Last Sunday we had a trip to Feilding – we were “doing Brunch” and exchanging Christmas gifts with daughter Nicky and her girls. Meeting at Focal Point Café, we pondered the menu, and made our choices.
Jenny, Robin, Megan, Nicky and Emma
With a table of mostly girls, there was plenty of chatter going on. Such as Christmas tasks still to do, Christmas Day menus, time off from work. As we told them, being retired, life is one long holiday!
Family brunch in Feilding
Named after Colonel William Henry Adelbert Feilding, this is an interesting town with a rather handsome clock tower slap bang in the centre. The Feilding clock tower once stood on the Post Office until that building had to be demolished following damage caused by a strong earthquake in 1942. Placed into storage, decades later it was finally restored and given a new home in the centre of the CBD in late 1999. Feilding has won the annual New Zealand's Most Beautiful Town award 16 times.
Feilding Clock Tower
The iconic Feilding Sale yards were established in 1880, when 100 head of cattle were sold. In earlier times these sale yards were considered to be one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere with 489 pens covering 3.7 hectares. Visitors can take a guided tour and learn the fascinating history of selling livestock, one of New Zealand's oldest traditions, and wander through the sheep pens to watch the auction process in action. Then take a seat in the state of the art cattle rostrum and view the latest computer technology on hand. This tour is still on our “must do bucket list” – it’s just a matter of making a plan and booking ahead.
Feilding Sale yards
The Sale yards Silhouette, designed by Jackie William in 2002, was funded by the Feilding Livestock Centre and the local community. It commemorates the shepherd and drovers, together with their horses and dogs, who from 1876 mustered and drove the sheep and cattle to these sale yards.
Sale yards Silhouette
Last night Robin’s sister Kaye (from Nelson) came to stay before traveling up to Taupo. The spare bedroom went through a bit of a transformation. The fold up Murphy bed is a rather clever design, looking just like a free standing wardrobe. Then it pulls down into a comfy double bed, just the thing for those short on space but still wanting to accommodate the occasional overnight guest.
The Murphy bed
It was so nice to have Kaye come for an overnight visit. Living down in the South Island we don't see a lot of her, so we had a great catch-up. And she brought gifts, flowers for me and a bottle of wine for Robin. Our cat Gemma was rather taken with Kaye – I mentioned that she should feel honoured, as Gemma has been known to be rather stand offish to visitors before, and not want to have anything to do with them.
Kaye and Robin
2 comments:
Errs Christmas to you both. Stay safe and happy travels.
The Murphy bed was comfy too! Thanks for having me it was great to catch up.
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