The view from the breakfast table
News from Maungakawa Views:
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January, 2017 * We are puppy sitting the cutest Jack Russell named Trixie for 10 days * Guests from Sydney, Chicago, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Japan * I'm enjoying posting photos on Instagram, using a Samsung S7 December, 2016 * We began hosting farmstays in 2013 we have had 101 bookings = 325 guests. They have brought love and friendship into our lives for which we are very grateful. 2017 is now here and we look forward to meeting new friends and sharing a slice of our life with them. * Guests from Singapore, Hong Kong, Texas, Bangkok, Seattle & Holland November, 2016 * The earthquake in the South Island has not affected us. We were not aware it had happened until we read about it in the news. * Guests from Seattle and Singapore. * Check out new photos on Instagram, Maungakawa_Views_NZ October, 2016 * Guests from Tokyo, Brunei and Singapore. They enjoyed our home cooked food and being with the animals. * We utilized our shuttle service, to and fro to the Matamata i-Site. *Have posted a video on YouTube of Alan mustering the cows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Jg-HyRNKA *Alan hired a Rotary Hoe from Morrinsville so he could dig up a large patch of land for growing potatoes. *It's been a good month for planting trees to provide firewood, shelter and fruit. September, 2016 Friday 30 - We had lots of wet days during September. 4 guests from Singapore joined us for a day and we had lots of fun. The calves are on once a day milk now and enjoy running around the paddocks. Sunday 25 - Daylight Saving has started. The lambs are growing and having a bottle twice a day. Mac is full of energy and we are trying to train him to be well mannered. Friday 16 - The calves, lambs & puppy have been fed and walked; now I'm tucked up inside with the fire going as it's wet and foggy outside. Just enjoying reading by the fire, (have discovered eBooks) and then I'll be off to Bridge this afternoon. We have now named the puppy Mac. A camper-van with a lovely family of 5 from Kuala Lumpur stayed with us for a night. Saturday 10 - It's a glorious sunny day so have been working in the garden, weeding, planting cyclamens and the fish pond has been cleaned. So I'm feeling very virtuous :) * My daily routine at present is taking me outside quite often. I'm enjoying taking the puppy for a walk to and from the mailbox, it's good exercise up and down hills for the pup and me. We are in the process of training him to sit, which he is quite good at, and answer to his name. He needs also to learn to walk beside me so that he is not straining on his lead. * I think we might keep the puppy instead of finding a home for him, as it's a great incentive for me to get some exercise. Our hills are good for getting a workout; I'm telling myself that it's okay to eat chocolate with all this exercise :) * With the two lambs Riley and Nemo, we are feeding them a bottle of milk 3 times a day. the hen's need fresh water, food and time out in the paddocks and with eggs to collect it is always interesting to see how many eggs each day have been laid. * The daffodils are flowering, a lovely aspect of Spring. * This week we enjoyed a family of six from Singapore. * Alan docked the lambs yesterday and today he has had an enjoyable game of golf. August 2016 * We enjoyed hosting a lovely family from Silicon Valley * There are now 2 pet lambs for our guests to feed * The puppy dog Mac is a joy to have around July 2016 * First frost of the season * We now have a calendar showing available dates * We shared our home with a lovely family from Tahiti * It's been very wet on the farm and we are having a month's holiday before our next guests arrive June 2016 * There have been lambs born and two puppies * Several families from Singapore and also Shanghai * We have had a very wet week, with flooding down the valley * Alan has been looking after a friend's farm while they are overseas. He travels each day May 2016 * We are having a holiday ourselves now as it is a quieter time * We continue to meet great folks from around the world, this month we hosted guests from Singapore, Auckland, USA and Hong Kong * A big thank you to our guests for your lovely reviews on TripAdvisor April 2016 * Daylight saving has started. * We enjoyed meeting guests from Newport Beach, California, Los Angeles and several families from Singapore * Shirley visited Hobbiton and was very impressed with everything, and amazed at the number of cars and people there * With the days getting shorter and evenings cooler we have enjoyed sitting aroung the open wood fire. * Sometime guests sleep in the lounge and enjoy watching the fire as they go to sleep March 2016 * This month we enjoyed guests from Hong Kong, Auckland, Taiwan, Singapore, Vancouver and Long Beach, California. * There have been lots of enquiries for a farmstay holiday. * Indoor Bowls has started and some of our guests were able to try their hand at bowling. * There was a car club race on our gravel road. So the road was closed for the duration of the day. February 2016 * We continue to meet such interesting people, this month they were from Los Angeles, Singapore, Malaysia, San Diego and Carmel Valley * Alan has been enjoying playing Twilight golf and catching up with friends * We now have a Same tractor, with a front-end loader, which Alan is having lots of fun with and shifting dirt around * Shirley has had her first game of Bridge