Hazeltree Farm in the snow

A polar blast blew through New Zealand the weekend before last, covering our beautiful islands with more snow than has been seen over a decade.


Hazeltree Farmhouse in the snow.


Hazeltree Farm in the snow, viewed from the coop paddock.

Down here in Wingatui, in the south island where we live, our farm got dumped with nearly a foot of crisp white snow over the course of two days.


Our gardens were a winter wonderland - absolutely beautiful.


The arboretum had snow clinging to every branch of every tree. It looked lovely.

We were actually snowed in, with our car unable to make it down our street, thanks to a layer of treacherous ice beneath the snow.

We were fine, with a good supply of perishables, good heating, and a habit of self-reliance. So all there was to do was watch while our swimming pool froze over (!!), and the snowflakes grew heavier and heavier.


The swimming pool was frozen over with ice five centimeters (two inches) thick.

I was worried about our sheep and chickens, and the family of paradise ducks who call our organic farm home during the duck season, but after checking on all the animals, they were fine.


The sheep were unimpressed by the snow, but still managed to make their way up from the barn in hope of a treat.

The sheep were warm in the barn (although they looked unimpressed by the snow!) and the henhouse was actually warm and cosy, thanks to the deep litter method I've been using in the coop over the cooler months.

I had to break the ice on the sheep troughs and hen coop trough - it was five centimeters thick on one of the sheep troughs! Brrrr!

(I also made the hens some porridge to keep their tummies warm - my husband says I'm too soft!)

When the snow finally stopped, the kids (and the adults!) were absolutely busting a gut to get out and play. And that's when I realised the huge advantage of owning a property with a decent slope. Toboggan time!


My husband, about to set off on another toboggan run down the coop paddock.

We spent hours outside getting exhausted sliding down the hillsides and throwing snowballs - and I learned that my four year old daughter has a sneaky habit of coming up silently behind you and chucking snowballs at the back of your neck! Then running off and laughing like a maniac about it!

We also built a snowperson - but gave up at about four feet tall. Maybe Aussies just aren't built for snowman stamina! Still, we were proud - until we learned that some friends down the road built one seven feet high! And they had photos to prove it!


The hazelnut grove, blanketed in snow.


All in all the snow was great fun - and stunningly beautiful. It took three days for the swimming pool ice to thaw out completely, even with direct sunshine on it. But by then, I was holed up in bed with the flu.

I can't even blame the snow - instead, I'm sure I picked the flu up at the doctors, where i'd been a few days earlier for a repeat script. Next time I go, I'm wearing gloves and a gas mask!

So that was our snowfall, probably the only significant one we'll see for the year. Our part of the world only gets a few snow days a year, and a dumping like this is really rare.

I think we made the most of it!


Looking through to the barn paddock (and the bonfire pile for Guy Fawkes) from the coop paddock, the sun finally coming out. In the distance, you can see Maungatua (the "Mountain of the Gods"). Click the photo (or any photo) for a larger version.


Have a lovely day!