Into The Future and Back

Page 3

Eve and I arranged to meet Syth Hoyle at Ruth Benge’s fiber shop. Shelves and cubbyholes lined the walls from floor to ceiling containing yarns in every color and from every fiber species seemingly possible. A number of folks were gathered around a large table in the center of this shop working with fiber. Llama and alpaca items from gloves, scarves and hats to beautiful skirts and jumpers to Eve’s beautiful weavings were everywhere. All too soon it was time to leave. After warm goodbyes, Syth and I left Nelson and headed up to Cissy Bay in the Marlborough Sounds. I had no clear notion of where we were headed and boy, was I in for an adventure.

Cissy Bay is absolutely gorgeous and quite remote. There are dozens of islands just off the mainland shores. Most island residents only receive mail and supplies by boat. The water is crystal clear and home to dozens of mussel farms. The terrain is nearly vertical with little more than dirt/gravel single car roads cut into hillsides or perfectly perched atop the steep slopes. There is little flora and most of the bush has been replaced with lush grasses and grazing sheep. It’s as if you can see forever. While that is a definite plus on the side of beauty, it wrecks intense havoc on one’s sense of security in the passenger seat of a car. Syth and her husband, Clarrie, have a large parcel of steep land high above Cissy Bay that is home to black sheep, highland cattle and llamas. There is no running water, electricity or indoor facilities. Cooking is done by candlelight over a propane stove. We ate our dinners under brilliant stars before large warm fires. We spent the days exploring the area and hiking down far below to the shores of Marlborough Sounds even taking a brief chilling swim. Syth, a Scottish transplant, treated me to as many wonderful experiences as could be fit into such a short time frame. We even performed all the herd maintenance chores for her herd of llamas. All too soon it was back to Nelson for a hot shower and off to the airport once more for my clinic in Christchurch.

Landing in Christchurch I connected with my dear friend, Sandi, who had just arrived from America. She would join me for the rest of this amazing journey. Jane Buxton of Alpha Fields Llama Farm in Rangiora met us at the airport. Jane is a well-published author of children’s books. Her latest book, “The Littlest Llama” came out in 2006. It is a delightful story about a little llama who felt to leave his herd in search of a playmate. He has a scary time of it and finds a wonderful surprise when he decides to return home.

A number of llamas and alpacas live at Jane’s and a number more were brought to the clinic by participants. It was a beautiful fall day and we were kept busy working on training, behavior and herd management skills. The second day of the clinic brought a swift change in the weather. Raining, the winds kicked up and it began to snow. Huddled in a shelter, we continued to work on handling legs as Sandi shuttled numerous hot water bottles to us from the house. The weather finally became just too intense for any of us. Jane’s wood stove was a welcome reprieve and we concluded the remainder of the clinic indoors.

Sandi and I left Jane’s with participant Robyn Robinson of Llama Lookout in Christchurch. It was dark and snowing and once again, I had no idea where we were going. Dawn brought stunning news. Llama Lookout sits high above Governors Bay with expansive views of Lyttelton Harbour and the surrounding extinct volcano crater rim. Again, it was as gorgeous as it gets. Sandi and I were treated to a fully equipped apartment of our own and Robyn graciously shared with us as many places as we could possibly fit into those few days. We experienced everything from a play in Christchurch to the Southern Alps to the French settlement of Akaroa. We were treated to a marvelous afternoon with Robyn and her son, Flax, at the NZ Conservation Trust, Willowbank. Willowbank is a wildlife reserve dedicated to saving and preserving NZ native wild life and rare breeds. An absolute highlight was the opportunity to observe the threatened Kiwi bird foraging in near total darkness. Unbelievably, Robyn and I were even able to spend time working with some of her beautiful llamas -- newly acquired and very big girls.

Page ....1   2    3   4 ....Next page

Return to top of page