Gosh, where does time go to? Here we are marching well into August. Winter is over here in the sunny north, the weather is definitely warming up and the spring flowers and trees are starting to come out. We have had a wet winter but not a cold one – I saw only two frosts on the ground this year. The grass will soon take off and my cows will be in clover again!

Dave & I celebrated our first wedding anniversary in June – what a wonderful year its been. I was told to leave the weekend free and to relax. He went to huge lengths to recreate our first ever date – which was really quite funny and very sweet. Then he whisked me away to the quaint little fishing village of Mangonui in the Far North where we stayed at the delightfully refurbished Old Oak Inn for a couple of nights. The inn is now a boutique hotel, with wonderful views over the Mangonui harbour and right alongside it is the Acorn Bar & Bistro – we recommend it.

We loved the Post Office Café for breakfasts and quirky shopping, and enjoyed a Fish & Chip supper at the fully licensed world famous Mangonui Fish & Chip Shop, right on the wharf. It was a lovely weekend, and so much better for being a total surprise!

Then in July we sneaked away to Tonga for some extended R&R. My friend Hazel came out from UK and we all flew out a few days later to spend an idyllic week on a tiny coral atoll in the northern Vava’u group. Quite an effort needed to get there – three hours on the plane from NZ, then 1 hour on the smaller plane, 20 min drive in an island taxi complete with dashboard full of teddy’s and assorted religious miscellanea, followed by 45 mins on a boat. Our island was home to just our eco-lodge of about half a dozen fales (houses) – there were two other groups of people and ourselves! At one point we had the entire island to ourselves for 48hrs. Bliss. It was picture postcard perfect – white sandy beaches, palm trees, turquoise waters, amazing sea life right off the beach. We snorkelled every day and I was lucky enough to see a shark and a turtle, and we all saw moray eels as well as the hundreds of different coloured fishes. Doubtlessly, the highlight for the three of us was the day spent out whale watching.


Humpback whales come up from the Antarctic to breed in Vava’u’s warm waters every year. We were allowed to don our snorkel gear and get very up close and personal with these wonderful whales – it was just amazing especially the mother and her calf. Breathtaking. We spent a night and a day in the capital Nuku’alofa before flying home, and were very impressed by all the new building and pavement construction going on. It’s a safe and interesting place, and very unspoilt.

On the farm we have been busy with all the normal sorts of things, fencing, fixing pumps, and dealing with the odd flood. The cattle have all grown well and will really start putting on condition as spring arrives and the grass takes off.

Ally is a happy cat – I installed a new cat door with electromagnetic catch so that only SHE can enter. She had been suffering from Dad’s cat’s pushy ways, and also suspect a wild cat of becoming a bit bold too. Ally is a lot more relaxed now, and getting wider now someone isn’t stealing her food! (not too wide for her cat flap yet).

The Rugby World Cup is about to happen – the grand opening is September 9. We will be in Auckland attending – should be an amazing event. Our little B&B is fully booked for both the games we are hosting in Whangarei – Canada v Tonga, and Tonga v Japan. I know a lot of accommodation providers have capitalised on this event by substantially increasing tariffs around the country. Well, that’s free trade I guess. We have chosen to keep our prices the same as normal however, and look forward to being busy, busy!

Till next time,
Sammi & Dave

Farmers Markets – Ours is THE Best!

At the moment, throughout NZ there is a competition running to vote for the best Farmers Market – there is a website and a list of contenders, you pick one, you vote. Simple, right?

Except the list is not complete – markets are missing! Apparently you need to belong to the Farmers Markets NZ association or some such high falutin’ banner and we don’t….

So although we won’t win the Taste NZ Farmers Market Awards this year here are a few great reasons why we are none the less Numero Uno.

Our market is the LARGEST in the country
Our market is the longest established – first to kick off in 1997
To be able to sell at our market you have to have grown the produce yourself locally – thus eliminating costly third parties
Our market sells plants, food and flowers only – no crafts or bric-a-brac
Our market operates in all weather – rain, shine or freezing cold darkness on early winter mornings

Not just a collection of gourmet fluffery as some are, ours is a place you can visit in the knowledge you will be able to do all your greengrocery shopping, pick up your milk, cheese, bacon, ham & salami, free range eggs, bread, organic beef, honey, olive oil, fresh and smoked fish, a cheery bunch of flowers, fresh herbs, veggie seedlings, jams & chutneys, along with a few landscaping plants. You can munch on a barbequed sausage, steak sandwich, or a crepe, swig back an espresso, and take in the talents of the buskers. Almost guaranteed to meet up with a few mates too, and enjoy a leisurely chin wag.

