Two inspiring women with links to North Otago are stepping up to help raise funds for the next generation of inspiring women.

Karen Healey and Myfanwy Alexander are speaking as part of a Waitaki Girls’ High School fundraiser being held across two days at Riverstone Kitchen and Castle next month.

A tour of a Christmassy castle, followed by a two-course lunch, and the women’s speeches are being held on two separate days to raise money for the Waitaki Girls music and drama suite, Board of Trustees member Dagmar Rohrbach said.

Karen is a Christchurch-based author who moved to Ōamaru when she was nine with her family. 

A former Waitaki Girls’ pupil, she describes the school as a “source of a lot of fond memories”.

“I'm really pleased to be coming back and contributing to their fundraiser.”

Karen writes fantasy, science fiction, and magical romance for young adults and adults, and spending most of her formative years in Oamaru has definitely had an influence on her writing, she said.

“I don't write realism, so it's not as if I'm taking people out of my memories and plonking them into my work, but a lot of my understanding of how people relate to each other comes from my time in Ōamaru.

“There's also some direct influence - Oamaru is a setting in one of my most recent books, Bespoke and Bespelled. It's from the point of view of a film crew coming to town, so it's not exactly an insider exposé, but it was a lot of fun to consider how the town might look to outsiders.”

Karen wrote constantly as a child and teenager - “a lot of it was terrible, of course” - but she also read a lot, which she saw as of more importance.

Studying English and Classics at high school “nourished her appreciation for the written word”, she said.

Karen is an Aurealis and Sir Julius Vogel award winner and has been a finalist for the ALA Morris Award and the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, among others. She will speak at Riverstone Kitchen on Thursday, December 14. 

At the other end of the speaking spectrum, Myfanwy grew up in Wales in a non-farming family, and now finds herself running a 900-cow farm in the Waitaki Valley. 

She is also president of North Otago Federated Farmers, and the regional lead for the Dairy Women’s Network.

The series of events that led down this - not always smooth, but always exciting - path have helped shape her and fueled her passion for the industry and the community she now calls home.

Myfanwy will talk about her life and some of what she has learnt from her adventures so far, on Friday, December 15.

Dagmar encourages people to get a group of family or friends together and enjoy Riverstone Castle in all its Christmas glory, before enjoying the delicious fare Riverstone Kitchen is so well-known for.

Tours of the castle begin at 11am, followed by lunch and a talk at 1pm. 

All tickets purchased also go into the draw for a night’s accommodation and breakfast for two at Valley Views Glamping, thanks to the generosity of Amber and Patrick Tyrrell, Dagmar said. 

One winner will be chosen each day, along with other raffles.

Tickets are $125, and there is limited capacity. Bookings can be made on the Riverstone Kitchen website.