CHRISTOPHERS COMMENT MAY 2017
I have found to my dismay that as you get older injuries take longer to heal. So unfair. As a consequence and while I am trying to make good on a knee injury it seems to be a sensible time to put pen to paper again. A little frustrating as it is a relatively nice day outside.
And talking about nice days we have had more than our share of not so very nice days. Lots and lots of rain. 275mm in Cambridge in April, last year 57mm which is closer to the average. Over 200 mm in March as well. We have ended up with a few slips on the farm but that is nothing compared to how other people have fared. Towns flooded, roads blocked. You name it, this year we have had it. Climate change?? Who knows.
But this has all led to a pretty good late Summer/Autumn on the farm. Lots of grass, stock in great order, lambs going away at 19 kgs+ and at better prices than what we had expected. And with our sheep being in such good order it augers well for next season. So good we have mated our hoggets this year, selecting those over 40 kg liveweight. Only 18 from 325 failed to make the cut. Scanning takes place at the end of June so it will be interesting to see what eventuates.
All our heifers changed over on or about the 1st May and this year we will be wintering 343 calves for six clients. This is on a par with last year and at a level that suits us is if we are lambing our hgts as well.
Off the farm we have continued to pursue our passion for touching and learning the history of all the lighthouses in New Zealand. Maritime NZ owns and maintains twenty-four lighthouses some more accessible than others – we are up to number fourteen on our challenge. First up this summer we made our way to Motueka where we met up with our guide for the next few days. Steve was wonderful and drove us east through Takaka, Collingwood and south around the Whanganui Inlet to Mangarakau where we stayed the night. On our way just for a warm-up we stopped at and climbed Knuckle hill (500 m) which was a high vantage point giving us amazing views right back to Farewell Spit. We were also lucky enough to see Kea on our way up. Mangarakau is a hut on the edge of a vast swamp which is being restored and used to be home for bitten. Although we didnt see any they have now returned which is very exciting for the volunteers who are part of the restoration group.
Next day we travelled on and forded the Anatori River and after driving through a couple of farms ended up at the Turamawiwi River where we left the car. We talked to the farmer there who had just finished shearing 6500 lambs, puchased over the late spring/early summer. He sells them in the following spring around 19 – 20 kgms. Pretty hard country out there. A little over an hours walk down the beach (seals sighted) we came to our first river to cross, the Anaweka. However the tide was still too high and the river to swift so we had to wait nearly 3 and a half hours before we could cross. Even then we all three held on to a pole and linked linked arms to make it safely across as we were getting worried we wouldnt get to the hut before dark.
The next river was Big river another hours walk but by which time the tide had receded enough that although we still had to go up river quite a long way the crossing was much easier. An hour later we were at the 30 bed DOC hut which we had all to ourselves.
Another perfect day greeted us the next morning and we took an inland route to finally find our destination, the Kahurangi Point Lighthouse. As with all the Lighthouses there is a lot of history attached to it and well worth reading. We were lucky enough to also have a falcon taking a lot of interest in us which was a bonus and of course seals in the water. The rest of the day was spent exploring the rocks, old house sights which Steve was very knowledgable about. We also had company that night. Two quad bikes arrived. Dawson, his sister Marion and Dawsons grandson Zodi. They were local and come often to hunt, fish etc. Interesting night which got more and more interesting the more whisky that got consumed. Not by us.
We had worked out the tides to the extent that our easiest way out was to get up early and start walking in the dark to hit the rivers at low tide. Our calculations were spot on and the walk back to the car and then to Takaka was uneventful. On the way we went to the Pupu springs which were all they are said to be. Crystal clear and totally uncontaminated. Steve's boss Maggie took us out to dinner that night and gave us a tiki tour of the whole area the next day before delivering us back to Motueka.
From Motueka we headed to Nelson and caught the ferry out to the Boulder Bank Lighthouse. This lighthouse, the second oldest in New Zealand, is the only lighthouse we have actually been inside. The ferryman gave us a key and came back an hour later top pick us up; very interesting and great views back across to the port of Nelson.
The final part of our trip took us across to the other coast on the road to Kaikoura (very quiet since the earthquake) where we turned off initially to Marfells beach and then to Cape Campbell where farm owner Thomas Peter met us to give us the keys to the actual accommodation at the lighthouse. This lighthouse and cottage was the setting for the film 'The Light Between The Oceans' and as a consequence where we stayed was exactly how it had been renovated for the film. This was an idyllic place to stay. Seals on the beach, lots of overland walks, beach walks or just no walks. And a beautiful black and white striped lighthose; the stripes chosen to make the lighthouse stand out against the white limestone hills of the area. We were lucky enough to have two days and nights here before having to head out and catch the ferry back to Wellington on rather a rough crossing.
Our Wellington lighthouse adventures had to be put on hold because the weather decided to become Wellington again so it was too windy and unpleasant to conquer those ones.
I look back at the previous ramblings that I write and too often they end on a sad note. Perhaps it is because I have entered that era but this time is no different.
On March 5th the Whitehall Hall Commitee organised their annual horse trek this year through our farm with lunch in the woolshed. Grant Brunskill, from a long established Whitehall family, led the trek and was as usual one of the main organisers. We were all shocked when less than two weeks later he died suddenly from a heart attack. It is very hard to believe that Grant is just not going to be around anymore. Then a month later his brother John who had been unwell for quite sometime passed away as well. Two brothers gone within such a short time. Our heartfelt sympathy to Stephen and Angus, his sons, and Barbara, Susie and Jenny, his sisters and their families. John and I grew up in Whitehall; went to all the same schools, Whitehall, Southwell and St. Pauls and were just such good friends over all that time. Many a time we stayed at each other's places when we were kids. Although our paths hadn't crossed so much latterly it was so easy to pick up again from when we last met. Thats what good friends do. John and Grant, you are missed by all of us.
Please everyone, stay healthy.
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