Step back into the sunshine with the return of Nadia's Farm
Nadia Lim is back on the land, plus a compelling true crime documentary, a verdict on the Beetlejuice film sequel, and another beautiful episode of Takeout Kids.
Seasons change, but hope always prevails on Nadia's Farm
It’s a warm summer’s day in Central Otago, and Nadia Lim is trying to drive a tractor. The old, red machine starts with a deep grunt, before quickly stalling and spluttering into silence. Lim looks around, puzzled. “The handbrake is on,” someone finally explains, and just moments after Nadia successfully putters the tractor into a paddock, it stalls again. It turns out Nadia doesn’t drive a tractor that often, although her husband Carlos reassures her it’s easy. “With the tractor sorted, the question still remains,” the show’s narrator chimes in, “what is going on?”
What’s going on is the return of Nadia's Farm, the popular series that follows Masterchef NZ winner Nadia Lim and her husband Carlos Bagrie as they farm Royalburn Station, a 1,200-acre property on the Crown Range in Central Otago. It’s been four years since the couple took the farm over with the dream of becoming leaders in regenerative and ethical farming. Since then, seeds have been sown and garlic has been pulled, but there is one war that is yet to be won: Nadia Lim vs that red tractor.
Much like earlier episodes, the latest installment of Nadia’s Farm is a gentle mix of Country Calendar and a Jamie Oliver-type lifestyle series. It’s December when we return to Royalburn, as Lim plants another crop of potatoes, shows off her sunflower field and teaches us how to bake focaccia. Bagrie waxes lyrical about combine harvesters and explains the importance of regenerative planting. They’re warm and personable, and the show is beautiful to watch, with the simple but stunning photography capturing the richness of the region they now call home.
As Lim picks plums off the tree in her garden and starts to make jam, it feels like we’re an old friend who’s just popped in to visit. But while the sun shines, not everything is going well on the farm. After three years, the market garden is still unprofitable (“it’s a bit of a loser,” Lim declares), while Bagrie tallies up the losses from a lease on neighbouring Motatapu Station. He works out they’re hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket, reminding us that farming success is dependent on challenges neither Lim nor Bagrie can control: the weather, fluctuating global lamb prices, birds eating Lim’s precious sunflower seeds.
It’s also a reminder of the spirit of generosity that runs through Nadia’s Farm. Bagrie and Lim don’t hide their struggles from their cameras, and their willingness to be upfront about their mistakes gives the series a relatable sense of honesty and vulnerability. They’re bringing us along for the (tractor) ride, regardless of whatever fortune they eventually dig up.
I don’t know much about farming, and I wonder what other farmers think of Lim and Bagrie’s efforts. Then again, does it matter what anyone else thinks? It’s not me planting those potatoes and somehow pulling up radishes a few months later, and I can only admire their dedication to experimenting with more sustainable and regenerative methods. I also love that they don’t take themselves too seriously. “It’s a family tradition that when we harvest yellow and white clover, that we stop halfway through and eat focaccia bread,” Lim explains to the camera, tongue firmly in her cheek.
What’s more important about Nadia’s Farm is that it gives viewers an insight into the realities of farming, and how much work goes into getting food to the table. In a world where we demand instant results, there's something inspiring about watching a show built on patience and resilience, where the focus is on working with nature, rather than trying to control it. Nothing happens quickly on Nadia’s Farm, and it’s a quiet reminder that this is actually how the world is supposed to work.
As I watched Nadia’s Farm, I felt like I could breathe again: there’s light and space and heart here. The passing seasons are the anchor points in time, marking the end of one adventure and the beginning of another, and nothing is achieved without community and teamwork. Among those stubborn potatoes and bright yellow sunflowers, Lim and Bagrie’s optimism is the show’s biggest success story. Whatever happens on Nadia’s Farm, it’s clear they’ll never stop trying to make things better. The seasons may change, but hope always prevails.
Nadia’s Farm screens on Wednesdays on Three at 7pm and streams on ThreeNow.
