Meet You At The Main Divide: An inspirational new memoir about leaving the city for a life in the high country by the authors of Every Bastard Says

by Justine Ross

An inspirational memoir from the authors of Every Bastard Says No about the peaks and troughs of a life in the high country


In 2017 the Ross family left behind their inner-city lives in Auckland and their successful vodka business, 42 Below, to follow their dreams of a life on the land.

Risk-takers and innovators, when they bought the run-down 6500-hectare high-country sheep station at Lake Hāwea, they embarked on a journey of discovery to rewrite long-held farming principles and ask whether sustainability could also be profitable. If we look after the land, will it look after us?

Life in the mountainous landscape of the Main Divide isn't for the faint hearted. But despite the freezing winters and scorching summer heat, the demands of fitting in with the locals and managing 10,000 merino sheep, the Ross family has never looked back.

'A fascinating and rollicking read' Al Brown

'An essential book about what successful and sustainable farming can look like' Helen Clark

'The honest portrayal of the Ross's farming journey shares many similarities to passionate NZ farming families who are all searching for intergenerational identity, relevance, and prosperity in the face of rapid change' Sarah Perriam

Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2023

Reviews

[Rosie Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this, inspiring and a lot more in depth than the Country Calendar episode. A captivating and well written non fiction. So many themes that swirl around in my head often. Keep going Lake Hawea and Justine!

[Annie Gummer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute page-turner! Written in a conversational style, as if Jussie is chatting to you over a cuppa about their time at Lake Hāwea Station. Passion, determination & resilience runs through each page. As does Geoff & Jussie’s vulnerability & bravery to step into the exquisite but tough Central Otago Ag-sector. A gripping read!

[Cromwell Paper Plus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The inspiring and innovative story behind the family who left Auckland to farm 10,00 merino sheep at Lake Hawea station

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m pleased I read this book. It’s an interesting story of NZ in the early 21st century. It is good to know that there are people bringing regenerative farming techniques to high country sheep farming. I like the way they use marketing techniques. I know what farming people can be like and I can sympathise when the authors write about the narrow-mindedness they have had to deal with. But it’s quite hard to read. She writes in such a swaggering, blustering style that it’s a bit hard to take. I recommend having a book with a bit more of a sense of humour handy while you read this.

[Bobbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who works in the ag sector, cares about the climate, or has eyes...lol. An epic story about the trials and tribulations of farming in New Zealand. It speaks to a plethora of divides; racial, rural vs urban, wife vs husband, progressive vs need to get with the times and does so with heart and humour and the same dose of self deprecation found in Every Bastard Says No. Not only is the story fascinating, but the writing is beautiful too. 5/5

[Bruce Cull · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this read. I thought the tone of the book was self-serving and egotistical.

The writing style is immature and boringly arrogant lacking any humanitarian qualities.

The authors are unncessarily unkind and nasty about previous owners of their property and this spoiled the story and made me doubt the veracity of what I was reading.

If they are considering any future books they should probably investigate partnering with a ghost writer

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with Jussie’s such humorous and tenacious style, Meet You at the Main Divide is a gripping account of everything that comes along with farming in New Zealand while having the courage to keep going when lots of bastards keep saying no. Jussie shows the teams abundant compassion to our planet and commitment to sharing their mountains and mission as wide as they can.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book about a family buying a huge farm in NZ. Lots of details about climate change and animals and how to farm for the environment. Parts were very dry, but overall a good book. I liked it because we were in the South Island of NZ last year!

[Lisa Fraser · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story, interesting and inspiring in parts. makes me want to visit.