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What does a day in Manawatū look like to you?
It always starts with coffee at 8! That’s what we call our team briefing. I like it because we get to meet in the cafe and it gives us all a nice slow way to start the day, catch up with the crew and get across what is happening. We offer so much at Awastone now with the cafe, accommodation, river activities; it can make for a lot of moving parts.
Then, anything goes from there! I could be on the river for the day, which I love, because then my office is the beautiful Papa cliffs and the gorgeous Rangitīkei river. In the summertime the river has the most lovely colours, it’s warm, and great for swimming and splashing. We have a few river offerings but our most popular is definitely the grade two rafting. It is easy enough to be inclusive for everyone, but challenging enough for some fun - more adventurous folk will jump into the river somewhere along the way and you can guarantee someone always gets pushed in! When we get to the bottom, the team will pick us up and we head back to the cafe for a complimentary cuppa and chippies. Chatting to the clients is one of my favourite parts of the day and most stay on for a beer or hang out afterwards. If they are camping onsite they might jump in the hot tub or go back for a swim. All while we get ready for the next run - we can do up to three runs in a day back to back.
I bet you sleep well after a day like that! What if you don’t get the call up to the river activities?
You definitely can get puffed out! But the day for guides wraps up about 4.30pm so there’s always time for a beer with the customers afterwards - happy days! Sometimes I will even pop back and work in the evening’s on the bar. My husband Jure and I live close (almost onsite) about 150 metres upstream in a cabin so we can pop in and help wherever needed.
If I don’t get a day out on the water I will most likely be in the office. I have a background in marketing so I’ve taken on the role of dedicated marketer since moving back. At the end of the day though, I really see my role as putting out fires. I just go where I am needed so I never know what I am going to get! I’ll basically pick up whatever comes my way - today we have a vehicle that won’t start so that’s my problem to solve.
How does it feel to come back to the place you grew up?
Growing up on the river was so rewarding, it is the best backyard you can have and such a cool lifestyle. Coming home to the river is a massive part of why we moved back here and I am excited to see how we can keep growing Awastone. It feels like a full circle moment, moving back at this stage of my life with Jure and getting the chance to work on the business my parents Paul and Trisha have built. We get to ensure it carries on - and give them some well deserved time off!
How has your husband enjoyed moving back to your hometown?
It is a lifestyle change that’s for sure! Jure is an adrenaline seeker and very experienced kayaker, always looking for the next big river or adventure. So as long as we are by the water he is happy. His favourite bit about our location here in Manawatū is the variety. It is a great playground for multi-sport training and Jure enjoys training people for events like the Coast to Coast. The river provides a challenge, while the back country roads are great for cycling and the tracks are perfect for running. Jure is from Slovenia and he also has a hand in managing a similar company back there so that experience has been very helpful.
You must have lots of visitors wanting to come and explore this great part of the country.
Absolutely! We love hosting and exploring the river either rafting or kayaking with them. One trip I particularly love doing is down to the boulders or the grand canyon of the Rangitīkei. We often go on half day floats and have lunch on the river. Over Christmas we hosted friends and spent a lot of time exploring the surrounding hills tramping through the Ruahines and did the Deadman's Loop to Rangiwahia Hut - the view of the mountains was so worth it!
Do you ever sit still?
We definitely enjoy the active lifestyle on offer in Manawatū. Probably our favourite off the river activity is actually mountain biking so we were stoked to discover Arapuke Mountain Bike Park! That place is fantastic, we head over there any chance we can get.
Seriously though when we do get some downtime we head into town to do our shopping. We tend to get into Feilding once a week for our bigger grocery shop - it’s super convenient to get around without too much hustle and bustle. Every so often we will pop into Palmy to do odd jobs so when we do we make a day of it. We love stopping into one of the cafes, like Munch for coffee and Haru is our go to for dinner!
Last question, what’s next for Awastone?
We have lots of ideas! At the moment though I would say it’s our cafe that’s our shining star. Our Chef Wiremu has taken that place to a new level. He’s even got us entered into the Burger Nation Competition so that’s a new, exciting step for us.
If you need another reason to visit Awastone, you can enjoy their burger creation for Burger Nation from Wednesday 29th January until Sunday 2nd March, 2025.
Palmerston North City i-SITE
The Square, Palmerston North
0800 MANAWATU
(626 292)
[email protected]
Feilding and District
Information Centre
Feilding Railway Station
61 Aorangi Street
+64 6 323 3318
[email protected]
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