for the year and enjoyed meeting up with friends * Our world map of guests is filling up, so much so we are thinking of getting a larger map January 2016 * This month we enjoyed guests from Germany, Singapore, Canada and California * We have been travelling around the country looking at tractors, to replace our existing one * Another lovely harvest of honey * A heat transfer system has been installed in the ceiling to take heat from the kitchen to bedrooms * A day at the beach with our extended family and fun having our granddaughter staying during the school holidays * Also Alan's sisters and their husbands joined us for a pot luck lunch in the garden, which was lovely as we hadn't seen them at Christmas December 2015 * Guests from San Francisco, Melbourne and several groups from Singapore * We have harvested our first batch of honey * A new Visitors' book has begun * The pet lambs have been shorn and have now weaned themselves, but still enjoy coming up to say hello. November 2015 * We have had guests from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, London and Sydney * The swings and trampoline are getting lots of use *One more page to go and then we will need to use a new guest book * We have increased our bee hives to 5 * The helicopter was used to put fertilizer on the paddocks * The pet lambs are weaned but still enjoy coming for a bottle of water October 2015 * This month we have had guests from Auckland, Wellington, Honolulu, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai * We have a New Zealand flag at the entrance * The pet lambs are growing fast and only need a bottle of milk 3 x day now September 2015 * We have had guests from Australia & Singapore * We now have a wooden sign named 'Maungakawa Views' at our entrance. The GPS in some cars took them past our driveway * Alan has been finding time in the evening to play Indoor Bowls * Shirley has been getting into town to play Bridge at the Club and friends' houses * Lovely Spring weather although we still have the fires going * Alan enjoys shearing a sheep for our guests * Our pet lambs are now named - Lisa, Jess & Charity * Time to prepare lunch for our guests while they are on the farm with Alan August 2015 * We have had guests from China, Singapore & Australia * There are pet lambs for our guests to feed. * Flower our pet cow has had a calf. * Our guests enjoy using the trampoline and swings. * We are now listed on Trip Advisor. * We had two hail storms in one day! * Our guests continue to bring us much joy. * We are having calves and lambs being born. * Our last guests were able to watch a calf being born at the neighbours. July 2015 * We have had guests from Singapore * Several days of heavy frosts June 2015 * Guests from Hong Kong & England * Early set of twin lambs one is white and the other black. March 2015 * Our guests enjoyed gathering mushrooms and then to eat them with their breakfast. * We now have beehives and so next Summer we will be able to harvest beautiful honey straight from the farm July 2014 * Guests from Singapore June 2014 * Guest's from Australia * Tress our female dog has just had a cute puppy * Twin lambs born, usually they come in August, but nice for our guests to enjoy * Days and nights getting colder and shorter, so enjoying the open wood fire in the lounge * The soup pot is on, nothing nicer with scones May 2014 * We have had guests from the U.S.A. * Alan & Shirley's 30th Wedding Anniversary, the family came bringing food and the weather was so nice we all ate outside * Our guests enjoy playing Indoor Bowls at our local hall * 3 x chickens have hatched out April 2014 * A hen is sitting on 8 eggs which are due to hatch shortly. We always enjoy seeing new chickens * Mushrooms are in season so have the pleasure of walking through the paddocks and harvesting for breakfast, or any meal actually * Easter time saw us having a family picnic by the creek. Some meat was thrown into the water and a friendly eel, about 3' swam up to the delight of all the children and adults. * Our world map featuring guests has lots of photos - thank you Mark and Maya for your good suggestion March 2014 * Very welcome rain at last. "Luzi' has brought gentle rain and no damage * Alan has finished rebuilding 430 metres of boundary fence. * The grass is very brown as it's been a while since we have had any rain. We are watering the lawn. * The maize has been harvested. * Some of our guests have enjoyed visiting Hobbiton before or after staying with us. * A new record was set for the bush walk up Maungakawa, we tell our guests it is a 4 hour round trip, but our recent guests completed it in 2 hours! August 2013 * Lambing has started. * Calf rearing is in progress. July 2013 * The wool-shed looks so good now, Alan has made a lovely job of painting it. * Quite a few rainy days and it's good to have layers of clothes on for warmth. June 2013 * The fire is going and the soup pot is on... * On a beaut sunny day Alan went down to the mid-week Golf Tournament. * Alan helped the Walton Golf Club with the shearing of their ewes. * Winter is here. We've been having foggy, overcast mornings but often the sun comes through the clouds, fog lifts and we have a lovely sunny day. * The deciduous trees have those lovely autumn colours and the lawn gains a carpet of brown, gold and red leaves. May 2013 * Our first official Farmstay guests have arrived * Alan & Shirley's 29th Wedding Anniversary. * Alan finishes shearing the ewes March 2013 Our Web site is launched thanks to the helpful team at Weebly |