Cover and feature shot for Shepherdess magazine winter edition 2024 profiling Sandy Waters of Blue Duck Station.

This was a dream assignment for me riding at Blue Duck, and capturing the essence of the magical place that it is.

Sandy Waters remembers a time when the farm life she and her husband, Dan Steele, are now living was still a dream. As their kids grow up, wild and free on 7,200 acres amidst the lush native bush of Ruapëhu at Blue Duck Station, Sandy and Dan welcome visitors to experience their piece of paradise.

Located in the Ruapehu District on the banks of the Whanganui and Retaruke Rivers, and surrounded by Whanganui National Park, Blue Duck Station is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground. Activities range from horse riding, jet boating, kayaking, mountain biking, 4wd bush safari, and The Chef’s Table restaurant offers a unique fine dining experience under the stunning night’s sky. Located on one of the highest points of the station affectionately known as the Top of the World, it has views of the Tongariro and Whanganui national parks.

The station’s core values are to conserve its endangered wildlife, increase the health of native bush and rivers, and preserve the history of the area, while educating visitors about the endangered New Zealand blue duck, other native species and local history.

After years of living the corporate grind, Sandy knew it was time to leave the city and find her calling. "I've always worked in tourism and knew that I wanted to start my own business someday, I just never knew what exactly it would be," says Sandy. As it turns out, her calling was the old nurses home in Raetihi in the North Island's Ruapêhu District. She laughs as she remembers the looks on her friends' faces - "They all thought I had lost my mind!" It was in Raetihi, fifteen years ago, that Sandy met her now-husband, Dan.

The rest they say is history.