We left Christchurch and traveled by motor coach toward and Hokitika which is on the west coast. Along the way we stopped at the Rubicon Valley Farm. There guide, Chris Lowe, gave us a sheep dog demonstration, introduced us to his alpacas, took us to see the sheep paddocks, and taught us all about sheep and the shearing process. His wife, Del, provided us with a delicious lunch typical of what they offer the shearers who come to the farm. Mary even got to try shearing a sheep the old-fashioned way. Our visit provided great insight into the operation and life on a New Zealand sheep farm.

There were once 70 million sheep in New Zealand, and it is down to 38 million. New Zealand has the highest ration of seep to people at 7.7 sheep for every person.  The vast majority of New Zealand’s sheep are raised for meat rather than wool.  However, ewes are shorn before lambing for two reasons; 1) domesticated sheep do not shed their wool, 2) and shearing before lambing allows for better lamb survival and flock productivity.  We were told that the vast majority of lamb is exported and too expensive for most New Zealanders to include in their diet.

After the sheep farm, we stopped at the Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area (Castle Hill) with majestic limestone formations that have cultural and ecological importance. Just before Arthur’s Pass National Park in the Southern Alps, we saw where a created significant damage and closed the roads the day before we arrived.

Since rain was forecasted for the next day, we went directly to the Hokitika Gorge. This was a 1.3-mile easy trail through lush native bush to a rocky gorge below. We were lucky because with clear skies, the gorge had spectacular turquoise blue water. The trail had a suspension bridge over the gorge and is known for local birdlife.

After dinner we walked about a mile each way to the Glow Worm Dell. New Zealand glow-worms are the larvae (maggots) of a species of fly called a fungus gnat, Arachnocampa luminosa. They have a special ability to create a glowing light on their tails that they use to attract prey. It was pitch black, but the worms were glowing!

It was 153 miles on the motor coach this day.