5 year search ends!

My partner and I have purchased a 15Ha block 20mins north of Dunedin. At the moment it's all very basic - no troughs, minimal fencing, but has major potential. Amazing views out to sea and about 3Ha of regenerating native bush including a large rimu with a small spring fed creek running through.

Previous owner leased out and the tenants appear not to have spent much time on upkeep. There is quite a bit of gorse (old and fresh sprouts through pasture) and broom, and a bumper crop of Californian thistles. Hay has been taken many times + low fertility area = very very low fertility. Will definitely need fertiliser - just waiting for the soil test results (always good to have a baseline measure).

Future plans include a house, but first we'll need fencing and troughs at a minimum in preparation for stock. Currently thinking about Wiltshire sheep and lowline/dexter cattle. Hopefully can glean some knowledge off other LSBers re stock choice. We'll fence the bush and help it on it's way. Creek needs fenced too. Plenty of ideas, just the dollars we are short of currently!

Have just spent the weekend spraying, cutting and stump painting some of the gorse. Very lucky to have great friends and a friendly new neighbour with quad sprayer helping Sat and Sun. Cheers team Slightly depressing to see how much gorse is there once you've bashed in amongst it, but time (and 20L packs of Tordon XT) will break its back.

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Welcome to the forum. Your place looks gorgeous!

Wow - that looks brilliant. From my own experience (depending on what your area allows for subdivision, but that can change) prioritize on fencing off your bush if it is original bush for your area. That enabled me to do a 5 acre subdivision (when the code allowed for 3000sqM) as it was so mature and beautiful and cared for. No introduced species is important as well.

Laughing as I imagine that is the last thing on your mind (subdivision) but you have the opportunity with a new undeveloped piece of land of that size to consider it as part of your plans. Believe me, it never crossed my mind when I bought my property but 20 years down the line heading to ageing, it became as option and in my case realised double + what I paid for the original property and still had 10 acres to sell.

Five years - congratulations! It took me 18 months to find an urban property after farming for 30 years and despite everyone thinking I was a nutter at what I was turning down, I bought a house that welcomed me from the minute I walked in the door. It is so not perfect for my perfect plan of what I wanted but 6 months down the line, I still love it. Your property makes me feel the same way so all the best for your future.

Congratulations! We're almost neighbours, another 20 minutes up the road, but with nothing like a spread like that. My husband loves arapawa sheep but I prefer trees. Hope you have time and money for both.

Welcome. With stump-swabbing, do them within 20 minutes of cutting. If you put a bit of spray dye into the mix then it is easier to see which stumps have been treated.
I don't like Tordon because it has been known to make users feel ill. I've always used Grazon (and grazing with goats) with great effect, but would use Ravensdowns equivalent now, because of the price difference.

Congrats, your on your way. I love my Wiltshire sheep, and everything about them, but most especially their nature. Took alot of trouble to move 12 Suffolk mix from one flat paddock to another. Shifted 23 Wiltshires by just asking them if they wouldn't mind. All the best in our decisions. Talk lots with your neighbours.

Hi keppelk. Welcome aboard.
Don't bother spraying the broom. Goats and cattle will happily eat it. We had rather a lot when we moved in and now, after five years, we have none where the stock can reach it. The stock will also eat the thistles if you mow them first. Goats, and to a lesser extent sheep, will eat the gorse too, especially the soft, fresh shoots after the plants have been cut down. This will not rid your land of gorse but will slow down its spread.
Most importantly do not spray anything when it is in flower as you will poison the bees.

Thanks for the welcome everyone.

LR - The Ravensdown triclopyr is pretty tough stuff when you compare the concentration (600g/L!) between it and Tordon. You mention it's cheaper - do you have to be a Ravensdown shareholder to get competitive pricing/to buy it? See you have to be an Approved Handler too.

Igor - just concentrating on the bigger weeds at the moment. Broom doesn't worry me nearly as much as the gorse. Even less know I know sheep will graze the young stuff! We plan to have bees eventually. Must be kind to the few that are left.

I do not know what the price is for non-shareholders. In fact, I don't know what it is anyway. But when we order MCPA we were given a price and then told that because we were shareholders it would be much less. The phone number is 0800 100 123.
I understand that if you are only buying 20 litres maximum, and are only using a backpack ie not broadcast spraying, then a licence is not needed.

Hi keppelk, and welcome to LSB. You'll get lots of great advice, as you have in the replies above.

Our block is much smaller but we had a bit of gorse when we added the new block a couple of years ago. I used Torden 2G and it appears to have worked extemely well. You do need to be an Approved Handler but the course is easy and I think well worth it if you're comfortable using strong herbicides. The ability to use what works well is great and as an LSB'er, it actually unlikely that any of the restrictions will actually apply because you need to be using it in large quantities at a single application.

We're a little further north, Temuka, and very flat. Which makes the land easy to work but no good views like your place.

All the best,
Neil