by lili free
Lili Free
I am from England but have spent the last two years travelling. By a strange unfurling of circumstances, I found myself visiting an old boyfriend in Helensville. What a warm welcome awaited me – not just from him, but from Helensville itself! Let me wax lyrical about your gorgeous little town for a moment.
I walked the hills around the town, happy as a lark, greeting cows and sheep along the way. One local farmer kindly allowed me to tramp (I learned that word while I was there) on his land. I ended up calling it ‘my valley’, because I never saw another soul there.
I joined the Helensville and Parakai Facebook group, purchased a second-hand iPhone and got to find out about things like how to stop cars speeding, and where to find a sheep shearer
The High Street (I’m not sure what you call it?) has everything one would need to lead a fulfilled and healthy life, including two crystal shops, which is a disproportionate number for a tiny town, but somehow works in quirky Helensville. I could not have survived without the incredible little greengrocer’s. What an Aladdin’s cave - you can find so many treasures, from locally-grown produce to exotic spices from abroad – and one is always served with a smile. The two op-shops are beyond compare. I re-wardrobed from top to toe and had fun meeting everyone working there.
