Well – here we are on the eve of our move to the country. Bronskidore Dali is looking a little nervous but we promised her she would settle into being a country cat in no time. Tinkerbell would rather not think about it at all…..
Our main problem is what to do with the resident marauding peacocks. Sure – they look fabulous but they shit like rhinos and scream like demons. I hear they taste great, so we might be able to convince the local cafe to try some…… Hmmm – Peacock Pie. yum!
So – the Crumbling Wreck? It’s a stone house built in 1918 on 7 hectares of land at Earnscleugh, in Central Otago. There are a few hundred old fashioned Dawson Cherry trees and many other mixed fruit trees. We have the Fraser River as one of the borders, and the space is amazing. We have some extraordinary views of the surrounding mountains; much the same as my ancestors would have enjoyed, as my great-grandparents were orchardists in the area. I intend to keep a diary of our progress so we can look back later and (hopefully) reminisce on how far we have come.
Once the boundary fences have been repaired we are going to find some lambs; I am particularly enamoured of Suffolks, with their practical sturdy low-maintenance bodies and cute black faces. And what country estate would be complete without some free range chooks. The aim is to put in a vege garden as soon as possible, as the weather has warmed up so much lately; this winter has been so mild, nobody can believe it!