White Star Station

 

White Star Station- the white tracks through the grass is topdressing that has just been laid.

We're now parked up at another farm in Colville for a couple of nights before we press on to Port Jackson. White Star Station is named after a gold mine that was on the property early last century. This family farm is over 6000 acres and is run by a fifth generation farmer and one of his sons, there are lots of different accommodation options and activities available for visitors although this is the beginning of the low season & we were the only ones parked up by the cottages last night. Tonight we have two other couples for company, one lot in a cottage & the other in a small pup tent in the middle of the paddock.

We had called ahead to check on what was available & to make sure it was OK to come, there aren't too many options for parking over up here near the tip of the peninsula & we didn't want to be caught out. Our hostess wasn't here on arrival but this is what we found on the office door along with a phone in a bucket to call should we have any problems. That's what it's like in rural New Zealand, very trusting people.

We could have parked out in the paddock if we'd wanted to but we decided on having power, showers & toilets handy & internet access because for the next 10 days we'll not have any of that. We'll also be able to top up with fresh water & keep our grey & black water tanks reasonably empty by using the facilities. There are no dump stations at the DOC camp at Port Jackson.


That's us parked up beside a couple of old caravans that are used for accommodation during the summer 

There are many farm tracks that lead all over the farm and up the hills & ranges behind, there are lookouts, waterfalls & caves, old mines to explore & glow worms to find but we decided to take the ute along one of the lower tracks that lead to Dutchmans Camp about 3kms away. Here two "wilderness" cabins are located deep in the bush beside a mountain stream. A place to disappear from the world for awhile.

There were some beautiful nikau palm groves along the track. Nikau palms are New Zealand's only native palm and an iconic kiwi symbol. These would have been left from the original virgin forest that covered the peninsula. There were also very large puriri trees and of course pohutukawas.

 

Back at camp later in the afternoon we were welcomed by the farm pup, he was a little naughty though & had to be shooed away in the end. But he was very cute. The chooks also came to check us out but thankfully the two Tamworth pigs were enclosed in there sty. David went over to the yard & fed them out vegetable scraps tonight which by the sound of it they were very pleased to have.

We took a drive up to the Colville settlement which is just a couple of kilometres away, this is a "blink & you'll miss it" place; a very old General Store, just like they used to be, a small Post Office that's open 3 afternoons a week, a cafe, a hall & tennis courts. That's it. Oh & some very pretty toilets, the front covered totally in mosaics.

More photos here from White Star Station & Colville