I left New Plymouth at 7 am and arrived at Blue Duck Station Cafe just before noon. To say the least it has been a highlight of my trip - what an amazing place to visit.
Dan Steel, who stayed w us for a short time at Black Creek Ranch 25 years ago, has built up this station gradually after returning from Canada. He is a visionary, talented entrepreneur , passionate conservationist, regenerative farmer and avid hunter and back country adventurist.
Dan met me just after my arrival and we hopped in his large extended box side by side w his dog in the back, for a tour of his holdings.
He runs 3000 sheep, 300 cows, 100 deer, a large contracted out Manuka honey operation, an adventure tourism and lodging business as well as forestry and lumber enterprises. Another significant source of revenue is his carbon credit sales from allowing the steep hillsides to return back to native bush and also his planting of deciduous forests where it makes sense for grazing underneath.
After the first half of the tour we stopped at the cafe for some cheese toasties and salads. The cafe and all of the tourism bookings shut down on Tuesday and Wed to give everyone a day off. So the cafe was closed during my visit except on my departure thurs morning. But the tourism manager who lives upstairs came down to say hi and make us the toasties.
Dan then threw a small bevy cooler together and up we headed in the other direction to the new Blue Duck Top of the Sky fine dining restaurant.
On the way up we stopped in at Blue Duck Falls which I hiked up to again the next day and took the trail to the bottom.
Here we are at the Top of The World.
Once back down Dan dropped me off at Ohio Lodge, where I was staying for the night along w one of his good friends and his two young sons, who were the nicest most well mannered and engaging boys. I enjoyed our conversations and they shared w me their fav dip recipe and the chips that went w it. Good as.
Dan then returned in a bit and we all sat outside around the fire. I retired early to let the two of them catch up and I was also pretty tired from a long day capped off w a couple nice sips of NZ whisky and gin at the top of the sky.
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