Goodbye Wairiri Buffalo Farm- Days 31 & 32

Saturday 11th Nov

Hororata Highland games. A very weird sense of dejavu today haha, awaslking amokngst these Scottish Highland games, only hearing kiwi accents and there being a Flavour of Māori culture mixed in too! Quite surreal actually! 

Chloe was volunteering at the show so she had to be there from 7am, but I rockedup about 9, just as the rain started. At first glance it was just like waking into a Highland show back home; heavy events in one area, Highland dancing in another, a stage playing Scottish traditional music, some BBQs and food stalls. Then they had a mass of ‘Scottish’ retail stalls...selling everything from shortbread to hello jimmy hats, there was an enormous amount of folk dressed in garish tartan outfits, some kilts, butnother outfits were a bit more questionable - there were even some Scottish SteamPunks walking around-band some outfits were just downright offensive... and finally the ‘Clan Lane’ I’m not really sure what else to say about that. Haha 

Folk kept asking me what I thought of the games once they’d hear that I was scottish, or ask me what Clan I was from, or why I wasn’t competing in the ‘Tossing of the Caber’ or the Highland dancing. Let’s just say it was an interesting experience but probably far more enjoyable if you weren’t actually Scottish! 

There were some interesting bits though, like I really enjoyed their whisky tasing session. This was led by the Scottish owner of the whisky company ‘Whisky Galore’ and he talked expertly about the process and the tasting, even if he was a little ott, it suited the salesman persona

I also enjoyed the crafts tents, particularly the wool one, where they had people speed-shearing sheep, and people then spinning wool, making felt and also knitting with the wool. There was also a lot of info on the NZ wool market which was quite interesting. This was however the only animals I saw today (unlike most of our own shows) as the Animals and Pets Show will be heled the following week, perhaps due to space on the green? 

Finally, I also enjoyed the opening ceremony which included a pipe band welcome - followed by some gushy chat about how their ancestors in Hororata were still so close to their Scottish heritage, yeah yeah - and then finished off with th NZ national anthem sung by a group from the local primary school, who then performed some Māori dance and the Haka. This was cool to see the Māori and Scottish cultures side by side. 

Chloe and I hung about - and she worked a bit more - till lunchtime and we headed back to the farm about 1:30. I then packed my backpack and started loading stuff into the car for tomorrow’s departure. Everything but my PJs and tomorrow’s clothes. I cleaned up my room a bit too and once Lucy and Christo got back from the markets about 4, I then went up and gave the mezzanine level another coat of paint. 

 

I’m sad to have left Wairiri Buffalo Farm, but feel very satisfied too with all the work I got done for them this past month, and also how much I learnt too! I think a month was the perfect amount of time to be here, the two weeks in Coromandel were too short for everything I wanted to do but here I got her chance to do my jobs and learn a bit too. I’m also looking forward to seeing a bit more of the country again as Canterbury is starting to feel very familiar. 

Sunday 12th Nov 

I was a bit sad this morning, knowing it was my last morning here at the farm. I had my morning coffee with Christo as he was the only one awake, I’d said my goodbyes to everyone else -animals and all - last night at bedtime. 

I quickly finished painting the mezzanine level and packed the rest of my stuf into Barry-the-box and said bye to Christo and Ruby (the collie, who sleeping on my doorstep this morning when I got up! 💜).

I headed over to Springfield where I did my washing and had a wee coffee and a nap. I also  popped into Darfield for lunch and some last minute groceries to ride me over and take with me when I start my next step and adventure further south on Tuesday. 

Graeme and Frances had gone over for a bit of sun and warmth in Hokitika for the weekend since it was horribly cold and driech here on the east coast! Can’t say I blame them, I ended up putting a fire on late afternoon for them coming home as I wanted the house to be lovely and cosy, especially since they’d been in shorts all day! 

Of course, we have whaitebait for dinner (yummy!) as Graeme had been fishing both  Saturday and Sunday, and what a load he caught! We ate dinner watching the new Blue Planet by david Attenborough. I just love coming here and feeling so relaxed and at home.