Photos by John Fridd

Dawn frost on Rough Ridge above Oturehua early on Sat morning

A different Maniototo big sky welcomed writers to Oturehua on Friday night. This was a beautiful big, low sky

Inside Jillian’s atmospheric straw-bale house, which drew many of the writers

Jillian enlists the help of Allan Whitaker and Georgia in making a garden wall from massive pre-loved mud bricks

After much back-breaking and dangerous work, Jillian welcomes fellow writers to her home sweet home.  The Big Bad Wolf said don’t build your house from straw, but Jillian says this is a load of BS, which she used to combine with the straw to make it stronger.

Rosemary’s lovely little backyard chapel was also popular with the writers

“Paperback Writer” could have been a popular request for guitarist Josh. . . writers staying at the Crow’s Nest partied up on Saturday night in near-freezing temperatures. Mine host Bill fired up his nifty car-rim brazier to keep at least the singers’ toes warm