Last weekend 8 old friends took a short plane trip to Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island. The hostess Susie, Rosie and I have known each other for about 50 years!!! I had been on farm tour with Susie about forty years ago...which makes a long time between donning gumboots together...and that last time we were more interested in the surf swells at Mahia Penninsula than farm stock levels, superphosphate prices and the use of farm dogs in the high country!
Tangihau (wailing wind) Station is an historic block of land owned by the Susie's family for generations. Arriving at the homestead we were met by Station manager Dean McHardy and his family. A quick cuppa and intro to the four wheelers we'd be using for the next three days and we were off on our adventure, two up on each bike, bumping over dusty farm roads and tracks high up into the hills.
Entering the Safari Park, a block of bush deer fenced to keep the feral deer in and off the farmland, we finagled our machines up to the hunting hut camouflaged in the bush. Dinner cooked over a raging fire in blackened dutch ovens, red wine flowed and candles lit the night.
Next day we toured the farm, travelling some 67 Ks without seeing the whole near 16,000 acre spread. It was exhilerating to be amongst the hills and animals, thousands of sheep, cattle and deer roaming the mulititude of paddocks. Visiting the deer farm we learn't how velvet is harvested, high up on the top of a hill we raced down the very sloping airstrip and saw the huge vault that holds the super phosphate that is topdressed by planes each year over the hills. Later we stopped at a river camp complete with long drops and fresh water tap, long plank tables and piles of firewood. The river bounds with brown trout and tempted us all to come back and camp on the river flat another day. We saw stands of ramrod straight Robinia's grown for fence posts and the huge farm buildings and yards needed for machinery, shearing and musters.
Claybird shooting was something I did not partake in.. last time I held a gun I nearly accidentally killed a man so I swore never to hold one again. The others all potted a clay or two before we headed back to base for a swim in a brown cool bush dam. Heaven after the dust and heat of the day.
Mark had stayed back, opting to be our chef, and cooked a magnificent venison stew over the open fire redolent with red wine, pepper, potatoes and onions. Before dining Mark and the boys took off on a stealth mission to stalk deer, sadly Al B was having a snooze at the time and missed their exit. Our chef shot his first deer while Al and the girls drank wine and told stories in front of the fire.
All in all it was a great weekend, the weather god blessed us with sunshine, making our final adventure to the Rere rockfall all the more fun. Taking life and limb in hand, said hands grasping a boogie board to ones chest, this bunch of fifty somethings slid down the waterfall to land with a sharp splat in the pool below. Dried off and back in our utes we ended our trip winetasting at Matawhero Vineyards back down in Gisborne before the obligatory fish and chips and a quick flight back to the big smoke.
