Christophers Comment January 2017

Posted by CMG on 28 January 2017 | 1 Comments

CHRISTOPHERS COMMENT JANUARY 2017

I thought it was once again time to put pen to paper in case anyone who follows this epistle thought I had passed on. I can assure readers I havent.

Things on the farm have carried on as much as usual. Due to the downturn in dairying it was hard to pick up extra grazing to replace one of our long term clients who had purchased a runoff and consequently wanted to graze his heifers on the new block. So we went into the winter down on grazing numbers and then didnt have as good a lambing as usual most probably caused by eczema. Eczema counts were the highest ever recorded and although we have a tolerance built into our flock it still affected their performance. Consequently we ended up with a lambing percentage of just over 140%; quite a bit lower than our normal.

Winter this year was pretty mild and quite wet and this pattern continued into spring and is also continuing into summer. Good for grass growth but not so pleasant if you are trying to get a warm summer holiday. We took on 100 calves from Mid November through to the 1^st May to make up for lower stock numbers. We have also sent away 2 picks of lambs the first, our weaning draft averaged 17.2 kgms and our most recent draft in mid January averaged 19 kgms. Prices have been disappointing not helped by a collapsing pound due to Brexit. Wool is also struggling. Again.

However being eternal optimists we always say everything will come right next year!

Away from the farm Janet and I did a road trip up North towards the end of June. We stayed a couple of nights at Waitangi and from there went to the Cape Reinga lighthouse which was a first for me. Waitangi itself was very interesting with a new inter-active museum. From there we travelled to Kerikeri, Kaikohe, Rawene and stayed the night at Omapere. At this point we were intending to visit our friend John Corbin but due to unforeseen circumstances we were unable to. From here we made our way in a circuitous route to Auckland where we stayed the night and had breakfast next day with the Nicholson Clan. We returned home to a very cold 10 degree house.

Springtime was our blitz on getting a lot of the landscaping completed at the back of the villa. We dug out all the areas for paths and edged them with timber, hung a new Heritage gate so the the whole of the back can be locked up, dug out the area for pavers and aggregate and backfilled them all with GAP 7 and then with the help of our builder Marcus we laid the pavers and the aggregate. Janet and I got so cocky with our newly learnt skills we have been laying pavers ourselves since then. Another set of steps off the verandah has virtually completed the outdoor area. There is still a little more fine tuning to do but the back of it is well and truly broken. Mine too.

Our next major surprise was our son James announcing that he was coming to NZ at the end of November to run a race called The Goat. This is an alpine endurance race based around Tongariro and it has a high degree of difficulty. Our three Australian based Grandchildren came with him and we had a lovely time with them. Such fun for all the cousins to get to know each other all over again; it was a memorable and rewarding ten days. The fact it coincided with my 71^st birthday was a bonus.

Christmas this year was at the farm but not till the 27^th December as it was a year when our daughters' had Christmas day with their husband's families. This also helped those of us who hadnt quite finished making their gift for their chosen person. I was the worst offender but all worked out well on the day. We have already made the draw for next Christmas so no rush; months to get organised.

Janet has included in her bucket list a desire to touch every lighthouse in NZ; within reason. We have visited a lot already but at the end of Feb we are off to touch the Wellington ones, Cape Campbell, Nelson and Cape Kahurangi. Some are more fraught than others in terms of access. Should be quite a trip.

Finally a few acknowledgements.

To our farm Manager, Hugh, who has been with us for nearly 10 years has made it possible for us to achieve many of our off farm activities. Great to hear from Chris Addison over new year and to catch up on all their family news. Also good to see Chris and Lusi Dewhirst and hear their plans for us to do a walk in Fiji with them in August. We are pretty keen. And lovely to still be in touch with Tara from Holland after a chance meeting on Stewart Island two years ago. We hope to make a return visit to the Northern Hemisphere some time soon.

And Ali Wijenberg, another good friend from Holland, so lovely to make contact again.

And finally on a sad note we lost a dearly loved friend this year. John Corbin, a young English immigrant who arrived in the 1950's to work for Janet's family at Pukekura, Cambridge succombed to lung cancer aged 82 years. He died peacefully at his much loved harbour side home on the Hokianga. Janet spoke at his Memorial Service of a friendship that had lasted over sixty years. His father Norman Corbin 'gave her away' to me in marriage all those years ago in England. RIP John.

So that's it for January 2017; until next time.