By contrast, this Easter time was a celebration for my family of being all together for the first time since Christmas. The hot, sunny weather was an added bonus.

For my heroine, Eliza, in my book, Waireka, family was really important too. The early pioneers had to be tough and resilient and the families had to work hard, pulling together to make a successful living. This, Eliza feels, will certainly be a contributing factor to the success of the Waireka Butter Factory.

“She felt in her heart this was just the beginning of something much bigger, although she knew they would all have to work hard to grow the business and increase the cows to the projected two hundred they envisaged. Along with Murray, Henry, Peter and Adam, Sue, Annie, herself and the children would all have to play their part in the success of the company…if Alister’s plan to export the butter across New Zealand was going to work.” (Waireka, Chapter 12 p 192-3)