{"rendered":"Aramoana Station\u2019s 1905 Cook\u2019s Cottage has walls that can speak"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 1905-built Cook\u2019s Cottage is an endearing example.<\/p>\n

Originally part of the Aramoana Station farming operation of McHardy Estate, it\u2019s now a standalone private getaway. And, as it happens, it\u2019s on the market.<\/p>\n

In a former life it housed cooks who were tasked to feed about 20 of the station\u2019s working men. Big appetites and a big ask given electricity didn\u2019t arrive until 1957.<\/p>\n

Hence for the first half-century of its life, coal and wood-fired ranges were a cook\u2019s only option.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe cottage’s interior ‘weatherboard’ lookalike is more likely tongue and groove profile panelling. Photo \/ Mark Story<\/p>\n

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom holding isn\u2019t a classic bach in scale \u2014 but it has many of the vibes.<\/p>\n

For starters, there\u2019s not a clock in the place; timeless and unrushed.<\/p>\n

Sections of the indoor and outdoor weatherboard cladding are almost identical, making for informality. <\/p>\n

Curious about the interior cladding, I sent a photo to executive member of Historic Places Aotearoa, James Blackburne.<\/p>\n

He said the cladding was more likely tongue-and-groove panelling. <\/p>\n

\u201cWeatherboards were often used on the interior, except usually as skirtings and door or window architraves. They simply turned them around.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an unusual profile in that the board is a lot wider than normal, but that would make it quicker to install.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frankly, it should be employed more often. Interior weatherboards are infinitely cosier than modern internal cladding \u2014 and far better at storing memories. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re quiet, and if you listen, they\u2019re walls that can speak.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never had a conversation with plasterboard.<\/p>\n

The cottage\u2019s design is courtesy of architect and former mayor of Palmerston North (via Denmark) Ludolf Georg West.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a reminder that New Zealand\u2019s colonial architecture is more than just British vernacular.<\/p>\n

More often than not it\u2019s a medley. <\/p>\n

In this case, the home has been shaped by a mix of Scandinavian, Manawat\u016b and Scottish influence. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s also an endemic element as it sits at the foot of the imposing Ikatere hilltop, and is built of heart kauri floated south from Coromandel.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Cooks’ Cottage section was a great place to forage. Ti kouka leaves (fire starter), kawakawa, feijoa, nasturtium, walnuts and limes. Photo \/ Mark Story<\/p>\n

Listing agent Linda Watson wrote that it \u201cconnects the property to a much deeper story\u201d.<\/p>\n

Bang on. So storied.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to know what dishes the cooks plated up.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m thinking primarily mutton (not sure when beef was introduced to the station), rabbit, hare, duck, maybe turkey, home grown vegetables and, of course, seafood. <\/p>\n

A large concrete base in the middle of the dining and kitchen area once bore the weight of a big bread-baking oven.<\/p>\n

Given its culinary pedigree I thought it only right to see what I could forage for dinner using only fire, like the cottage\u2019s powerless pre-50s.<\/p>\n

New Zealand cooks\u2019 quarters were often accompanied by a stand of cabbage trees, t\u012b k\u014duka. <\/p>\n

The theory being they were purposely planted nearby as their dry leaves were great for starting the fire. Sure enough, a string of t\u012b k\u014duka lined the cottage\u2019s fenceline.<\/p>\n

My protein was in hand (half a chook) but it needed jazzing up given the ghosts of old cooks were watching me.<\/p>\n

The section didn\u2019t disappoint: walnuts, feijoas, edible nasturtium flowers, kawakawa, an abundance of limes and a bundle of t\u012b k\u014duka leaves to spark the fire. <\/p>\n

\"I'mI’m hoping my overdone grilled chook with foraged fruit and nasturtium butter may have made the old quarter’s cooks smile. Photo \/ Mark Story<\/p>\n

Thanks to friends down the road Rob and Jane, who gifted me a knob of butter and some firewood for the brazier, it was cook time.<\/p>\n

Grilled chook (with some wafts of kawakawa smoke), nasturtium and feijoa butter with toasted limes and walnuts.<\/p>\n

Truth be told, the fowl was overdone. But I\u2019m just hoping, somewhere, it was enough to make an old Aramoana cook smile.<\/p>\n

Do you know of a Hawke\u2019s Bay bach that you think deserves a profile? If so email mark.story@hbtoday.co.nz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 1905-built Cook\u2019s Cottage is an endearing example. Originally part of the Aramoana Station farming operation of McHardy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":407674,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[175446,49647,209774,442,498,499,500,104238,7793,3390,198,53988,77340,8994,33092,501,32896,156,64600,11424,2740,71,6871,1976,24396,32573,111,139,2551,69,1963,5815,22139,12418,427,1361,3755,1865,24034],"class_list":["post-407673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-175446","tag-aramoana","tag-aramoanas","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-baches","tag-bays","tag-best","tag-can","tag-chefs","tag-cooks","tag-cottage","tag-deputy","tag-design","tag-editor","tag-entertainment","tag-fiery","tag-finds","tag-former","tag-from","tag-has","tag-hawkes","tag-inspiration","tag-mark","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-night","tag-nz","tag-series","tag-speak","tag-spends","tag-stations","tag-story","tag-that","tag-third","tag-today","tag-walls"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=407673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/407674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=407673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=407673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=407673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}