Page 16 - Hereford Magazine 2021

Douglas, left, and Stuart trying to look warm on a 6-degree day in November with a 40-knot wind blowing. “Typical Tiraumea weather
for November,” Maria says.

the progeny of their bulls working on the hills. There’s a big difference between the main area of the farm
“We’ve noticed over the years, after we get one new client from and its most southern country.
a certain area, we get more as a result of word getting around “It’s about three degrees warmer down there most of the time
about the bull they’ve bought. One good example is Birch Hill than it is up here; that makes a huge difference to growth.”
Station and the number of new southern Wairarapa clients that Under the range, spring comes later than other areas so
have come from that relationship. Stuart [Ross] has enjoyed calving is from 20 September to the end of October, alongside
what he’s had lately from Otapawa and that feedback is noticed.” lambing, although that is staggered through different age
Stuart says he’s a supporter of the Beef + Lamb Genetics groups and flocks.
progeny test, having entered Otapawa Spark and Otapawa Rainfall also ranges from 1140mm at Tiraumea to 1500mm
Voodoo in the past. under the Puketoi Range.
“It’s commercial cows in a commercial environment, giving Otapawa has been home to the Robbie family since Donald’s
a true analysis of where sires fit on their performance. It’s 17-year-old grandfather walked a small flock of sheep over
good benchmarking.” from Manawatu in 1895.
As well as cattle, the farm has up to 12,000 ewes and “What a thing for young lad,” Donald says. “He was one of the
Perendale and Poll Dorset sheep studs. As many lambs as original settlers in this Haunui area; a block of bush and an axe
possible are sold at weaning. A lot are also sold through the and away we go. He walked from Feilding with 34 ewes and his
Feilding store trade. horse and dogs to claim the land. It took him four years to cut
“We have agents and clients from the Wairarapa, Manawatu out enough bush to run the flock properly.”
and Hawke’s Bay who specifically buy our product because With the purchase of an extra 2500ha in 2006, the total area
they’ve had good results with them.” is 3500ha. Just over half is classified as steeper hill and only
15% is flat. The extra land had a common boundary with the
Big wind at Otapawa home farm and allowed the family to have a bigger operation,
with the brothers working together.
Otapawa can be found in an expansive valley under the Stuart says it needed a lot of infrastructure. In the past five
Puketoi Range; it’s called Haunui, which means big wind. years, they’ve done 50km of conventional fencing and in 2019
It is home to the Robbie family – brothers Stuart and installed a water scheme with 15km of main feed lines.
Douglas Robbie and their wives Maria and Dara, and “A lot of the block we bought had very poor water, little
previously to their parents, Donald and Marlene, who now dams or none at all, so it was a bit of a safeguard for what
spend their time equally between their Palmerston North might be the new norm of dry summers.
house and Tiraumea Homestead. “Luckily, it also proved to be rich in resources, as we dug
And as the name suggests, it is usually windy. in a gravel pit not long after we bought it and have been
“You just have to look at any of the trees around and you’ll metalling tracks and yards. The water for our water scheme
see they have that tell-tale slant,” Douglas laughs. we’ve sourced from the top of the range, which is artisan water
“It’s strong as well as turbulent,” adds Donald. out of a natural spring, and about eight months ago we set
“…power cuts, trees that fall over, we haven’t got any in the up a lime quarry at the top of the ranges. We’ve become more
garden that have their original tops in them,” Marlene says. self-sufficient.”
“You don’t get used to it, you just learn to put up with it,” Over the past 18 months, super phosphate has been applied
Stuart agrees. “The worst thing is the fatigue when you’re to the whole property at 400kg per hectare and the target is to
working in the wind. You feel like you’ve run a marathon by the apply 2 tonne/ha of lime.
end of the day.” About 70ha of cropping was done in the 2019/2020 season –
Due to the property’s locality, contour and altitude – the rape for autumn feed for lambs then winter feed for steers and
farm rises to 610 metres above sea level – Otapawa cattle are heifers then back into new grass – but that is being phased
bred to perform through cold, harsh winters. back to about 20ha now those paddocks have been developed.

14 HEREFORD MAGAZINE Year 2021