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.

July Days

We’ve had all seasons in one day today…. I watched a beautiful sunrise this morning – at 6.30 the sky had a delicious lemon tinge in the east, then about half an hour or so later the last few clouds were blown away leaving a clear sky just waiting for the sun to rise and paint it blue. The morning was delightfully warm and I had the windows open for the birdsong over breakfast.

The kitchen was filled with the smell of baking – I made a kibbled grain loaf, chocolate chip biscuits and cheese and herb muffins. There’s nothing like home cooked goodies in the tins.

By the time I’d finished that, the day had changed, wintery showers skittered across the landscape bringing icy blasts of westerly wind to remind me which season it really is. I wrapped up well and went and mowed the Olive Grove. This is where I often catch sight of the odd cock pheasant or tiny tomtit, but none today. The dairy cows over the back fence are producing calves on a daily basis, and there are 6 little lambs at last count…. I love the sound of the sheep, and to see the lambs bouncing across the green fields never fails to bring a smile to my lips.

Job done, I headed back to the farmhouse, stopping to gather some dead woody weeds, twigs and she-oak needles with which to light the fire later. The land provides for many of my needs, something I have been grateful for when times where tough a few years ago when I was widowed. Luxuries like firelighters where out of the question, but when you know where to collect strips of stringybark, rich in eucalyptus oil and lovely fragrant pinecones it really doesn’t matter! I forage for puffballs and other edible funghi, collect blackberries, and have a never-ending supply of mulch courtesy of the She-Oaks fallen needles.

The farm supplies me with firewood, wild watercress, and the river provides irrigation water. Even trapping the all-destructive possum means my neighbour’s cat gets a tasty dinner or three. Nature regularly fills our water tanks with the purest of rainwater, far sweeter than any bottled water you may buy. The house was designed to allow the winter sun in all day; many visitors assume I have underfloor heating. In summer it’s so easy to throw the bifolding windows and doors wide open to the terrace and relax in the shade of the grapevines. The first meal I ever shared with my lovely husband, David, was eaten alfresco thus! And I’m sure the romance of that setting and the pure luxury of having him cook for me where elemental in our falling in love!

Now it feels like spring – I can see the Early Cheer waving their waxy heads under the fruit trees, hear the baa-ing of sheep on the wind, the sun is back out, sky is blue and the sun is streaming through my bedroom windows – Ally is stretched out on my bed basking like a lizard. David is due here on Friday, accompanied by his parents this time, Dad will come over and we will eat roast chicken by the fire. Life's good.

New Perspectives

During winter our guest numbers are definitely down. Just as well, really. It’s actually one of the busiest times on the farm with stock ready to go away and new stock to replace them, to view, bid for or buy, organise trucking and drenching of the newbies, and overseeing their arrival and orientation. It’s a time to tidy up pasture and lay the bones for the season ahead, prune roses and trees, and perform maintenance on the buildings like clearing out gutters and so on. Today I have spent most the day on the quad spraying carrot weed.

It also means I can have some time “off farm”.

Having married my gorgeous Queen Street IT professional, I now am in the somewhat blessed situation of having the best of both worlds… we have two homes between us, mine in the countryside and Dave’s in the city. And not just any city either. Auckland is our largest city and boasts much to give one a cultural, shopping or culinary fix. So last weekend saw me nip down the motorway for a weekend that included an early morning foray to the Oratia Famers Market where we snaffled some Buffalo Mozzarella, walnut bread, cloudy apple juice, huge red onions and crunchy munchy capsicums at giveaway prices, THE best peanut butter in the world - Pics – check their website out if want to have a good laugh – smoked garlic, and two divine spicy pumpkin and cream cheese muffins …..mmmmmm. This great little market sits on the outskirts of town behind Glen Eden, nestled amongst apple orchards not far from where my Uncle Jack used to live – I remember piling into his Escort to go for Sunday drives, shopping from “honesty” box fruit stalls along the roadsides.

Later in the day we took in a movie at a very grown up cinema, The Rialto at Newmarket, where we sipped pinot noir from the comfort of huge squashy comfy seats, with no-one kicking your chair back or rustling crisp packets, talking or texting… bliss! The film was Cemetery Junction and I recommend it. Then it was off to dinner at an inner city Italian job – pancetta & field mushroom risotto for me, and spicy lamb for Dave.

We slept late on Sunday, watched the All Blacks trounce the South Africans on Sky Sports, walked 5km on comfortably non-ankle threatening pavements, and cooked together in the evening, glass in hand, in his uber modern designer kitchen before curling up together on his fabby reclining leather sofa that is guaranteed to put one to sleep faster than a political broadcast…..

His piece of real estate comes with a back drop of native bush complete with resident tuis and wood pigeons, fantails, spotted doves and wax eyes plus all normal feathery friends; sparrows, thrushes, blackbirds and starlings. A mere 2 minute walk takes you to the Manukau harbour where wading birds and gulls call to each other, and a coastal walk that has a set of steps way better than any StairMaster! About thirty ducks hang about the street warming their bottoms on the asphalt when they aren’t fossicking in the stream in the reserve, the road comes with Ducks Crossing warning signs.

On the subject of signs – two that make me laugh every time I head south:

One on the fence of a rural property reads “I WANT KUMARA” along with a cell ph number to call if you have a surfeit, presumably…. Bet he gets a few prank calls too. And on the outskirts of Warkworth there is a cheese place that has a sign up declaring “Last Cheese Before the Airport” – I think one is meant to assume they mean Auckland International but in fact it eludes to the Warkworth Airstrip a few kms down the road. Full marks for enthusiasm!

