Your West Coast Homestay hosts
Your hosts Alastair and Shirley both come from rural backgrounds.
After leaving school Alastair studied for a Dipolma in Agriculture at Lincoln University, Christchurch. He then went on to work on a dairy farm at Te Puke, in the Bay of Plenty, before returning to the family sheep and cattle farm near Fairlie, South Canterbury in 1974.
Alastair purchased the farm in 1977 and continued to farm sheep and cattle until he sold the farm in April 2008.
Over the years Alastair was involved in several organisations including Young Farmers, Federated Farmers and the Local A&P Show Society. He also has enjoyed many a round of Golf.
It was while looking around the South Island for a home that they discovered Oak Lodge their West Coast bed and breakfast.
Shirley on the other hand was raised on a market garden in the Bay of Plenty, going to live in Australia with her young family in 1976 and returning to New Zealand with two of her four children to live in 1997 after being widowed. She likes drawing, most craft, cooking, and loves the bush.
She met Alastair in 1998 and they married in 1999.
Alastair and Shirley have 11 grandchildren and they both enjoy every minute of being grandparents.
Other animals to meet at this West Coast homestay are 3 dogs, 2 heading dogs named Ben and Eve, they are brother and sister, Eve getting her name as they were born on Christmas eve, and there is Jack a very large teddy bear of a Huntaway. A huntaway is a New Zealand breed of sheep dog thats been breed to work in the yards and for barking, but Jack is extremely large for one. These dogs are not kept in the house yard but are kenneled out side of it and are working dogs, also have come from the farm with us.
The sheep are a mixed bag, there are 15 rare Arapawa sheep. Arapawa sheep come from Arapawa Island in the Marlborough Sounds and have been there for approx 130 years. Exact origins are not known but thought to originally be of English Merino stock, perhaps coming through Australia. They have very fine, soft fleeces ideal for spinning and knitting. The flock at Oak Lodge Homestay include Romney ewes, a couple of "blackface" ewes ( Romney/ South Suffolk cross).
The 8 young hens, 5 red shavers and 3 white shavers have just start contributing their eggs to the home baking and cooking!