The market is strung along the banks of a stream in the Water Street car park – no real attempt at any kind of uniformed glamour – a plethora of mis-matched awnings or just the back of a van open or produce in plastic containers on the ground. No bunting, no red and white stripes, no posh accents – just a bunch of people saving money (and yes, the prices are way less than in the shops!) and feeding the families good healthy fresh food.

We cooked a free range roast chook last weekend and ate with it smoked garlic, broccoli, baby carrots and beautiful fresh agria potatoes – all from the market.

Fact File:
Whangarei Growers Market
Every Saturday 6.30am till 10.30am
Water St (next to the Shell Station)

In which a trip to town for strictly practical purposes turns into a retail rampage...

I love this time of year. Autumn stretching out in front of us, warm sunny Indian Summer days, cool nights lending themselves to serious snuggling. We’re so lucky up here in the north – we live in tee shirts and shorts from September until well into May – spoilt really. Although I love the heat of summer on a beach day it can get a bit much on work days round the farm so I relish it cooling down a little. We are off to kick some autumn leaves along Arrowtown’s main street soon – can’t wait – it’s such a favourite of mine and we try and get down that way a couple of times a year. Blue Door Bar here we come!

Yesterday I went to mow and found the ride-on mower had a Big Fat flat tyre…. Boo. So today I took it into town to get it repaired and to do some other errands – not a great idea during school holidays AND the day before Good Friday….. it was insane. Drove round and round scouring the carparks for a space, and don’t even TALK to me about the supermarket….. ugh. Why oh why do people feel the need to go nuts and stock up when the shops are shut for a mere 24 hrs? It wasn’t that long ago that we managed without them for an entire weekend, starting at 5pm Friday evening! Late night shopping was on Thursday nights when the supermarkets were open till 8.30pm - that was when people went grocery shopping. It was crowded, I recall……

On the subject of supermarket shopping of yesteryear... how's this for The Good Old Days; We had an independant here in town that strove to keep prices at a minimum - it was called Mark n Pack. As you entered the store you collected a black felt tip pen from a big plastic tub, as instead of individually pricing each item the shelf was marked with the price which - get this - you wrote on the item with the marker pen! Then the check out lady (no men back then, they were either the manager or shelf-stackers) keyed in the price. They must have had to think about what they were doing a lot more than today's electronica. Then, when passed through the check out you packed your own cardboard box(es) with it all and took it home. The smarter, more expensive other supermarket sported large thick brown paper bags and a chap to wheel out your trolley and stack the bags into your car boot! Lordy, such chilvary.

Back in the now, and desperate for a quick bite and lifesaver cuppa I was none the less loathe to battle the café crowds in the CBD and made a beeline for a café on the fringe called the Bake House. Nothing trendy here, no music, no aircon – just great food at great prices and speedy, friendly service. Run by a large family of Koreans, it’s like a well oiled machine. They make all their own bread (loaves also for sale – sliced to order) patisserie, sandwiches, savouries and pies – the sandwiches and rolls are heaving with fillings – none of this one slice of see-through ham and a smear of mustard between limp (or worse, stale) white bread and we’ll call it a ham sandwich……. Oh no no. My roast beef grainy bread sandwich was fair bulging with tender beef, topped with crunchy green lettuce, grated carrot, tomato and mayo. Yummmmm. Where else can you get a pottle of hot chips, the aforementioned sandwich, a custard and fresh fruit tart and an entire pot of tea all for under $10? That’s about four quid, all you in the Northern Hemisphere. With a smile, to boot. Tables are promptly cleared and wiped clean, properly. I can sit at a bar along the front window and watch the stream of humanity go by. And I have ten bucks left over to buy my favourite mag – Australian Country Style. What’s not to like?