My next trip south will be in a Beech 1900 plane thanks to last minute tickets at super bargain bin prices – and I will have yet another perspective over our beautiful countryside!

Winter Sun

The weather continues to be gracious here in the North, and whilst it has been chilly - four frosts to date this winter - the days have been mostly sunny and bright. With the help of my friend Brian, we were able to get two tonnes of gravel down on the driveway which hadn't seen much maintenance in the past three years what with one thing and another. Brian drove, Dave and I shovelled as he went, great upper body workout! Come lunchtime I cooked up some fabulous Pokeno pure pork sausages with onions and we ate them greedily, wrapped in slices of wholemeal bread and oozing tomato sauce.... heavenly. The simple things are so often the best!

The cows have learnt a new and naughty trick - how to cross the stream. This means they pop up in the house paddock when they ought to be on the river flats at the front of the farm.... and vice versa. We have the Mangere River running down the southern boundary of the property, and a stream (the one they are now dicing with) flows through our farm and joins up with the bigger river. We also have a small creek that runs dry in summer, but at other times flows into the aforementioned stream. All these waterways make for an attractive property and certainly boost our stocks of wildlife BUT they can be tricky too - fencing is possible but costly. We have fenced several stretches off where it's practical to do so but some other areas are either too remote (from the electric) or would cost an arm and a leg due to the distance involved. However I suspect I may have to bite the bullet to put an end to this latest play. Arrrgh!

The Greenfinches have become a daily fixture in the garden and now are numbering about half a dozen. I removed one from the Jaws of Death (Ally's) last week and after a bit of nurturing it did fly off - thankfully. Ally is now sporting beautiful lime green neckware in the form of a collar with not one but TWO bells.... she is not happy and has managed to take it off once already (but I found it! heh!). The rosy chested, smaller chaffinches sometimes join in but are generally chased away. I guess big IS sometimes better! I think they are competing for the grape pips that would be left over from the summer, where they would have ended up after waterblasting the terrace. In the past few weeks the Shining Cuckoo has been piping his call frequently too - hard to spot, but I was treated to a full ten minutes of viewing when one perched in my now nude rose bushes in the kitchen garden a while back.

We managed to get a day at Ocean Beach on Saturday - the sun was shining, water sparkling with a fresh easterly wind whipping up white horses. We set off to the north and walked for about 7kms, and then of course had to walk the same amount back. It was great to be by the sea - so calming and refreshing. What a blow out. Recommended to all who need to clear their heads or just relax. Whangarei Heads is a splendid area with many great beaches - the drive out alongside the harbour is as picturesque as it gets. There are a couple of good eateries along the way - Parua Bay Tavern and The Deck as you climb over the hill from McLeod's Bay toward Reotahi. We got takeaways (fish and chips) from the latter and ate alfresco by the water. Magic!

So come on - the water might not be warm, but it makes a great backdrop for a winter's walk.

Greenfinch in my Garden

Blue Skies and Bursting Baskets.....

Watching the weather on telly, I realise we really don’t know what winter IS here in Northland! When we were down in Queenstown earlier this month there was snow… and perma-frost in the shadowed areas (note to self: don’t buy a house down there without checking it out in winter!! ) Huge chunks of the township get no sun at all during winter and this whiteout frost never thaws. Neither do we have the ghastly Inversion Layer – a thick blanket of fog that hung over Wanaka and environs for at least a couple of weeks. The past few weeks I have been nipping round mowing the lawns in a tee shirt – perfect sunny blue skies and a very mild set of temperatures around 17 or 18 C falling to around 7 C at night.

Kokopu has it’s own microclimate too. We are much, much drier than Whangarei, which is nestled at sea level in a cleft in the hills. We sit at 300 metres and get significantly less rainfall – in fact I can draw a line along Kokopu Block Rd delineating wet from dry!

Last weekend saw a host of outdoor chores ticked off – gutters checked and cleaned out, Dave waterblasted the terrace to perfection again, and we replaced the bungy cord on six of our gates that were looking a bit saggy and sad (familiar feeling, anyone?)

The alarm went off at 5.45am on Saturday morning, we reluctantly exited the goosedown, and threw some clothes on to head into Whangarei for our excellent weekly Farmers Market. You have to be there early or you miss the best treats! It wasn’t even properly light but we managed to pile jewel-coloured tamarillos, mandarins, juicy vine ripened tomatoes, crunchy watercress, honey, free range eggs, smoked & dried oyster mushrooms, carrot & zucchini bread and two bunches of heavenly scented narcissi into the fab basket we bought at Queenstown’s Mediterranean Market before heading off to Caffeine and a yummy breakfast.

Today, once more, the sun is shining, birds singing and I’m warm as I sit at my laptop. New visitors to the garden this week have been a trio of Greenfinches. Goldfinches are common, with Chauffinches occasional drop-ins but its the first time I've noticed these little greenies! Views of the stream, olive grove and bare branched poplars, with rolling hills beyond keep snaring my attention. A fat pheasant strolls amongst the olive trees, pecking at fallen fruit. Weekend guests in our self-catering apartment, The Cabbage Tree, report that there is a good amount of water flowing over the Mangere Falls at the moment – wonderful waterfalls – the second most significant in the Whangarei district – and on our doorstep!

The winter specials are proving really popular so grab the chance at a break away from the city and head to sunny Riverdale – remember they finish at the end of August so don’t miss out! Two nights for a tiny $125! See the website for full details.

Stay warm!
Sammi & Dave
Riverdale Farm B&B
www.riverdalefarm.co.nz