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Nicci Richards is that rare kind of person who has managed to turn her dreams into reality.
Better known these days - at least in Ōkato - 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 Ōkato markets, selling fantastical chocolates from the back of a pink ambulance-cum-food truck.
Nicci Richards aka The Chocolate Lady and her converted ambulance are a regular fixture at the Okato markets. Photo: Supplied