Tuesday 14 September
Steve and Geoff were right about the food day! We started off at the Glenbrook Valley Railway, which is run by volunteers with old steam engines and rolling stock. We had a train ride of about 7.5 km out and back, taken along by a vintage engine. Morning tea was excellent, biscuits and slices, tea and coffee, served on the platform. Les had a ride on the footplate and I sat in the carriage with windows on the way out and then in the one without windows on the way back. We got off the train so it could reverse up the track and we could take some photos of it coming towards us with the steam blowing behind it. Great fun!
Then we went to Longlands dairy farm for our lunch, which was cottage pie and salad, followed by orange cake and ice cream. On the way, we learnt that New Zealand produces about 1/3 of the world’s dairy production – pretty good for two small islands! The farm we visited has a herd of 240 cows, mostly Friesian with some Jersey crosses, and produces about a million litres each year. There are two automatic dairies in the country, which allows the cows to determine their milking times. It turns out that they like to be milked between about 3 am and 6 am for some reason. And they like music, but aren’t fussy about the type that’s played.
Our last stop for the day was at Paradise Valley Trout Farm. I think I came here when on a cruise after my first year of teaching at Moree, and have promised to send them a photo taken then.
Tonight we are at Rotorua for the first of our two night stops. We have done our laundry and had dinner, and are now back in our room for the night. We are in a Superior room, and had to decide which of the two queen beds to use. We could have one each if we want!!
I have unpacked my bag completely, which is always good to do, and it might get back into some sort of order when I repack tomorrow.
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