Week one of lifestyle living

Hi everyone
Havent finished unpacking housegoods yet but wanted to see what everyone up to on their lifestyle block this time of year. WE are located just out of Taupo on 12 acres. Might start with calves and offer some horse grazing...
CHeers Susieg

Welcome, Susieg! We started on this place exactly 8 years ago today! Not our first block, but with a very old and decrepit house, getting it tidy and fresh was the first order of business for the first winter.

Now, we're just getting ready for the ARRIVAL of winter, due any time now, I'd say!

welcome. I would say give yourself a break first and get to know your place, don't jump into anything.

The first week is so exciting, just thinking of what you can do with all that land and what stock you might get, or what you could grow. We have been on a lifestyle block for 9 years now, we have tried sheep - they escape if you don't have great fencing and my husband has spent hours chasing them back home, the neighbours normally sit back with a wine and watch laughing. Then I tried bobby calves 2 years ago, 3 out of 5 nearly died from scours but after calling the vet, giving them daily injections and tube feeding them they all survived and it was a great experience. We sold 3 and are looking forward to eating the other 2 very soon. Bit ironic saving them to kill them! Now I have horses, much easier to look after, although saying that I found my horse in my neighbours paddock this morning, the kids left the gate open last night and she walked through our back garden, front garden, up the road, through their front garden and jumped down a retaining wall. Thank god she was okay and not hit by a car. So what am I doing this time of year - well trying to avoid the mud mud mud, feeding out hay and hoping the grass will keep growing. Good luck with your new adventure. Oh and if you have lots of running water and consider buying 10,000 watercress seeds off the internet they will arrive in the smallest packet ever which is such a disappointment, I think we though they were going to arrive on a truck!! and they are still in the cupboard 8 years later, I think it's time we threw them away.

Read "Letters from Middelmost" and follow one person's journey. Should give you some ideas on what might (or might not) suit you. Enjoy.

Welcome from another Taupo-ite, we have been busy fencing to make little paddocks for our mini horses & donkeys so in spring they don't have too much feed. Have also gotten around to finishing their shelters so they can get out of the cold southerlies. Hope you enjoy the peace and beautiful scenery of rural Taupo - it's hard sometimes to stop rushing & enjoy listening to the birds