Lunch at Kiwitea

Where is Kiwitea where our rellies live – you may well  ask?  It is about 20kms up SH54 from Feilding, a tiny speck of a place, and named after a light coloured kiwi, so Mr Google told me.  Our daughter and family have lived the rural lifestyle on a 10 hectare block for some years now and enjoy the country life.  Dad Robert and the two girls are heavily involved in horses, and compete in all sorts of horse events and the local hunt.  With the two grand-daughters having birthdays to celebrate, a lunch time get-together was in order.

Through Feilding, on the way to Kiwitea

We drove past several paddocks awash with neon yellow flowers, which we presume is canola?

Paddocks of yellow canola, perhaps

The presents were swiftly opened, followed by a tasty lunch.  Then we showed them a slideshow of our recent holiday aboard the mighty Ghan Railway.

Big squishy parcels for the girls

Robert left on his quad bike to lend a hand at a neighbour’s place up the road.  His young dog Noodle went along for the ride, perched quite happily on the back of the bike.

Robert and Noodle going to lend a hand

I had to go and see the horses – according to the grand-children this is a must do visit each time I come to up here.  So off I trotted, shod in a pair of borrowed gum boots, to carefully pick my way through the squelchy paddock, passing the small flock of sheep and their lambs.  The sheep weren’t at all interested in me and couldn’t get away fast enough.

Lamb chops in the paddock

Emma is very proud of her foal Fire Dancer, who shares the same birthday as me, I was told.  Guess there aren’t too many grand-mothers who had a foal born on their birthday!  We took carrots over to give the horses, and they were taken from our hands with gentle horse lips.

Emma and Fire Dancer

Then we walked to an adjoining paddock to say hello to Sonata, mother of the foal Fire Dancer.  Sonata very carefully sniffed Robin’s hands – perhaps she was looking for carrots too?

Emma and Robin with Sonata

Visit over, it was time to get in the car and head for home.  We didn’t come away empty handed though – and brought home a bunch of young tomatoe plants for the garden, plus some parsley.  That’s handy, now is the time to plant them, I think.