Country life
Children climb trees and enjoy lamb and calf day at Koputaroa, Miri Schroeter reports.
REGION: Twinkie bars and Zap flavoured milk is what Nathan Guy remembers from his childhood in Koputaroa – just 8 kilometres from Levin.
Twinkie bars and Zap flavoured milk is what Nathan Guy remembers from his childhood in Koputaroa – just 8 kilometres from Levin.
The Minister for Primary Industries attended Koputaroa School from 1975 to 1982 and still lives on the family farm when he’s not in Wellington.
‘‘The Koputaroa general store, now closed, was a big part of the community as it delivered school lunches once a week. Twinky bars and Zap flavoured milk were treats.’’
He remembers climbing the trees at school, vegetable garden competitions and lamb and calf day. ‘‘I remember occasionally lighting the log-burner fires to warm the three classrooms prior to pupils arriving.
‘‘I really enjoyed putting my axe skills to the test when it came to cutting the kindling.’’
Koputaroa was a ‘‘close-knit rural community’’ with many residents employed in agriculture, horticulture or related services in Levin, Guy said.
When farmer Earl Graham was born ‘‘just the other side of the little knob down there’’, there was the general store and a railway station.
Those were now gone, along with some of the farms that were turned into lifestyle blocks, Graham said. ‘‘Levin seems to be creeping out this way.’’
Koputaroa is still mainly a dairy, sheep and beef farming community.
‘‘It’s peaceful. There’s nothing like country life.’’
Koputaroa School principal Danielle Maclean said the school celebrated 125 years in 2016 and it was still going strong.
The school started as a oneclassroom, one-teacher school and now it had more than 175 pupils, Maclean said.
‘‘You’ve got the lovely rural environment but you’ve still got the modern technology that you’re wanting these days.’’
Children still enjoyed climbing the trees at playtime and although there were a few broken arms, Maclean wouldn’t have the school playground any other way as the children had the freedom to enjoy the country life, she said.