The NZ Junior Polocrosse team recently headed to Erewhon Station to crutch sheep and dig sheep manure as a fundraiser for their upcoming trip to Australia next month. Erewhon Station is 45 minutes from State Highway 4 on the Gentle Annie Napier – Taihape road.

There was no shortage of workers as Jarrod Richardson, the NZ Junior girls and friends arrived late Friday night after their 8 hour road trip from Northland, thanks to Alistair Cumming. The New Zealand Junior boys and supporters from Tuwharetoa, Carey Cornelius, Sam Cunningham and helpers Tom and Gavin, from boarding school in Fielding settled in to the 37 bed shearer’s quarters in readiness for the early start.  The Coaches wife Nicky Cornelius cooked a beautiful roast dinner for everyone and had the open fires blazing.

At 5am Saturday morning Mu Marshall arrived having left Benneydale at 2.30 am, waking everyone up for breakfast.  The fire was going in the cookhouse and the porridge and toast had the windows steamed.

By 7am most of the 10 stand shed were full.  Some needed a few lessons on crutching but all was going well.  Paddy Cornelius who manages Erewhon Station and is also the coach of the team lead from the front with his whanau, shepherds and Cunningham boys crutching.  There was lots of hilarity and jibbing as the Tuwharetoa side of the shed settled in to the job at hand Koro Ian, Jarrod Richardson and Alistair Cumming were the ‘sheepo ‘ensuring the pens were full of sheep.  The girls -Dannielle Looby, Flo Cumming, Kyla Hill, and friend Sidnee, Kerri and Sweetie were the rousies keeping the boards clean.  Mareka Prentice and one of the Tongariro school teachers, Ben Douglas arrived at smoko time to take their place on the Tuwharetoa side of the shed.  This was a welcome break for Willy and Peter as they took to yarding up whilst Koro Ian returned mobs of sheep to their paddocks.  Carey Cornelius taught Dannielle Kenny and PJ Dempsey to crutch whilst Mu taught Jacob Dempsey. Tuwharetoa spirits were lifted as Ben Douglas took to the stand and immediately displayed his previous experience as a shearer.  Willy and Mareka shared a stand as did Mu and Jacob.  Darryl Kenny and Ben Douglas just knuckled down to the task at hand.

Kerri and Nicky were doubling up as rousies and cooks providing smoko at 9am and lunch at 12pm. By 1.30pm we had cut out the 5,500 ewes.  Paddy and his shepherds had crutched the other 4,500 sheep during the week.

We now had the afternoon off.  This allowed time for sightseeing around Erewhon Station.  Taumai and PJ could not stop talking about the Kaimanawa Wild Horses they saw at the back of the farm.  The afternoon off was a welcome break as there were a lot of aching muscles and tired kids.  Spirits however were still running high.

The second shift of parents and kids; Dot, Ngahuia, Terri-lee, Cilla, Nanny Angel and Nickys brothers and sisters arrived with more food and extra hands to help shovel manure on Sunday.  This job was less enticing but was worth another $1,000 so it was most hands on deck. Koro Ian motivated everyone and had the kids working hard under the shed.  A solid days work saw the shed cleaned, two huge piles of organic matter and a lot of dirty and tired parents, kids and friends.  At 3pm the Tuwharetoa contingent loaded their vehicles, cleaned rooms and headed home.

As Al and kids had a long way to travel back they decided to stay another night. Sunday afternoon some of the shepherds arrived back to say that a couple of pigs had been spotted out the back of Erewhon. Immediately Paddy, Nicky, Al, Flo, Kyla, Danielle, Sidnee,Jarrod, Gavin, Carey and Lee set off on  2 quad bikes and a Ute.  What a chase! Where these tired kids got their energy from who knows but they kept up with the three pig dogs, up and down the gullies eventually catching 2 seventy pounders! As in normal pig hunting tradition they were all blooded and had a good old chomp on the pigs’ heart!!

The NZ Junior Team would like to thank their families, the Kenny’s, Sweetie and Cullen, Ben Douglas, Nanny Angel, the Cornelius whanau, Erewhon Stationhands, and Dean and Jana from the Kakatahi Polocrosse Club. Special thanks to Koro Ian who kept us going all weekend and made the hard work fun.

Written by a combined effort from Kerrian Duff  and Carey Wenn.

FROM THE WEBMASTER: this is an excellent storey, if you read this, I bet you have similar yarns that would be worth sharing. Come on, send them in to Carey and keep us all amused! Jason