Viva Muntanui!
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Background
    • Muntanui site details
  • Solandri Saffron
  • Q&A
  • Video
  • Links
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Background
    • Muntanui site details
  • Solandri Saffron
  • Q&A
  • Video
  • Links
  • Contact

chronicles

Connections: not a reality TV series

15/2/2012

6 Comments

 
In those two long years between buying Muntanui and moving here permanently, we watched a lot of TV. Specifically, we watched everything that featured people like us who were attempting to carve out some sort of existence on the land.

But they weren’t really like us*. Of course they weren’t. They were already well-known (Te Radar and Matthew Evans) or they had famous friends (Jimmy Doherty). Some were trained chefs, well-versed in adding value to their farming produce (Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall or Matthew Evans again). And all of them had cameras stuck in their faces.

It’s amazing how many people are willing to put themselves out and be your friend when there’s a boom operator trailing along behind you. (If you've just had a random thought about how much fun it would be to operate a boom and you'd like to know more about this as a possible career path, see below.)
We’re not famous. We can’t boast of having nekkid chef superstars as mates. We don’t know any boom operators (although if you’re reading this and you are one, feel free to trail along in our general vicinity whenever you want). Like most people, we have to make our own personal and professional connections from scratch and it’s a daunting prospect. But luckily, we’ve so far managed to be in the right places at the right times and have met some great people as a result.

Farmer Bob, organic worm farmer: what a legend. Alex, our Bee Boss: top bloke. Jan and Robbie from the local village: awesome pair. Helen, our neighbour: so damned good to us. And then there’s Mike and Shirley.

Mike and Shirley were fellow stall-holders at last month’s Festival Nelson Lakes. Both came over at different times and introduced themselves. We chewed the organic/permaculture/foodie/writing fat. Mike emailed us a couple of days later and invited us to a party at their block, just over an hour's drive south-west of here. And last weekend, leaving Muntanui in the capable hands of Farmer Wan’s visiting folks, we went.
Picture
One of these is a hottie
It was the first time we’d had a night away since we got here and it wasn’t until we hit the road that we realised how much we needed it. Oh, the fun we had! The food was sensational. The bonfire was the biggest I’ve ever seen. We got to use our tent again. There were drinks and a guitar and lots of waiata (songs) – a quintessentially Kiwi party. And the people were lovely: friendly, interested, chatty. After meeting a couple who are also farming Highland cattle, we even tentatively arranged a “bull swap” for the day when (our) Hamish and (their) Haggis have exhausted all the possible permutations in their respective local gene pools.

Yep, connections. Despite the absence of TV cameras in our faces we do seem to be making them, and very good ones at that. I don’t know how long the televised friendships last once the series has gone to air but we're hoping our new Muntanui mates will stay mates for the duration.

* My Dream Farm with British farming and horticulture doyen, Monty Don, is the exception -- and it was very sobering stuff.

Posted by Farmer Nik

6 Comments
Brett & Lyn
20/2/2012 06:55:27 am

About time you updated the blog! Lyn & I have been hanging out.
Good to see you made it away for a night. Everyone needs a break.
Would like to hear more about Hamish & his harem.
Lyn also wants to know when you will be publishing your book about life on the farm.

Reply
Farmer Nik
23/2/2012 08:58:40 am

Hi guys. Hamish and harem are next on the list. No book on the near horizon -- too busy trying to sort out that garden bed Lyn started on! Big hugs to the Tiger x.

Reply
BLT
20/2/2012 06:57:19 am

PS. Teagan is still talking about "Ewan & Niki's farm". Thanks again for your hospitality. Legendary as usual.

Reply
Keen
5/3/2012 06:44:24 am

Speaking as a boom swinger of some experience I can tell you that that video with its glamourous depiction of a free-wheeling, excitement-fuelled lifestyle bears no resemblance to reality. Whatsoever. And we hate the countryside - too many skylarks, cicadas, combine harvesters ruining our sweet sound. The beard was accurate however.

Reply
Lukas Carter link
1/2/2021 12:16:35 pm

I eenjoyed reading this

Reply
Farmer Nik
2/2/2021 10:01:09 am

Thanks, Lukas :). Maybe I'll get around to updating the blog again one day.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About Ewan and Niki

    Picture

    Farmer Wan

    Scottish mechanical engineer with a deep and abiding passion for good food. Outstanding cook. Builder of lots of stuff. Cattle whisperer. Connoisseur of beer. A lover rather than a fighter.

    Picture

    Farmer Nik

    Kiwi writer and broadcaster who hates cabbage, even though she knows it's good for her. Chook wrangler. Grower of food and flowers. Maker of fine preserves. Lover of dancing and wine. Definitely a fighter.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    November 2016
    October 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011

    Categories

    All
    All Blacks
    Alternative Fodder Sources
    Bee Keeping
    Bees
    Biodynamics
    Chooks
    Earthquake
    Ethics
    Farmers Markets
    Food
    Hay
    Highland Cattle
    Honey
    Hot Beds
    Livestock
    Muntanui
    Nelson Lakes
    New Life
    Nz Wildlife
    Pasture
    People And Community
    Permaculture
    Plastic
    Polytunnel Of Love
    Power Tools
    Random Merriment
    Recycling
    Rwc 2011
    Saffron
    Soil
    Solar Power
    Spiderbuilder The Ram
    Sustainable Farm Solutions
    The Muntanui Dictionary
    Tramping
    Trees
    Weather
    Weedmat
    Weeds
    Wiltshire Sheep

CONTACT US

FIND US

RANDOM PRETTY PICTURE


​PO Box 5
St Arnaud
Nelson Lakes 7053
NEW ZEALAND

Phone +64 3 5484 684

Picture

Viva Muntanui! Sustainable living . . . with merriment.

COPYRIGHT 2011-2017