The Tail End of the Donkey: A Kiwi Summer Memory

NZ Farm Nostalgia — Girls Riding a Donkey

At first glance, this illustration looks like a charming storybook scene — three girls on a donkey ride at sunset, golden light on the hills, native New Zealand cabbage trees (Cordyline australis) standing tall. But for me, it's a direct window into my mother's childhood.

A True Story from Grandad's Farm

Mum and her older sister used to spend their summer Christmas holidays at their grandfather's farm in rural New Zealand. It was the classic Kiwi upbringing — long days outside, freedom to roam, and warm summer evenings.

A neighbor's girl down the road owned a donkey, and naturally, Mum and her sister wanted to ride it. They would pile onto its back for trips down the farm tracks. But there was a distinct pecking order — and my mother, being the youngest of the trio, was always allocated the "tail end."

As the image captures, while the older girls got to face forward and steer, Mum was made to sit right on the donkey's rump, facing entirely the wrong direction. Her job was simply to hold on tight and not slide off as they trotted along.

Holding On Tight

That look of concentration and slight apprehension on the face of the littlest girl at the back? That's Mum just trying to stay on. And in a way, it feels like a small metaphor for how she lived — facing whatever direction life put her in, holding on tight, and getting through.

I hope you enjoy how NZ Farm Nostalgia captures the specific geography of a New Zealand farm at sunset, but even more, how it preserves a funny, very human family story that might otherwise be forgotten — a tribute to those endless summer days at Grandad's.

Available at Redbubble

The image is available in my Redbubble shop in both vertical and horizontal formats to suit different products. If you're looking for something that would make a great companion for a lazy New Zealand summer holiday, this would be the perfect NZ farm life jigsaw puzzle.

👉 NZ Farm Nostalgia Jigsaw Puzzle

View all my work on Redbubble by searching @kornkobart.