In New Zealand, there are fourteen times as many sheep as humans. Although sheep farming is playing an increasingly less important role economically, the animals (especially among the Asian visitors) have long since become a lucrative tourist attraction.

We are on the sheep farm of Tim, whom we met on our tour, invited to the barbecue. The kiwi is the “picnic” par excellence. Barbecuing is simply part of the lifestyle. Some friends of the family have also arrived. This makes it possible to discuss all sorts of topics.

Of course, we are primarily interested in how daily life on a sheep farm takes place. Tim leads us to the sheepfold and explains how the animals are shorn.

In various boxes, the sheep are sorted out first by age and quality of the wool. Of course, the two children of Tim will not miss the show. The shearing tools are sharpened on a grinder, which is a prerequisite for a good shearing.
New Zealand – Scissors drag on a sheep farm New Zealand – work on a sheep farm
Kati, the daughter is still a bit skeptical. The sheep to be sheared is pressed between the knees. It takes a lot of experience to make this technique work smoothly. Then again the quality of the wool is checked before it starts with the Schur.

The New Zealanders like to invite guests to their homes and organize especially in the summer, mainly on the weekends often Barbies (barbecues, ie barbecues).

We bring our hosts a small gift for the invitation, which is very welcome in New Zealand. Tim lives with his family on a sheep farm and so we do not miss a demonstration of his craft. In this way we get to know the life in the countryside.

The shaving head is connected to a large motor that drives the shears via several shafts. Tim tells us that in New Zealand various big events are held in sheep shearing. This is a kind of folk sport. The winner is the one who shears most of the sheep in a fixed time.

However, speed does not matter today. Tim shows us how to make the perfect cut without hurting the animals. Meanwhile, his brother collects the shorn wool. The is then transported via a shaft in another room in the basement, where it is then brought with the help of a large press on a handy pack size for shipping.

Of course, all this is done by hand, so a sweaty work that requires a certain degree of fitness. Brigitte is impressed by the natural and original way of life of our hosts.