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After an enjoyable but whirlwind visit with Simon, we headed south for a stay with his parents, Jennie and Peter, who have retired in Masterton, a small town just over the mountain range from Wellington.
They wished to show us portions of the Waiarapa, the huge stretch of land northeast of Wellington where most of the country's beef, lamb and dairy cattle are raised. We drove over winding roads through small townships and into some of the most gorgeous countryside I've ever seen. The fields and lower mountainsides were filled with what seemed like endless flocks of sheep. We even had to stop the car once to allow a big herd to trot down the road to a new meadow. I got a shot of it. Then the farmer told us to drive right through the flock and they would move over to the side of the road, which they did. The wonder of this area is that there is no development, just farm after farm filled with nothing but trees and animals and the very occasional farm house and out building. Our drive took us all the way to Castlepoint, now a small summer resort but famous for a light house that serves as a directional beacon for ships coming out of the Panama Canal, heading southwest. You can see Peter and Jenny in front.
Waiarapa is also famous for Martinborough wines. We had several swigs, kindness of Peter, during dinner the night before. He and Jenny are quite the gourmands. In fact, both Simon and his parents were wonderful hosts to us during our short stay.
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