Page 89 - NZ Hereford Magazine 2023

Capturing life on New Zealand’s most remote station was a dream assignment for Dunedin photographer Derek Morrison.

“Matariki bulls are a great type and suit us perfectly,” Guy country. There is always a great atmosphere at the Ravine – a
says. The property has traditionally been Herefords because truly special place made even more special by the characters
of the temperament and constitution. who join us on the musters.”
“We prefer the quiet nature and the white faces of Herefords, In the acknowledgements in the book, photographer Derek
which make them a lot easier to see in the thick scrub.” Morrison agrees.
According to O’s book, young stock is generally grazed on “It’s easy to fall in love with Muzzle Station. The feeling
the Clarence Reserve lease area and the cows are mainly at of remoteness, the jagged peaks in every direction, the
the northern end of the Muzzle. Replacement heifers are kept blue ribbon constantly pushing through the valley floor,
at the homestead end and have their first calves there before and the way the sunlight dances across the ridges, are only
being moved to the Ravine country. overshadowed by the characters who inhabit this land.”
There’s a whole chapter in the book dedicated to mustering The Dunedin-based visual storyteller says the opportunity
the Ravine, described by O as a “truly wild spot”. They make the to spend time on the Muzzle was a dream job.
pilgrimage to the ravine twice a year – first for calf marking in “It doesn’t really get much better than that … being up in the
January and then for calf weaning in May. The autumn muster high country, and the weather, and being able to experience all
sees five or six people, each on horseback and with a team of that real life, for me was absolutely amazing. And with Guy and
dogs, ride out for about a week, to get all of the cows and their O being so accommodating, we had a lot of fun along the way.”
young calves in from the surrounding area. Once mustered, all Derek grew up on a Waikato sheep and beef farm, where
the calves are ear-marked, and the bull calves castrated. his parents talked about high country stations like they were
“Weaning is a bit more intense, as we have to get all of the the Formula One of farming.
cattle in, wean the calves, tuberculosis (TB) test all of them, Penguin Books had approached Derek to do photos for a
pregnancy test the cows then walk both the newly weaned book called Merino Country with writer Paul Hersey. One of
calves and any cull cows back home to the homestead. All those stations was the Muzzle.
that usually takes between 10 and 12 days depending on the “It was all a dream assignment really. We were pretty
weather. The country is big, steep, and rough, and not for the excited because it’s such a good story, being so far away from
faint-hearted. You need a brave horse and rider.” everywhere, so isolated, and then once we met Guy and O we
For O, Ravine musters have always been a highlight. It’s hard realised what cool people they were to work with. It was probably
work, but also uncomplicated. All there is to do at the end of a my favourite station to spend so much time on because when
hard day is feed the dogs and horses and open a “cold one”. you’re in there, you’re really in there, and sometimes you just
When the calf weaning muster is finished, more than 600 couldn’t get out; you had to wait for the weather to clear or wait
calves and any cull cows are walked 25km home to the Muzzle for the river to go down. Exciting. I really liked that.”
homestead. They cross the river four times, if it’s low enough, The publisher realised they hadn’t scratched the surface of
and then walk single file along a narrow stock track that winds the Muzzle story. That’s when O started writing and Derek was
its way above the river. The Ravine musters are the most asked to go back in.
important times of the year for the cattle calendar, O wrote. “I wasn’t going to turn that down in a million years,” he says,
“It is a great social time, and out there is the best riding with a laugh.

Year 2023 HEREFORD MAGAZINE 87