On the plus side of being in town right before Easter – the shops were killing themselves to gather some extra revenue before the mandatory “closed” days – Friday and Sunday – so it was Sale Time with a capital S. I scored a couple of sets of towels for 70% off, new pillows for the Cabbage Tree, a cluster puff underlay for our bed which was reduced by 60% which promises to feel just like sleeping on a cloud (actually when you fly through them they look damp and rather nasty so might give that a miss), 25 % off a pair of cords, two pairs of reebok shorts for half price each, a brightly coloured luggage strap and a lovely handpainted ceramic platter that looks as if it came from Italy or Greece at considerable cost but in reality was part of a dinnerware range that was literally cheap at twice the price let alone the 50% off that was on offer. Oooooh, I do love a bargain!

I even remembered to swing by and pick up my newly inflated tyre!

The Cool Creeps In....

Summer here is gently slipping away – there’s a definite cooling noticeable early morning and evening. No bad thing, I’m always ready for the end of summer when it comes. As lovely as the heat is when we are frolicking in the surf at one of the many gorgeous local beaches, it can get tiresome when you work outdoors on a property like this. Now is the time we start thinking about getting the firewood in for winter – a job far too arduous in the middle of February. The grapes are nearly ripe, and the figs are oozing with juicy wonderfulness. I’m already planning Saturday’s dinner – Moroccan Lamb with goats cheese, figs and honey…… I love this time of year pasionately.

On a sombre note, we are still reeling emotionally from the terrible effects of the February 22nd earthquake in Christchurch. So many beautiful buildings will have to come down and the CBD will need to be rebuilt from the ground up in many places. But nothing can compare to the devastation of realising that one’s loved one went off that morning to work, school or play and will no longer come home. It’s so heartbreaking, and all we can do is send love and help in any way we can. We were there 8 days before the quake, ate a meal in Freeman’s Dining Room over at Lyttelton which has always been a favourite small town for me with its fabulously villagey vibe. We had an amazing night out and now all we can do is wonder if the restaurant is still standing, along with so many others. We are offering Christchurch residents a special deal right through till the end of winter – 4 nights for the price of 2 in The Cabbage Tree. In addition, we are donating $10 from every nights accommodation we sell during the next 6 months to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

Back at the end of January the Whangarei District was hit with 300mm of rain in just a few short hours and the resulting flooding caused havoc around the area. We weren’t spared – most of our farm was underwater and we sadly lost little Boy, the wee Hereford calf that had been visited by the vet earlier when he had pneumonia. He had picked up a lot but was still much smaller than the others and much less robust, costing him his life as he was swept up in the flood waters. Very sad. My wise Irish neighbour who has farmed all her life long has a saying “Where there’s live stock, there’s dead stock.” It’s not great – but it happens.

We were thrilled recently to receive a Best Reviews Award from Travelbug, one of our resellers! It is proudly displayed and we thank all those guests who have made it possible!

Come and enjoy the last of the summer with us – or the arrival of autumn.

Sammi & David x

Seasons Greetings from Riverdale

Summer is well underway here at Riverdale. One thing I miss about the northern hemisphere is the lovely long springs – here we are lucky to get, oh, five or six weeks and then BANG! the heat hits us! We are officially on record as having had the driest ever recorded spring this year ….. doesn’t bode too well for summer grass for my cows if this carries on. I’m very thankful that I gave the meadows a break of a month back in October – that rest will stand me in good stead. I have a herd of 24 now – having acquired half a dozen purebred Murray Greys – and what superb beasts they are, just gorgeous and very, very cute with their pale coats and dark points. Had a bit of a do with a wee calf who went down with pneumonia – had to get the vet, and it was touch and go for a few days but I’m happy to say that he seems to be on the mend now. He’s very small though and I have to be careful which paddocks I put him so he can reach the water troughs.

Dave & I went to the Whangarei Agricultural & Pastoral Show on Sunday and have to say it was a great day out. I love seeing the beef breeds – particularly the Herefords, just stunning. The bulls were massive – wow! My favourite took out the Supreme Champion award so I was smiling. The sun shone, we enjoyed the exhibits and the watching the hacks & hunters soaring over their jumps, munched on a steak sandwich, patted the woolly sheep, alpacas, Nubian goats, donkeys and more. Marvelled at the beautifully hued poultry, and bought some local Northland wine and a bottle of Lemoncello at the food tent. Chatted to a few people and bought a couple of Christmas presents. A good day.

