RNZ: Country Life

It's five years since the Black Saturday fires ravaged Victoria - killing 173 people and wiping out homes and farms. Lyn Mullens was lucky to survive when the fires hit her Dixon's creek farm, and she says a number of fire hit communities held commemorations to mark the February 7 disaster.

In Northland some people are whispering the word 'drought' while the east coast of the North Island's looking quite green. In the South farmers have started flushing Ewes and a number of dairy herds have gone to once-a-day milking.

A university student by day, Jordan Bradley, is president of the Helensville A and P Society.

New Zealand's first beach polo competition was held at Porangahau in southern Hawkes Bay between Christmas and New Year. Professional and recreational polo players from around the country took part - along with the Mongolian national team. The Ghengis Khan team arrived in New Zealand in November to spend all summer training on a farm at Porangahau.

It's taken several years to convert the sheep side of his farm into a dairy operation, but Carew farmer Wyvern Jones has no regrets and he doesn't miss the sheep.

Around the country conditions have been quite dry and some regions in the North Island in particular, are starting to feel the pinch.

Hawarden farmer and fashion designer Beverley Forrester has been at the Vogue Knitting Live Show in New York.

Fourth generation farmers John and Lorraine Williams were reluctant to let go of their farm in St Andrews, but with no interest from their daughters in taking over the sheep and cropping operation, they have recently sold the historic property to Romanian dairy farmers Magda & Remus Coman.

More than 260 fruit fly traps have now been laid near the spot where a single male Queensland Fruit Fly was found in Whangarei. Country Life joins members of the biosecurity team out placing traps in trees.

Farmers in parts of the North Island would like the drying winds to stop. In the South, apple harvesting is underway and the early ram is out.

Andrew Burtt, chief economist with Beef and Lamb New Zealand.

A 1958 high country sheep drive on the remote Bluff Station in Marlborough with Bruce Petrie from the New Zealand Wool Board, who accompanied the muster.

Amelia Nurse visits Aroha Organic Goat Cheese, who've recently become the first producer in New Zealand to gain MPI approval to produce raw milk cheese.

Windy weather is wicking away moisture but the showers are delaying hay making in the North Island while in the South Island some regions are still waiting for summer to kick in.

Guus Knoppers spends many hours each week training dogs, sometimes they're poorly behaved pets, or dogs of his own which are used for finding rabbits, lizards, explosives or wallabies. At the moment he's spending a day a week hunting for wallabies that are in the Mamaku Forest north of Rotorua.