With the sheep in New Zealand famously outnumbering people by about six to one, staying on a working sheep farm was a superbly appropriate way to kick off our travels. Our friend Matt Chapman has over 400 of these lovely, woolly beasts at his farm (parihoa.co.nz) at Murawai Beach in North Island – about 66 times his fair share.
This is Roy’s and my first visit to the North Island of New Zealand. With only a week to go before we fly to Queenstown, South Island, there’s no way we can see everything – so we’re taking it easy. No point in rushing around, we reckon: we can always come back.
It’s all systems go as we arrive: there’s a meeting about a wedding to be held here next week (Parihoa is becoming a popular wedding venue); someone is up on a ladder repainting the exterior wood; and a filmmaker is checking light and angles (a number of films and commercials have been shot here).
At the same time, four other friends have come over for lunch from nearby Waiheke Island; and our own friends Doug and Jenny Robinson from Singapore are visiting Matt at the same time as we are. It’s great to catch up with everyone.
The CEO of his own global headhunting company, ChapmanCG, Matt spends most of his time between Parihoa Farm (it’s just 45 minutes by car from Auckland’s airport) and his Singapore condo.
As the website will tell you, Parihoa, just 40km from Auckland, is situated on 600 acres of grassy plains, native forest and wetlands and “hugs the high cliffs above the wild Pacific Ocean between the beautiful Muriwai and Bethell’s beaches”. It’s also very near the start of the Hillary Trail – a self-guided hike through native forest and along the wild coast of the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park.
You can get down to the beach by foot, if you’re prepared to negotiate a 100-metre knotted rope on the way. Much as I love a beach, I contented myself with the vista – an extravagant 4km sweep of unblocked views.
Ultra-fit Matt will be doing his seventh 250km desert ultramarathon later this year, in Patagonia. So, unlike the rest of us, he doesn’t breathe too heavily going uphill. The two dogs were transplanted from Singapore, not too long ago – that must have been a culture shock!
If you can ignore the ubiquitous sheep and cattle shit – it’s composed mainly of grass, I remind myself – this is exhilarating hiking country. Sheep are picturesque in their own right, and tend to run off as you approach; not so the cattle, who were clearly not happy with us cutting through them one evening to go home by another way.
All sounds so fab!!! Next year!!!!!! Xx
Gorgeous Verne! Looks like you’re having so many great adventures x
Parihoa sure is a special place, and you are lucky to know Matt who is also an amazing, special and nice guy!