A simple life at New Zealand’s own Niagara Falls
The owner of a cafe´ operating out of a former Catlins schoolhouse likes to keep things simple with homegrown and home baked goods, writes Damian Rowe. This is the latest in our series On The Road.
While the Niagara Falls bordering Canada and the United States may be too difficult to get to because of Covid-19, there is another iconic Niagara Falls in reach.
The Southland settlement of Niagara Falls was named for its 1-metre waterfall by a surveyor with a sense of humour. The falls is on the Waikawa River about 2km upriver from the Waikawa Harbour.
Cafe owner Sue Thompson describes her cafe, which is near Waikawa, as a place for simple living.
Most of the items on the cafe’s menu are homegrown and home baked on the 2 hectares of land that features gardens and sections for sheep grazing.
Thompson’s days start with baking before staff come in at 9.30am.
She then moves to bookwork, before helping with the lunch service, and gardening in the afternoon.
Currently, she parsley, spinach, potatoes.
The area is situated in a valley and has its own micro-climate. Thompson, originally from Christchurch, could not believe how well food grew in this section of Southland.
The business is a family affair. Thompson bought it with her daughter Laura, whose cycling career began to take off at the same time.
Laura represented New Zealand is growing lettuce and
in the paralympics as a tandem pilot for Phillipa Gray in London in 2012, and went to Rio in 2016 with Emma Foy.
As Laura’s cycling work picked up with coaching, Thompson began playing a larger role in the cafe.
But Laura is still her adviser, and has influenced the cafe´’s ethos of providing healthy food, Thompson says.
‘‘I wanted to make it so that people could dine here and their stomach was fine the next day.’’
Long-time staff member Lina Kilat came with the cafe´ when the Thompsons took over in 2010, and head chef Ravi Pal has been there for five years.
Thompson believes she would struggle to replace them if they left as it is hard to attract people to live in the Catlins.
Staffing is also limited because of the space – the cafe´ is located in a former single-classroom school, which operated from 1893 to 1972.
The kitchen is in the former cloak room, which means she can’t hire anyone bigger than herself, she jokes.
The building had been decorated with artwork mostly done by Laura and Kilat.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the cafe´ got 80 per cent of its income during the summer tourist period, but Thompson isn’t expecting the same return this summer.
In the 10 years she has owned the cafe´, wages have doubled and food supply costs have increased by 40 per cent, but the menu prices have only increased by 10 per cent.
‘‘You’ve got to actually like what your doing now because you can’t make the same money [as before].’’
‘‘I’m working way more hours for way less money,’’ she said, but it’s the lifestyle she enjoys, and she finds living in the hills calming.
Thompson also enjoys meeting new people. The tourists who come to the cafe´ are typically her age and have like-minded environmental views.
There is strong local support for the cafe´, with a Sunday lunch well-attended by the community.
If it wasn’t for the locals, they probably wouldn’t survive, she says.
‘‘Tourist are the cream but the locals are definitely our bread and butter.’’
On The Road is a series about the best places to eat, explore and enjoy in the South Island this summer. If you know of any other hidden gems, email reporters@press.co.nz