You can't go to New Zealand without being surrounded by sheep. in
fact, afgter the first or second day, the girls lost interest in me calling
them out at every pasture and paddock we passed. Still, we had to go
check out a real sheep station. We took the HMS Old-Something-Or-Other
from Queenstown out to a station across the lake. Well worth the ride...
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| Zoe and McKenna spent the
45 minute boat ride signing kids' songs with the piano player and the ship's
mascot. For the rest of the vacation, McKenna kept asking to see "my
dwagon". Of course an old steam ship doesn't move itself. There are actually three coal-fired boilers in the hold. In another tribute to a non-litigious society, there are walkways overhead where you can go and see -and feel- the activity below. The temerature up on the walkways was about 110 deg. F. |
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This is a real working sheep station, although
they do a mean tourist business too. Here, the ranch owner demonstrates
a name change. This sheep used to be known as "Wally", but now he's
called "Shawn". (Say it out loud. Now say it again, with a NZ
accent.) He also deomstrated the sheep dogs, and talked a bit about living on the station. They have two huge generators because they are far enough from Queenstown that they don't get electricity. Pretty cool. |
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| The highlight of this sidetrip was undoubtedly feeding the sheep. They fed the big guys pellets, and the little ones got milk. Our two little lambs really loved it. | ||
They had cattle too, and Zoe managed to feed one.
Mac wouldn't get near them. "Too big! TOO BIG!!!!"
Hanging by the lake, awaiting the return trip.
