Sunday, February 26
We spent a lazy morning at our kitchen table and then drove over to Frances’ niece Lizzy for a family lunch. The lunch was one of Lizzy’s legendary ones. Everything homemade and most of it homegrown. Lovely to have the opportunity for extended conversation and catching up.
Monday, February 27
Today was a farm day. Frances drove over to Helen’s farm. After a cup of tea, first job was to collect a 4 day old calf from a neighbor’s farm. Helen traverses her 400+ acre farm with a 4-wheel bike. Frances perched on the back. Given the uneven terrain it beats any Disney ride for thrills.
The calf (about 35 kg, 77 lb.) was nicely penned in. Our job was to get him into the crate on the back of the bike. Helen explained that we would use the steering wheel and brake method to maneuver the animal. This meant that she would hang on to the tail and Frances was to take the ears. Frances needs to work on her calf driving skills. The calf escaped and took shelter with a herd of heifers (young cows). More experienced help was secured and the calf is now where it should be.
Helen lost some trees in Cyclone Gabrielle, but the greater damage was from hillside collapse, which yielded a deluge of sandy silt that has completely clogged the open drain. A digger will have to be brought in to reestablish the drain and move the sand. Moreover, it appears that some hillside slippage is still occurring. The photos don’t really do justice to the size of the impact.
12 Comments
Andi · February 27, 2023 at 9:08 am
Love the cow drama!
Eric Linder · February 28, 2023 at 1:19 am
New Zealand has always been a concept in my mind–hardly a real PLACE. Your lovely photos (even of disastrous effects of the storm) and narrative of calf-catching helps anchor NZ in the real world for me.
thank you so much, and blessings on you and all your extended family and friends.
Eric
jimandfrances · February 27, 2023 at 12:47 pm
Thank you, Eric. We love that we can share this real experience. It adds to the richness to ponder how to communicate what we love about being here’
Meg Keydel · February 27, 2023 at 5:24 pm
Greetings to Eric Linder, so good to “see” you even if just via our NZ friends! Also, I think Helen got the better end of the calf, but I really don’t know!
jimandfrances · February 28, 2023 at 12:47 am
Helen has considerable skill in all farm matters. Frances, not so much!
Christa Albrecht · February 28, 2023 at 3:56 am
Fascinating –and so funny (not for you) when the calf gets away. This is a perfect vacation, doing the things you never do otherwise.
Why do the hills sink?
jimandfrances · February 27, 2023 at 12:56 pm
Hi Christa! A few weeks back, NZ experienced a cyclone. Some parts of the country (we will not visit them this time) are in very bad shape. The cyclone brought high winds that knocked down trees, but far more damaging was the vast quantities of rain in very short periods, The heavy rainfall caused flooding in low areas and landslides on hillsides where the soil is soft and the tree roots shallower.
Molly · February 28, 2023 at 10:29 am
The calf experience was so entertaining, for me, probably not for all of you though. The pictures of Helen’s farm are wonderful. Continue enjoying your journey.😍
Trudi · February 28, 2023 at 6:21 pm
I just love your pictures! Your land is gorgeous, and what wonderful views! I have never seen or heard of a 4-wheel bike before. I enjoy hearing about your adventures. Stay well!
jimandfrances · February 28, 2023 at 12:46 am
Thank you, Trudi. We’re so glad to be here. Tomorrow, we fly to the bottom of the south island. You stay warm, I hear you’re having a cold snap!
Sandy Ladd · March 1, 2023 at 1:03 pm
Dear Frances, what a treat your entries are. Thanks for taking busy vacation time to share your photos. My imagination soars over the land and ocean to land in the paradise you show us, albeit a paradise with sand in the wrong place now. Without water in that canal, how do the cattle drink? Dave and I were without power for four days. We are so glad your flight was good. Hope the rest of your travels are easy and safe.
jimandfrances · February 28, 2023 at 7:11 pm
Dear Sandy and Dave, I am so sorry that you were without power for so long. We got out of town just in time. Yes, it is a gorgeous country and we feel so at home here. Today is a gorgeous day. We are flying south, more posts in a bit. On the farm water, there is a natural spring system that feeds drinking troughs, but it needs power to run. So first priority when the power went out with the storm was to get a generator for the water pump. Second was for the milking machines, third was for the freezers. Stay warm, we’re putting sunshine in our pockets (h/t to andi). So
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