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Taupo to Whakahoro - Wednesday 30th November 2011
Continuing down south we headed to a remote part of the north island. Our destination is Blue Duck Lodge, a 9,000 acre farm that is doubles up as an environmental conservation area. This family owned farm is run by the father along with his son Dan.
Dan has inherited a large amount of the land to run a project to conserve this amazing native bush and endangered species known as the Blue Duck. The farm is predominantly sheep and bee farming. The honey from the bees is known as Manuka Honey and is famous for its natural healing properties known as UMF.
Upon arriving Dan gave us a talk about his project and it was the first time that I really felt connected to New Zealand and really understood the problems it faces from the introduction of foreign species over the years. On the face of it New Zealand is lush and green, but dig a little deeper and it really does have some serious issues. People like Dan are running these projects off their own back with not assistance from the state. This really moved me and I was surprised by the time, money and dedication that people like Dan put into these projects. It's such a selfless but rewarding approach to life.
I stayed in an amazing lodge at the top of the estate with a small group, including Johnny, Jenna and Marlene. The lodge was basic but full of character and boasted some amazing views from the veranda out the back of the property.
As well as spending most of the day wondering around the estate, I also got a chance to watch some sheep herding and sheering.
The evening was spent around a camp fire with a couple of glasses of wine before heading to bed for a very peaceful night's sleep.
Highlight - Apart from the Blue Duck farm it has to be the son pictured in the blog entry photo. I would ;-)
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