NZ - Wedderburn

After 3 days in Dunedin we traveled up to Wedderburn to visit my sister Katherine and her family.

Kath lives with her husband Leonard on his family's farm at Wedderburn in the Maniototo plateau in central Otago. The Maniototo is a very sparsely populated place with a harsh climate with temperatures ranging from over 30°C in mid-summer to -15°C in mid-winter. It is also very beautiful and has attracted many artists over the years, as well as being the location for some of the scenes of 'Rohan' in the 'Lord of the Rings' films.



This is a famous view of Wedderburn railway goods shed. The railway line to the left has been removed years ago. In its place is a cycle-way for tourists called the 'rail trail'.


This is the road from the highway to the farm.


The view from Leonard and Katherine's drive is very impressive. This video panorama starts looking north, then pans west towards the Kakanui range, then south-east towards the Rock- and-pillar range, then east . You can't see the house which is down in a sheltered valley



And here is the house in its sheltered valley. Kath has been very busy with the garden and planting fruit trees.


Kath's garden from the kitchen window.



This is Kath with Hannah.


It was really nice to catch up with Kath and meet Leonard, Elanor and Thomas again. They certainly have a lively household! This is Elenor, Kath, Thomas and Leonard.


Hannah with Thomas.


Hannah with Elanor.





Kath took us on a trip to Naseby which is a nearby historic gold-mining town from the 1860s. It has become a holiday town, and I remember family holidays there as a small child, including going horse riding. It is now New Zealand's smallest borough with a permanent population of only 100 and so it felt a bit like a ghost town.


Naseby has a nice park with a ring of giant trees that were planted by miners back in the 1860s. Thus proving what my dad used to say - "from tiny acorns great pine trees can grow". This is Thomas, a little friend, and a big tree.


Hannah had her first experience of playing on a swing, which she really enjoyed.








...some walking practice...


...and first experience riding on Dad's shoulders.





When we were in Dunedin I saw some rather expensive paintings of sunrise in the Maniototo by a local artist...


...which proves that Katherine and Leonard have a $20,000 view!