Far From Town

Arpége Taratoa-Rangikura meets women at the end of gravel roads and up remote valleys across Aotearoa. Over cups of tea, they talk about love, loss and connection to whenua. From Shepherdess magazine.See further images from the series:Far From Town websiteGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Jenny Sandford’s life is a whirlwind. From a beauty school dropout to wild times in Canada, from being a cop to now being a mum of four and a sheep and beef farmer in Tairāwhiti. From the immense grief of miscarriage when they lost their firstborn daughter, Nina, to finding joy in line dancing in her wool shed. Jenny takes on whatever comes her way and somehow finds a silver lining. To see more images from the series, visit the RNZ website here: rnz.co.nz/farfromtownGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Country Life presenter Gianina Schwanecke attends the Shepherdess Muster, a weekend retreat filled with crafts, relaxation, learning, fun and connection in the remote rural community of Tokanui in Southland.You can find photos and read more about this story on the RNZ website here.And you can hear more from Julie Keast and the Far From Town women in the Far From Town podcast here.With thanks to:Kristy McGregor, ShepherdessAnd Allesha Ballard-Conway, Louise Patterson, Sophie Green, Dr Helen Paterson from the Women's Health BusJohnny Mauchline from Flying TrestlesTokanui locals Emma-Kate RabbidgeSheila Smith from the Small Prophet Design ShedGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Tuhimoana - known as Rore - Aupouri runs Makarika Station, on the east coast. Though the mahi is hard, it’s clear that for Rore farming, training her dogs and riding on horseback isn’t just a job, it’s a whole lifestyle she lives, breathes and loves.To see more images from the series, visit the RNZ website here: rnz.co.nz/farfromtown Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Sharon Wharepapa's life has been a journey from a childhood in Lower Hutt, to the Gold Coast, to now, living on the edges of the Raukūmara ranges. It’s a bit of a love story… But beyond that, it's a story about identity, connection and how sometimes, there is a greater purpose to finding love..."To see more images from the series, visit the RNZ website here: rnz.co.nz/farfromtownGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Elizabeth Hera Cunningham (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Irakehu, Ngāti Mutunga ki Wharekauri) KSO JP, lives just a stone’s throw from her marae, Tūtehuarewa at Koukourarata on the Banks Peninsula, where generations of her whānau have lived – and a place that is woven into the fabric of who she is.To see more images from the series, visit the RNZ website here: rnz.co.nz/farfromtownGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details