The Wild West Coast

It was a long drive from the top of the South Island to 50km south of Fox Glacier. Unfortunately we did it on a rainy, cloudy day so we did not get to see much of the Southern Alps as we made the trip.

Even though the ranch we are staying at is just off State Highway 6, it feels like it is located at the end of the road. The nearest large town is 2.5 hours away and it has just over 3000 people. Being so isolated means that the people in the area are very self reliant but are also willing to help their neighbors whenever there is a need.

The West Coast is a place that is hard to describe. Time has moved more slowly here so people still do things in a more traditional way It is a place where cowboy boots look like gumboots. The State Highway was originally a cattle trail and it is still used that way today. It is a place where hunting is not a sport, it is a necessity to supplement your food supply. Horse riding is not a sport, it is still a work activity. It is a place where closing time is just a recommendation. The rain here is measured in buckets rather than millimeters. It is a place of incredible beauty.

We have been doing various tasks on the ranch including fixing fence, milking the house cow, hunting, making ice cream, feeding animals and moving stock. The ranch we are on is a Hereford Stud which means that it produces bulls that other farmers buy to use to impregnate their cattle. The rancher who owns the place is the fourth generation on the ranch. He knows his herd so well that he can tell you the mother and father of most of his stock without consulting his breeding book.

On Wednesday we drove over the mountains to Christchurch so that we could attend the Canterbury A&P show. It is similar to a fair in the States with rides, junk food and stock judging. There were also dog trials and commercial farm equipment vendors at the show. We were mainly there for the livestock judging and had a great time talking to the other ranchers who where at the show. We even met one farmer who held shearing classes in Roseburg, Oregon and knew several guys from Myrtle Point (my home town). We spent the night near Christchurch and the next day we went to Kaiapoi to pick up some semen. We got some from the company and then drove down the road a short distance to get some from an independent dealer. Only in New Zealand would a deal done on the side of the road between the back of vehicles be for semen instead of drugs.

On our way home it was a clear day so we got some incredible views through Arthur’s Pass and of the Southern Alps as we drove along the West Coast.

The woman we are staying with, Rina, is a wonderful photographer so if you want to see some better pictures of the area we are staying in check out her Flickr photos here. One of our favorite photos of hers is this one.