Te Kowhai market days

Te Kowhai Country Market founders Jodie Collins and Linda Gorlicki.

With Christmas slowly approaching, Te Kowhai Country Market is said to be the place with "anything you can imagine" for Christmas shopping.

Founders Jodie Collins and Linda Gorlicki decided to plan a market after the Te Kowhai School gala.

"We got talking at the end and that is when we came up with the idea to have a country market," Ms Gorlicki said.

She said there has been considerable work put into the market with a focus on quality products.

"Our main focus for the market was quality stalls and food has to be made in a licensed kitchen."

There will be a market held this Saturday (November 1) and another on December 6. Both are held on the first Saturday of the month so as not to clash with Gordonton or Tamahere markets, with the possibility of carrying it on next year.

Ms Gorlicki, who was born in the area and lives on the 56-hectare family farm, said it will be a great place for Christmas shopping.

With 30 stalls in the Te Kowhai hall and another 20 on the tennis court, there will be a wide range of products to choose from including children's clothes, pet clothes, wooden toys, food, crafts, soaps, and art.

There will be pony rides and a display of classic cars. Wild Country's Angelique van Camp and Stephen Wilkinson will be running the kitchen at the hall, dishing up tasty treats.

Te Kowhai Community Group is getting together to sell kowhai trees in a bid to bring tui back to the area.

Ms Collins, who has been in the area for eight years on a piece of land which was originally part of Ms Gorlicki's family farm, said the aim is to get people out to the area and get the community together.

The markets will run from 9am-2pm at the Te Kowhai hall and tennis court, with parking on the village green.

For more information, contact Linda on 021 735 582, email tkcountrymarket@gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/Tekowhaimarket.