| |
 |
|
 |
60 years ago Angus McDonald’s parents bought Grand View, the property he and his wife Noeline still call home today. Back then it was covered in fern and bush and not much good for farming.
 |
His father and Angus's brother Malcolm spent long months clearing the land using a horse and wheel tractor, all the while living in tents. Angus remembers visiting his father during weekends; along with their mother, he and his siblings would travel up the winding Kaimai Ranges from the Waikato to visit the hard working men. As a young man, Angus began his working career as a shearer and general farmhand. He met his future wife Noeline through their respective grandparents who were friends – a small coincidence that has led to 42 years of marriage. It was in the 1970’s that Angus and Noeline moved onto Grand View and took over the family farm. |
Today, Grand View is a 324 hectare (800 acre) working sheep and cattle farm typically running 1,000 ewes, 1,000 lamb hoggets and 300 head of cattle. The farm is located high in the Kaimai Ranges and, as its name suggests, offers panoramic views of the picturesque Bay of Plenty region. Visitors to Grand View witness real-life New Zealand farming. They are taken through a shearing shed to watch sheep being either shorn or drafted and given the opportunity to observe the McDonald’s working dogs in action. Farm guests can also meet more of the McDonald family, including son Rodney and his wife Shelley who are soon to be the next generation of McDonalds to run Grand View. They’ve all got plenty of yarns to spin and look forward to hosting you on their farm soon. |
|
|
|
Hogget:
A young male sheep or maiden ewe having no more than two permanent incisor teeth.
Draft:
To sort animals into various groups.
To spin a yarn:
To tell a story, esp. a long or fabulous tale. |
|
 |
|