Farewell Websters, Kia Ora Cows!

Sunday 14 December

Benjamin Franklin famously said that guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days… so it was time to move on from Jonny & Debs’ place before we outstayed our welcome!

After an impossibly stressful Arsenal game, we packed up, checked around the house 3 times so hopefully we haven’t left anything behind this time, and slowly pulled out onto McArthur Road where I took over the driving all the way into Alex - my longest & fastest towing drive yet!

We took the Pig Route towards the east coast, stopping en route at Ranfurly for a picnic lunch and a wander (apparently missing the Tasman Travels guys who passed through on the same day, going in the opposite direction!). The Lohi store was open on this occasion (closed when we came through in winter) and was really cool - it supports local businesses and crafts people (including StarDust, the amazing photographer from Naseby) and has a coffee shop and bar too. The owners were really cool and I hope they make a go of this venture - it has that USP thing which, when word gets out, will draw people to Ranfurly especially to visit this store.

Pressing on, I snoozed much of the way to Palmerston, waking for the occasional gasp at the stunning views.

At Palmerston we pulled into Otago Fresh Milk POP - which did what it said on the can, and so much more. We parked up next to the bossy lambs, in amongst the horse poo as Monkey (the failed racehorse) had only left the paddock half an hour earlier!

Katie, the farmer’s daughter gave us a great introduction to the property and pointed out all her cows (Brown Swiss mainly) and let us know we were welcome to join them for feeding time and could also buy farm produce at the shop.

It was an awesome POP, free to stay, and so many cool animals all around. The dairy cattle were Jersey, classic black and white Friesians, rusty red Friesians and the Weimaraner grey Brown Swiss cows - they Jersey calves in particular were adorable with their little Bambi faces! I took a stroll towards town then back again then Shelli invited me to help feed Caramello & Twix, their latest lamb adoptees ❤️ She adopts the third lamb of triplets from a local farmer friend as these do not usually thrive staying with their siblings - but despite giving them names, they are ultimately destined for the dinner table!

Burgers for dinner (it's OK, the farm cattle are dairy cows so not so bothered about us consuming their beefy relatives!) and a fairly early bed… alarm set for calf feeding in the morning!