On Sunday night we enjoyed a delicious meal at Tonic, a local restaurant that has consistantly delivered on every level since it opened its doors, ooh, more than a decade ago I guess. They do a wicked Sunday special with two courses for $38 and three for $45 – impossible to beat, and the food is sooooo good! Judging by the number of other diners there, we are not alone in our appreciation! We also had a really tasty meal down at our local pub on Friday night – took Dad, as we had all had a hard day – so lucky to have them just a short drive away!

The B&B is at full capacity – not many gaps left this season now. Have had some lovely guests come through from Korea, Britain, NZ, and Australia. It’s always so touching to read their comments in the visitors book and know that they have had a pleasant stay.

We are gearing up for Christmas, and it will be lovely to have Dave’s Mum & Dad here too this year. The highlight will be the Caledonian Games on New Year’s Day down at Waipu. Can’t wait!

Merry Christmas everyone – hope you all have a safe and happy year to follow.

Sammi & Dave

Fences & Boundaries....

It’s such a delightful time of year on the farm. The veritable eruption of green-ness is stunning and the lengthening days, especially now we are on Summer Time, is a wonderful thing indeed! Not dark till nearly 8pm now…. no excuses for not pulling those extra weeds out or other little outdoors tasks. The blossom has just about finished – shame! But it was a stunning show this year and its brevity just makes it all the more anticipated. Plenty of babies around – lambs are thriving, baby birds – thrushes, blackbirds, starlings and sparrows all giving good entertainment with the lawn outside the breakfast table as their stage. To watch the flocks of wax eyes come down for their evening bath is so endearing. The little native fantails also love the bird bath and spend lots of time in the garden as a result. This week I’ve noticed a flock of goldfinches after grass seed, and we’ve had a pukeko (swamp hen) and a cock peasant saunter through the garden. I was over visiting my lovely Irish neighbour, Rosemary, yesterday and was treated to a jaw dropping display by one of her peacocks – what glorious birds they are! There is nothing finer than the nature for combining colours.

The veggie garden is planted out ready for the summer season. Peas, beans, carrots, tomatoes, lettuces, herbs, celery, beetroot, broccoli, spinach, garlic, onions, rhubarb, cucumbers, pumpkin, zucchini, and even some goji berries! The mesculen and lettuce beds have been fully enclosed with chicken wire cages to keep those hungry bunnies at bay. There is also a lovely array of edible flowers in the kitchen potager – calendula, violas, borage and day lilies. I love to add a good scattering of these cheery petals, along with tasty herbs like garlic chives, dill and sorrel to my salads.

New arrivals on the farm this month are twelve calves aged between 3 and 5 months old. Some Murray Greys and some Black White Faces or BWF’s as we call them – which are the result of crossing the beefy Hereford with the larger framed Freisian. They are very cute, but were not hand reared so don’t approach humans readily, unlike my last mob. Had to laugh when a guest a couple of weeks back commented on how aggressive my cattle were! Aggressive???? Never, why, what did they do? I asked, somewhat appalled. “They all rushed up to us as we walked along the fence line – only JUST stopped short! I was terrified!” came the answer….. Ummmm, they weren’t showing aggression, they wanted a cuddle! Not one of those cattle had a bad bone – they were as soft as butter, and at least three of them would come right in for a cuddle or to nibble your clothing, or beg for a juicy bit of poplar…. I guess three quarters of a tonne of hairy bovine (x 10), bearing down on one could be a bit alarming though! That’s why they are one side of the fence and you are on the other!

New this month in the B&B is the introduction of our Scrummy Breakfast Pack for the self-catering Cabbage Tree accommodation – just pre order it at $70 when you book in and you will arrive to find the pantry and fridge stocked with milk, wholegrain bread, butter or olive oil spread (please specify) free range eggs, free range bacon, rosy tomatoes, local honey, home made preserves, fruit and juice. This really takes all the hard work out of a weekend away – especially if you combine it with a trip to our local pub for dinner! Too easy!

Bonfire night is on the horizon and I have spent the past few weeks building a HUGE one! It’s going to be legendary – provided of course it doesn’t rain on the night! Lots of friends coming, and guests already booked in both rooms who will hopefully enjoy the entertainment! We are now fully booked over the actual Christmas – New Year period, so sorry if you were hopeful of those dates – book early to avoid disappointment next year!

