Sheep were really hard hit... most sold off stock in the last 2 years... now there is not enought... good ol kiwi wooly is selling @$130/hd; and will for the next year or two until the breeding herds get the numbers up... price should be @$45/65hd... so you can see how bad it got...

Roger on the grain for cattle... north island and the south were fine... just canterbury/marlborough which had the drought...

Rotorua (sp) is correct. Great place!!! Went up there a few weeks ago on a trip to Auckland (Yuck!!)... Last good steak stateside I had was in Hampton Roads, VA - Steves steak house... 22oz and worth every bite... last good steak I had here, well, was yesterday... lol...

One of my apps was written for a major rural service company... I still know all of the field stock agents.. in the winter we go run the stock off the snowpeaks and down to the valleys... good fun that!!! once you get back down the station owner will put on a fine show of dinner... so, I get a 'discount' on the meat now... lol...

Your passport is in the bottom drawer...


>No kidding? Well, drought, no grass, no sheep... I get it. So what are the cows eating? Grain? Guess so...
>
>Oh, and the last GOOD filet mignon I had was in Rotorura (sp?). Since then, maybe a decent one in some place near Vandeburg AFB. Don't ask. And fish? Venison? Oh man, you've got me started. (Where did I put that passport?)
>
>>Many southern farms on the South Island (Otago, Southland) have gone dairy... NZ actually is exporting milk as well now... sheep numbers way down - just came out of 5 year drought... thank goodness... all has been green since November last year... many smiles about the place now...
>>
>>Understood on the XXXXX.... a happy day was me terminating service and signing the "I promise not to tell..." paper... :-)
>>
>
>Right. Then read all about it in Newsweek. Sigh. There are still lip prints on my DD214 :>)