High Heels and Gumboots: a city girl and a lot to learn by Rebecca Hayter

If you’ve ever fantasised about swapping city lights for country life, complete with chickens and gumboots, Rebecca Hayter’s High Heels and Gumboots offers a hilarious, heartwarming reality check. 

Best known as a yachting journalist based in Auckland, Rebecca takes us on a memorable journey to beautiful Golden Bay at the top of the South Island. A spontaneous real estate decision leaves her the somewhat bewildered owner of a lifestyle block.

“I thought I might buy a basic cottage on half an acre and keep a few chooks. Somehow I ended up with a massive house on 10 acres, plus a cottage, a large vege garden, an orchard and a flock of sheep that apparently belonged to me. Oh shite.”

Rebecca brings her journalistic curiosity to every challenge, from learning how to drive a tractor to figuring out if her sheep are pregnant. She shamelessly exploits local knowledge while adjusting to the droughts, isolation and the unspoken rules of rural politics.

Alongside the physical demands of rural life, this is also a personal journey. As Rebecca learns to wrangle livestock and fix irrigation pipes, she quietly discovers confidence, not just in new skills, but in herself. It’s a coming-of-age story, at a certain age.

More than just a fish-out-of-water tale, High Heels and Gumboots is a celebration of growth, grit and the value of community. It also offers a thoughtful, often funny reflection on the divide between urban and rural Aotearoa.

What sets this book apart is the way Rebecca balances humour with vulnerability. Whether she’s confronting loss or reflecting on her relationship with her mother, she is refreshingly open. You’ll laugh, wince and maybe even tear up.

Based on her award-winning North & South magazine column, High Heels and Gumboots is perfect for fans of Country Calendar or anyone who has dreamed of escaping to the regions. If you enjoy a good yarn well told, you’ll love Rebecca’s adventures.

Follow Rebecca online

Reviewer: Andrea Molloy

HarperCollins