My property, native bush, trees, dog content and a surfing village...many photos.

Emanuel

Emanuel

BOUNCED EMAIL: I need to update my email address in my profile!
Joined
Dec 14, 2001
Messages
5,058
Welcome to Saddle Hill. Let me show ya’ll around a bit.

Here are some photos of my little ranch, some bush/forest and ofcourse my dog. Actually this is my father’s dog, Tessie, another one of our beloved rescued pitbull terriers.

I took these photos today, although I was quite busy so I didn’t take as many as I wanted to. I will add a few older photos as well at the bottom.

My property is great for hunting and hiking. Around half of it is actually native untouched NZ bush with feral goats, deer, wild boars and feral sheep and rabbits roaming around. The other half is hilly grazing.
And one of the streams here has eels, although I haven’t seen any yet (haven’t really looked too long).
It’s a great piece of land and I was lucky to buy it for the price I did.

Please click on the links and please enjoy the views.

http://img230.imageshack.us/my.php?image=viewofranchkr0.jpg

Here’s a view of the start of the bush area. I just came out of here, as you’ll see in the next few photos:
http://img220.imageshack.us/my.php?image=viewofbushco7.jpg

Tessie getting some shade under my truck. Did I mention it’s mid summer here and very sunny and hot? Hot dog loves my truck!
http://img140.imageshack.us/my.php?image=undertruckshademi2.jpg

Smily face dog with my father. Ever seen a dog smile this big?:
http://img69.imageshack.us/my.php?image=smilingdogli4.jpg

Just another view of a small part of my land:
http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=greatviewxo4.jpg

I know you are all wondering why she is on the leash despite being surrounded by nothing but land and bush. Well, we can’t let her off because she would be chasing the sheep and bulls to lord knows where.
Bulls chase back!
http://img227.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dogoneoj0.jpg

Here’s a view from inside the bush. This portion is full of conifers. Other parts of my land is very lush native New Zealand bush with ponga trees and so forth.
I’m currently making a hiking path through here that will stretch across the entire forest, but that will take a lot of effort and time. It’s a very diverse and pleasant environment with the sounds you will ONLY hear in native New Zealand bush.
http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bushviewya1.jpg

I have many many huge conifer trees in the bush. Here are a couple. These are not the biggest though. Not sure what these are but possibly Totara trees, or Kauri or maybe Rimu, I have no idea.
http://img89.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bigtreesbs7.jpg


Ok, like I said I was a little too busy today to visit my whole land so here are some slightly older photos. Photos taken mid winter a couple years ago:

Some horses grazing. I don’t own them but a neighbouring farmer was using my land.
http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=copyofhorsesgrazingtb7.jpg

Here’s a part of my place I call the Bayou just because it reminds me of it so much. There’s a stream running through here and it’s quite wet. There’s also a bunch of quick-mud that will swallow you whole. I love it. Not kidding about the quick mud. I have photos I can post later if anyone wants to see.
http://img91.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000088sj9.jpg

Here’s something REALLY special. It is a sulphur crested cockatoo. It was just one of about ten or so feral cockatoos that are always somewhere on my or my neighbour’s lands, in the trees feeding.

If I could catch them I would be RICH.
http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000324jt4.jpg

And here is a young possum that was feeding on one of my trees. Cute, and friendly, it let me pet it. Possums were introduced here from Australia a long time ago for the fur trade. That's until they became out of control and a pest.
http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000341ea8.jpg


This is my second main gate:
http://img215.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000037df1.jpg

Just another part of my place:
http://img227.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000063nu0.jpg

Down in the valley by the road:
http://img206.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000237df9.jpg

Here’s something I photographed just slightly up the road from me, Good thing I wasn't speeding. I've seen many dead sheep around though on the side of the road.

http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000256iw4.jpg

A nice view:
http://img207.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000232bz0.jpg

Here are a few photos of a little surf town not far from my little ranch:

I love Raglan. It’s a very cool little internationally renowned surfing village. Kelly Slater and many others have been here:

http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beachtowardsraglanbe4.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/my.php?image=raglanvillagebeachke1.jpg

Maori chief statue....
http://img218.imageshack.us/my.php?image=maorichiefstatueve6.jpg

http://img66.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beachip9.jpg

http://img58.imageshack.us/my.php?image=raglansurfvillageim7.jpg


Hope you enjoyed the photos!
 
cute possum. lol . looks like a kinkajou . what is cost of living like there? once im done with all im doing im out of usa looking abroad to go ,looks like great place to live. any other info or links ?
 
Thanks everyone!

hangmans joke said:
cute possum. lol . looks like a kinkajou . what is cost of living like there? once im done with all im doing im out of usa looking abroad to go ,looks like great place to live. any other info or links ?
Click to expand...

If you like it you should come on over. As with any place you plan on living in you should visit it first.

NZ is a great place to live, I love it here.

I consider the cost of living pretty low, then again wages are lower too by comparison with the US and Europe. Houses are slightly more expensive, but then again, I might be wrong. Quality of homes is certainly lower, without a doubt. But then again that's the way it is in warmer climates. Food I believe costs less. Other things cost less too, like services. It's not too expensive here in NZ.

It's also not always that easy to get a permanent visa here, but if you can come it's worth it. I've heard NZ being called an exclusive paradise by some people overseas, but I don't think it's quite that hard to get in. Afterall, I got in!:D

Quality of living is excellent, even unbeatable if you're the outdoors type.

Crime is very low, although it does exist, for certain. But it's low by comparison with other countries.

Little things will surprise you. Like how fast grass grows around here. I have to mow the lawn every 3 or 4 days.
ANd also, really wierd, I'm always surprised at how few people are university educated around here. I remember a major IT firm my father worked for. I'm not kidding, a little more than half of the executives of the company started out as plebes and never went to university and have zero qualifications aside from practical experience.
Not that I find that important, but it's interesting.

FWIW, we drive on the wrong side of the road, just so you are aware.

All in all I'm happy I came here 11 years ago. It's a great place.

I don't know many links. but start with these perhaps:
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/

http://www.movetonz.org/

http://www.pathwaysnz.com/

http://www.tourism.net.nz/

http://www.nz.com/

http://www.greatnewzealand.co.nz/


Ask me specific questions and I'll be happy to answer you!
 
Thanks for sharing those NZ photos with the rest of us. It sure looks like a nice place to live! You sure do have much better looking possums than we do here in the southern U.S., too. Ours look more like huge rats! :D
 
Great tour of your home! Funny how some of your landscapes strike me as very familiar to Canada, while others very different. Your dog does indeed look like a happy chap!

Thanks for sharing.
 
Looks very much like the southern central California coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey). Grassland and a few palm trees, yet heavy brush and forest back in the hills and canyons. There is nothing greater than beautiful land!!!
 
Danged if that doesn't look like part of my stomping grounds around here. Very nice, thanks for the photos.:thumbup:
 
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