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Why you should watch: Takeout Kids
Episode three of The Spinoff’s coming-of-age documentary series landed this week, tellimg the story of high school student Lauren of Tāmaki Makaurau’s Tanz KTCHN. The Auckland teenager may be focused on passing her driving test, but as she considers life after school, she’s torn between staying with the family business or moving into the tourism industry to see the world. Season two of Takeout Kids follows five tamariki and rangatahi as they grow up in their family-run small businesses, and you can watch all the other Takeout Kids episodes here.
You might also like: Gabi Lardies’ delicious review of the big doughnuts people queue and queue for at the Auckland Night Markets.
Why you should watch: The Lie (Netflix)
It doesn’t feel quite right to recommend a show about the murder of Grace Millane, but The Lie is a thoughtful and compelling true crime documentary. It uses never-seen-before CCTV and police interview footage to revisit the tragic story of Millane’s death, after the English backpacker was murdered by her Tinder date while visiting Auckland in December 2018. Piecing together the investigation into Millane’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed, The Lie also explores issues around consent, victimisation and violence against women. It’s not an easy watch – I felt furious, horrified and heartbroken, over and over again – but I appreciated that director Helena Coan took the “less is more” approach here. Most importantly, Coan leaves us with a vision of Millane not as she died, but as she lived: vibrant, beloved, full of hope.
More pop culture news from The Spinoff:
We’ve got all the new shows and movies streaming this week, including a new Nicole Kidman mystery thriller and the return of local comedy Not Even.
Ahead of next week’s new season of Celebrity Treasure Island (TVNZ+), check out our the top 10 moments from the dramatic new season teaser.
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star (and director of Alice Snedden’s Bad News) Leon Wadham revealed the Go Girls scene that haunts him in this week’s My Life in TV.
As Taskmaster NZ finishes its fifth season, we attempted the toughest task of all: ranking every single task (that’s right, all 210 of them).
Phoebe Johnson of the nu-wave, nu-jazz ensemble Revulva shares her perfect weekend playlist.
The New Zealand star of Netflix’s hit series 3 Body Problem told the This is Kiwi podcast about her breakout moment, and shared what it’s really like being back in Aotearoa after the wildness of Hollywood.
And in the second of The Spinoff’s important etiquette guides, here’s how you should walk through a door.
Why you should watch: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (in cinemas)
I have a confession to make. I only watched the original 1988 Beetlejuice, the film that made stars out of director Tim Burton and Michael Keaton, for the first time about a month ago. I loved it – the weird special effects, creepy atmosphere and seriously over the top performances. I went into the sequel nervous that I would have the memory of my new favourite film tarnished. Thankfully, I can report that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a riot. Storywise, it crams a little bit too much in and the climactic action sequence involves trying to conclude a few too many loose ends. It was never going to match the perfect simplicity of the OG. But the jokes come fast, the visuals are perfectly 80s and Keaton remains a scene stealer – though he has some tough competition from a very Moira Schitt-esque Catherine O’Hara and a wonderfully over the top Willem Dafoe. Four beetles out of five. / Stewart Sowman-Lund
Before we pop off…
Who has time to stand and clap for 18 minutes? Movie stars, apparently, and I appreciated this ranking of all the ridiculous clapathons at the Venice Film Festival.
The BSA ruled that TVNZ has "fallen short" in the onscreen treatment of Dan Mustapic in his son’s satirical comedy show James Must-a-pic His Mum a Man, although in many ways the drama could just be getting started. “Dan hasn’t made any contact with me at any stage to discuss any of this," said James. "If he’d like to reach out, then I suggest he books tickets to my upcoming NZ tour.”
Do you have a big empty wall in your house that needs a little something hanging on it? Great news! Gore’s iconic big gold guitar is for sale.
Notorious Paris 2024 Olympic breakdancer Raygun has given her first interview after putting away the green and gold tracksuit, revealing that she won’t be competing again “for a while”.
Take a first look at the new movie Minecraft, which was filmed in New Zealand and stars Jason Momoa and Jack Black.
That’s it for Rec Room for this week. If you liked what you read, why not share Rec Room with your friends and whānau.
