Ōkato's Chocolate Lady - a character worthy of Wonka

Nicci Richards is that rare kind of person who has managed to turn her dreams into reality. Better known these days - at least in Okato - as 'The Chocolate Lady' the coastal Taranaki farmer remembers falling in love with Willy Wonka as a five-year-old. Decades later, she has created a world and a character worthy of Wonka, herself. Renowned for her tuxedo getup, complete with candy cane and hot pink top hat, The Chocolate Lady is a regular fixture at the Okato markets, selling fantastical chocolates from the back of a pink ambulance-cum-food truck.