Hello everyone; my apologies to Forum members and staff for not sending in some notes and photographs from my New Zealand trip. I hope to put this right now, or in the days ahead.
I returned on Sunday 28th February and I have been pretty busy since, as it is my Financial Year End and my books are on a knackered computer!! I did not dare put the programme onto my new one in case I lost the details! However, I have managed to print out most of what I need.
On the practical side, by the second day back I had a burst water pipe, a burst hydraulic pipe in the loader and a puncture in the John Deer. Yes, back to normal farm work! (I hear you agreeing there). I look forward to a trouble free Spring barley sowing season.
We (my brother-in-law and I) had a wonderful but hectic tour. We saw New Zealand from John O'Groats to Landsend, or, of course, from Cape Reinga in the North to Invercargill in the South. We visited three farms and "gate-crashed" another two. These include: On North Island, - a small family farm where the farmer (my brother-in-law's cousin) has a few beef cattle, 200 very free range hens and is very busy with a contracting assignment; On South Island, - an 1100 acre upland sheep farm; an 1100 cow dairy farm; and we visited two arable farms; (All in East Canterbury). I will probably do these reports on "Word" and transpose them over to this blogg, as I will be pretty busy on the farm now, I am not sure yet how to deal with the photographs. If I can I will fit them in with the blogg. - ('Must have a practice at that).
On the subject of photos, I have about 2000 of them so I should get a few that will be of interest to you.
Two of my main reasons, outwith the farming, for going to New Zealand were, to visit friends in Christchurch and to visit Milford Sound with its glaciers and hanging valleys. I was gutted when our flight to Milford was cancelled due to poor weather. Well, I guess I will just have to go back again.