We are in Fielding. This is farming country and we were fortunate enough to be in town on the day of the stockyard sale. Sheep and calves on a Monday. This is a sensory overload kind of experience. The sight of the sheep in pens, the smell of sheep wee & poo and the everydayness of the place. We have a wander among the pens. Of course we have no idea what you look for when you buy sheep but we both have chosen our favourites! We also took a shine to a calf we have named Dotty! Of course, farm life is not so soft and fluffy and the hard decisions are made in seconds here. Watching the auctioneers was fascinating – how on earth they knew who was making a bid I’ll never know because I’m sure I saw no-one raise their hand! Mine of course were superglued in my pockets in case I inadvertently got excited and gesticulated and in the process ended up buying a hundred sheep! It really was an insightful experience. Having had thoughts about having a lifestyle property with a few sheep, goats & chickens – I am rethinking!

After a coffee in the Stockyard Cafe, we drive to Palmerston North. There are some really interesting buildings from the late 1800s/early 1900s, a large town square which is pretty and some great street art. There are a number of family connections here for Don, one being the fact that his great Grandfather, John Prentice made the bricks that the All Saints Anglican Church was built from. It is a gorgeous building but is now in serious need of repairs (some $50 million) as it has been deemed an Earthquake risk. Such a shame – it would have really special to have a wander around inside. The hotel in one of the photos is where his Aunty Bonnie worked. Don spent a great deal of time in this area as a child and so it was interesting for him to revisit the places he knew then. We also had a lovely visit with his cousin for afternoon tea and a catch up – lovely!