![]() The main street in Te Kuiti was blocked off to prepare for the running of over 2,000 sheep. Forget the running of the bulls, Te Kuiti has the Running of the Sheep. The day finished out with an event that would arguably put the yearly festival in Pamplona to shame. And it was hot in Te Kuiti, so I trust a shorn sheep was more comfortable than an un-shorn sheep. Any flesh wounds resulted in a penalty for the sheerer. While the poor wee suckers looked shocked as they were flipped, turned, and twisted around, they were treated quite well. The competitors would pull one sheep after the other out of a pen, flip it up and around, while taking long clean swipes with what appeared to be an oversized, electric beard trimmer. ![]() Sheep shearing looked to be a physically demanding sport that takes skill, serious strength, and endurance. The men and women in this competition were shearing full sized ewes in under a minute – one right after the other. ![]() One of these competitions was going on in Te Kuiti during the Great New Zealand Muster and paying the $15 entry fee might have been the best $15 I’ve spent in New Zealand. A sport with a regulating committee, detailed rules, and regular competitions. Sheep shearing is a sport in New Zealand. And let me tell you – it’s a sight to see. So while sheep are everywhere in New Zealand, until April, I had never really stopped to consider how they’re sheared. In one way or another, sheep are all over New Zealand: in its fields, on its dinner menus, flavors in its bags of crisps, and they keep you warm in your slippers, boots, or jackets. As is seeing the old farmer driving along the road on a four-wheeler with two dogs on the back and a stray sheep under one arm. It’s a relatively common sight on New Zealand’s roads. The typical New Zealand postcard features a car stopped on a highway while sheep cross the road and says, “ New Zealand Traffic Jam.” They’re cute wooly beasts that sometimes quite literally stretch as far as the eye can see. An end of summer festival that features two must see events:Ī Sheep Shearing Competition and t he Running of the SheepĪfter months of driving around New Zealand, I have become quite accustomed to seeing the forty-odd million sheep that inhabit New Zealand’s countryside. Late March or Early April is when Te Kuiti holds the Great New Zealand Muster. I was lucky enough to be passing through Te Kuiti in early April. Te Kuiti is, The Sheep Shearing Capital of the World Sheep in Te Kuiti Te Kuiti is another small New Zealand town that greets you on arrival with a billboard claiming its spot in the world. New Zealand claims to be famous for many things and while some of these are worthwhile claims to fame (World’s Best Sauvignon Blancs – Marlborough), some of these aren’t (Home of the World’s Biggest Carrot – Ohakune). ![]() In fact, if you’re there in early April, skip the Waitomo Caves and instead head to the small farming town of Te Kuiti. A visit to New Zealand’s King Country on the North Island deserves more than the required stop in Waitomo to view the underground caves. It’s a rural heartland that raises All Blacks, sheep, and is much greener than my rural home of Iowa. Take for example, the King Country south of Auckland. Just as much of New Zealand is overrun with tourists, much of New Zealand is overrun with sheep. ![]()
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