People like this make New Zealand Tick! 

Thousands of Dairy Farmers around New Zealand who get up very early every morning of the week and in some cases every morning of the year. Thousands of dairy farmers who work 15 -16 hour days, 7 days a week.  People on the ground, producing export earnings are some of the people that keep New Zealand going.

This time of year their first job of the day will be to check the calving mob. See who has calved during the night (or since the last time they saw them, which may have only been a couple of hours ago). Making sure that no one is having trouble calving.

Get the cows in for milking and if all goes to plan be finished milking by 7.30 am.

Picture:Kate Smith:

Calves to feed

Picture:Kate Smith

Sometime during the morning they fit in Breakfast.

Before the afternoon milking the day is filled with feeding out silage, setting up fences, bringing in newly calved cows to the shed.

Spreading fertilizer.

Picturre:Kate Smith

By 3.30 pm it’s time to start getting the cows in for the afternoon milking.

Picture:Kate Smith

Picture:Kate Smith

The last line nearly finished. Now just the cleaning up to do.

And more feed to be taken out to the cows.

Picture:Kate Smith

And lets not forget another important worker.

Picture:Kate Smith

 The job would be so much harder without him. Good on you Spark!

Friends living in Dargaville have a few sheep. Gave them a hand today to drench the lambs etc.

Picture:Kate Smith

We took a little trip to the Ruawai area this afternoon. Normally we would have gone straight down S.H.12 but a bad accident on the Tokatoka corner sent us on a diversion.

So we got these pics which we wouldn’t have done otherwise.

This is Maungaraho. A rocky outcrop just south of Dargaville. You can reach it quite easily from the Mititai to Waiotira road. There is a track up and around it but you will need good boot etc.

Maungaraho Rock

Maungaraho

MaungarahoNotice the cabbage tree at the bottom. Gives some idea of the size of it.Toka Toka

 

SH 12

Sunday afternoon in Dargaville

One hour ago. Dusk at Kaurivale, Northland, New Zealand.

Rain clouds and rainbows as the sun goes down.

31st July 2008

Omamari, 24kms Northwest Dargaville, Northland, New Zealand.

Very wet after the Big Storm of last night. Though we are not as badly off as many around New Zealand today. We got off quite lightly.

The day started off bright sunny and cheerful but slowly went to custard as the day went on.

Here you are girls

 

Ohh! This is a heavy one girls!

Flooding down in the Kaihu Valley

More Power Scotty! New Electric Fence Unit.

Have you girls no patience?

Takes him all day doesn't it!

At last! Mmmm that's so good.

Storm damage control

More damage control

Still looks wild out in the Tasman

Twice in one day. How does he do it!

And now it's lambing time too.

Well that’s enough for today. We’re off home!

But what you don’t see here is that by the time we got home, we were absolutely drenched and cold from the worsening weather.

Just running off!

Dairy heifers

Definately no power

In the wrong mob

Where the electric fence is working

Moving these heifers to a new area

Up you go

Looking good

Get out of there!

Safe for the night

And now it’s raining again

Back to home in the rain

From Ensuite window

Brightening up for a short spell

Made a space in the truck cab for the dog

The Yards

28th July 2008: Weather Forecast: Severe Storm:

Location: Omamari, 24kms Northwest of Dargaville, Northland, New Zealand

We are lucky in one respect, despite the fact that the heifers have gone “walk-about” – the weather between the hours of 9.00 am and 11.00 am is good.