Page 61 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2019 Edition

PEOPLE LOVE COUNTRY CALENDAR, especially farmers, and enjoyed having them. I was still pleased when it was finished
the camera loves Herefords. though,” he chuckles.
Herefords have featured strongly on the TVNZ prime time show “Seriously though, you’re exposing your life and your farm to
– stud animals from Hain Herefords in Gisborne, Maungahina the rest of the country and there are a lot of people who don’t
Stud in Wairarapa, and Morrison Farming in Manawatu, for like what we’re doing. I was concerned about filming the cattle
example, as well as commercial animals on the likes of Haldon, crossing the river; we do that eight to 10 times a day when
Arawhata, Routeburn, Cascade and Grampian stations. we’re mustering. But we didn’t get as much flak as I thought
Haldon Station’s episode marked the end of the 2018 we might. We had good feedback and of course everyone loves
season. Manager Paddy Boyd was no stranger to the situation; Herefords. We love our Herefords here and I enjoyed that last
this is the third time the station has been featured in the 38 episode with Haldon Station. They have beautiful cattle.”
years he’s been there. Earlier episodes featured more history He says the episode was dominated by the mustering, but
and the hard life in the high country, whereas he says this one there was no mention of all the work done with the cattle once
was more focused on where the station is now. they were out.
“We’ve changed this place a lot in 40 years. We might be “We finish them and sell some as forward stores, but there
high country but we’re quite intensive.” was no mention of that. It was more about the people than the
As well as sheep and deer, Haldon runs 550 cows and farming side.”
heifers. The episode captured the cows being walked home for Routeburn Station hosted a Country Calendar team,
calving,” Paddy says. including director Celia Jaspers, in 2018. Managers Stu and
“People loved seeing the story. They say it’s good to see Anne are integral members of the community at the head of
straight, honest stories about places with genuine big herds. We Lake Wakatipu, but they normally shy away from the limelight.
also had comments on the Herefords. You could see it was the “So far as the programme went we were relieved for it to be
winter but the cows looked really good coming out of the back over but pleasantly surprised with all the positive feedback,” Anne
country. They handle it so well out there; that’s why we have them.” says. “We think the Country Calendar team made an excellent
Paddy says the Herefords are so quiet and easy to work job of it. The weather was great and the scenery… well…”
on the land. They spend all winter in the high country and are Another 2018 feature was Manawatu/Rangitikei’s Morrison
brought in before calving. Haldon Station single sire mates and family with Ezicalve Herefords. Will Morrison, who manages the
after the stock is weaned in March, they are put back out there, business’s hill country property Mangara Station, says they were
mainly for pasture control. humbled to be asked to do an episode. “Country Calendar is part of
“With a season like this, this year we could probably do with the New Zealand psyche. We were proud to tell our story.”
1000 cows out there to be honest,” says Paddy. He says the crew was great to work with but the timing not
For John Nolan, from the West Coast’s Arawhata Station, so much; filming was in the second week of September in the
it was second time around when the camera crew arrived in middle of lambing and calving, and during the annual yearling
2017. The property featured back in 1987 when John was just bull sale. “The bad thing was that it was our busiest time of the
a “young fella” and his father was still alive. Some of the archive year, but the good thing was that we had lots of action for them
footage was used in the new episode. to film that was all happening anyway.”
“We’ve got copies here of the original but it was good to see They were advised by a friend to just have fun with it. So
the footage again. Not many people get to do Country Calendar they did. That advice came from Sam and Gemma Hain from
twice, that was pretty special.” Hain Herefords, based on Waikura Station near Gisborne, who
Second time around it was a drama-filled shoot. The featured on Country Calendar in 2016.
Arawhata River flooded in the middle of the main cattle muster, Sam himself says they received a lot of feedback about their
which was a normal occurrence for the Nolan’s team, but not episode and it was nice to know they had portrayed farming in
so much for the visitors.
“It set them back a few days,” John says. “They had to camp THIS PAGE, LEFT TO RIGHT: Weaning time at Cascade Station;
in with us, but they seemed to enjoy the experience and we Musterer Alistair Wallace at the Callery Flat yards, Arawhata River.

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