Dave’s turn now for a little minor surgery next week…. and I for one would rather be the operated-on rather than the fretting spouse any day…. Darn it! But it will all be fine and we will back at Riverdale within a few days, I’m sure. This getting older lark ain’t much fun, is it?! Poor D went to the optometrists today and came away with no less than 3 pairs of glasses ordered. Between us I added up we will have EIGHT pairs of prescription glasses – blimey! Why is it I still feel 30-something?? But on a brighter note, I am back Zumba-ing my way to fitness three times a week having recovered fully from my own op two months ago.

It’s a long weekend here this coming one – nice to have the extra time with my husband – we are going to put up a fence. Nothing like life in the fast lane, hey?

I was asked recently what kind of notice did we need to provide accommodation – could they just turn up for the night and expect a bed? Realistically the self-catering option can be easily organised with an hour’s notice but the B&B option in the house needs a full 24 hrs. As I pointed out we are a working farm, and planning is crucial. I once came out of the bathroom which I was cleaning, having heard a strange noise to find a well dressed couple standing in my lounge gazing out the glass doors at the view – unbelievably they had walked straight into my house without knocking. I can never really get my head around people that seem unable to differentiate between a hotel and a B&B!

Spring is Sprung...

We’re gearing up for the upcoming season here with guests due next week in both the self-catering and B&B options so we will have a full house! Husband will be in residence (we have two homes – one in Auckland City on the edge of the Manukau harbour, and Riverdale.) and he will be cooking up a storm for those lucky guests!

Spring has arrived almost suddenly. The blossom is appearing on the fruit trees and my flowering cherry looks as is if it will be magnificent in a few weeks time. The first clematis flowers have opened and the grapevines are on the point of bud-burst.

The potager garden has been continually ravaged by rabbits this year - I’m planning to use the cage trap to ensnare them, and remove…. By one means or another… we are both rather partial to rabbit pie…. Run Rabbit!

Had to say bye bye to my 10 heifers last month…. Never can keep a dry eye. We still have the 10 steers – Curly, Baby, Big Boy, Spotty Legs, Vee & friends, but they will be leaving too in early October…. More tissues required. On the plus side I am just negotiating on a dozen weaner calves, which will arrive around the same time as the others leave – they will be sooooo cute at around 5 months old! Next door there have been lots of new lambs, some sets of twins – we just love to watch them frolicking through the lush spring grass, full of the joys.

I had a little health blip – surgery last month to remove my gall bladder which contained two large stones, and several small ones. Keyhole, all very minimal, only in for one night. One hears of folk waiting up to a year for the same op in the public system – mine was diagnosed on a Monday with an ultrasound and the op went ahead the following Tuesday. Nice private clinic with my own room & bathroom, carpeted hallways and very attentive nursing staff. A reminder of the benefit of medical insurance.

Pity the poor people of Christchurch – suffering a devastating earthquake several weeks ago. So many homes will never be liveable again and a lot of lost heritage buildings – huge disruptions to commerce as there was a lot of damage to the CBD area, and of course the tourists will be wary of booking, especially as they are still experiencing aftershocks on a daily basis. The immediate response from the police and the army were amazing – I thought they coped hugely well. My heart goes out to all those who have lost their homes but miraculously, there was no loss of life.

We have had two trips away – to Christchurch & Akaroa (the week before the quake – now that’s timing!) I would thoroughly recommend Akaroa to overseas visitors – a pretty heritage town built by early French Settlers, harbourside. Plenty of galleries, cafes and restaurants and some magnificent scenery. Second trip was to Wellington with a little drive up to Greytown to introduce Dave to Shoc Chocolate…. Took to it like a duck to water…. Think we might have shares in it by now…. Yummm. Whilst in Welly we saw a local play, visited the fabulous Te Papa museum, marvelled at Zealandia (wildlife sanctuary dedicated to preserving our threatened species) and savoured a wonderful dinner at Logan Brown’s (the owners of which featured in the great TV series “Hunger for the Wild”. Go there.

As I type, NZ is apparently being battered by a weather bomb so large they are calling it a weather beast! It’s a bit breezy here, but the sky is blue and sun shining… lets hope it peters out before it does damage.

Till next time.