Observations about the wonderful weekend my husband (Jon) and I spent with the HTC at Lornas’ farm in the Waitawhenua Valley near Ohura.

Yay! We got to spend the weekend in the company of Lorna, Bruce and some of the HTC members, some of whom I have met before.

Jon and I arrived as the advance party, along with Bruce, the day before the others. We were on a mission to obtain some goat meat (there being gazillions of wild goats) and turn it into Thai Goat Curry for a shared dinner we were having on Saturday night. We completed this task and duly set aside the curry to be enjoyed the following day.

 

Saturday morning dawned cold and frosty. A beaut day for tramping. Lorna and the rest of the troops (Wendy, Michael, Anna, Siew-Ling, Rohita, Carl and Adrienne) arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to go. We set off after morning tea to walk a circuit around the neighbours’ farm.

We walked down the road, and across fields on a paper road. Up overgrown, old farm tracks, through the forest to high points which offered spectacular views over the valley. We even saw Mt Ruapehu peaking above the bush clad hills away in the distance. Manuka covered historic coal mining sites, an enormous slip, goats, pigs and beautiful, delicate, fungi were more highlights of the walk.

That evening we shared a delicious combined meal. I think everybody pigged out and had a great (if somewhat calorific) time.

 

Sunday morning saw us set off up the farmland behind the farmhouse to explore a ‘canyon’ area. That saw us scrambling briefly up ancient, tree clad boulder rubble and on through a beautiful, bushy, little valley at the base of an eroded escarpment. We came out on the hills high above the house and made our way down to enjoy left overs for lunch followed by a clean-up.

It was a special weekend made possible by Lorna (and her brother Stuart). Thank you for sharing with us this unique part of the world, your family farm.

Cheers

Claudine.

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