March 5, 2012 Dunedin, New Zealand
On Monday I went on a tour of the Walter Peak High Country sheep farm. The farm was reached by a 12 mile steamer boat ride across Lake Wakatipu out of the city of Queensland, New Zealand. The ride was a tour in itself. The steamship, the TSS Earnshaw, is believed to be the oldest working coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere. It will celebrate its 100th year anniversary this year. Judging from the black coal smoke rising to the sky out of the stack, they must have a historical exemption from clean air rules!
The sheep tour was amazing primarily because of our tour guide at the ranch - Lindsay. His dry humor and knowledge of sheep farming was incredible. He showed us all how to muster the sheep using a sheep herder's best friend, the sheep dog, then went on to demonstrate shearing a sheep. After shearing, the sheep dawns a new name - SHORN
I'll try to attach two videos that tell the whole story. Also attached are pictures of the steamer and the ranch. This really brought into perspective one of New Zealand's largest agricultural industries - sheep farming.
On south to the city of Dunedin which in the gold rush days (1860's) was the hub of New Zealand.
Yours in travel
Bill
