Change In Plans - New Zealand
ZOLA LEARNING THE DARK ARTS OF SHEEP SHEARING
Greetings from Blenheim, New Zealand! We are near the northern tip of the South Island.
The original plan was for us to fly from Christchurch to Nelson this morning, and then to take a puddle hopper from Nelson to our lodge in Abel Tasman National Park.
Last night, we decided to drive 450 kilometers to Nelson instead, and to take a water taxi. India was happy to reduce the total number of flights taken. All of us have found that we kind of like being in the car together. Seeing the scenery was a bonus. A few phone calls, and our plans were changed.
Our second breakfast at the bed and breakfast was not as dramatic as the first (i.e., I managed to not spill any coffee, we limited our kids’ access to the toaster). Still, we were happy to get out and on the road.
The first 200 kilometers or so was attractive, but not particularly interesting. Once we reached Kaikoura, where the movie “Whale Rider” was filmed, we were dazzled by the scenery. Pale blue water, huge waves crashing over black beaches, green mountains rising behind. It definitely made he drive worthwhile.
KAIKOURA
We went for a walk around a seal colony which was right on the beach in Kaikoura. There were many signs saying “Seals will bite you. Stay at least 10 metres away.” Maybe because the big guys appeared to be asleep, or maybe because they are cuddly (although as big as WWE wrestlers), a lot of people were moving right in for close-up photos. My guess is that the Kaikoura hospital treats a few seal bites every month.
The main attraction in Kaikoura is a sheep-shearing demonstration, which we stayed around to watch. The shearer, Peter Smith, was very entertaining. He let the audience feed a giant ram, named Ram Man, and introduced his sheep dog, Jed, before getting down to business. Holding her in a Heimlich-maneuver position, Peter dragged a young ewe in for her first-ever shearing. The sheep looked resigned, but not unhappy, as Peter guided the electric shearers over her legs, belly, head and back. The pile of wool that came off was surprisingly big, weighing about 3 kilograms.
It took Peter about 4 minutes to shear the sheep. The world record for an 8-hour day of shearing is 831 sheep, which works out to about 38 seconds per sheep. An amazing feat of athleticism and endurance. Hard on the back too.
From Peter’s running commentary, we learned more about sheep and wool then we ever could have hoped to. A good time was had by all (possibly including the sheep).
From Kaikoura we drove another hour up to Blenheim, where we are spending the night. Blenheim is pretty undistinguished, but convenient to the rest of the trip. Tomorrow we will get to the water taxi in the late morning, and go across to Abel Tasman.
A LAUGH A MINUTE IN THE SHEARING SHED