Stroppage number one!

The plan had been to set off early from Tuirua and head to Matamata, but our bus had other plans and decided it was not going to drive without emitting a high pitched monotone alarm. Being in a one horse town our options were limited and calling various experts in Auckland didn't work. We had an electrical problem and needed to disable the alarm, but no one could find the source of the noise! Eventually after 4.5 hours, most of which was spent wandering aimlessly up and down the only street ( although I still managed to shop!) we were off. But by that point Adam, Margaret and I were told that due to time constraints we would now no longer be able to visit Hobbiton.

Silent stroppage ensued!

We travelled through Cambridge and arrived at the meeting point for our farmstay. Debbie picked myself, Pat, Richard, Janet and David up, and as if to rub in the disappointment we drove past the entrance to Hobbiton to get to Debbie's farm. At which point my stroppage became somewhat more vocal! And we started to hatch a plan!

By the time we reached the farm we were all fired up, and with Debbie's assistance I phoned our guide, Bernd, and asked that consideration be given to changing the timetable the following day to allow us to visit Hobbiton. Being German and a stickler for timetables he was having none of it, especially as those of us wanting to go were in the minority.

So we headed off around the farm. 500 cattle, 2000 sheep in beautiful rolling hills, managed by Paddy, Debbie and their two dogs. They had fields full of calves and lambs.

Eventually the waft of home cooked roast lamb was too much to resist and we headed back to the kitchen, where it turned out Debbie had spoken to the owner of Hobbiton and devised an alternative plan! She would take us to Hobbiton in the morning and then a bus would drives us to Rotorua to catch up with the rest. Debbie, is one feisty bird, who had me in fits everytime she said "don't get your tits in a tangle"!!!! This time we chose Janet to call Bernd. Janet is a gobby Yorkshire midwife, who is used to convincing people (ladies!) to do things they don't want to do! After a fortifying glass of red wine (or maybe two) she called Bernd. His resistance was strong, but eventually between Janet and Debbie he caved!

So we spent the rest of the evening talking to Paddy (67) and Debbie (62) about their lives on the farm. We even got up at 6:30am to watch the calves bring feed from the mobile milking machine!

The above calf, 3 months old, took to following me!