Hello and welcome to the spring edition of Knapdales Newsletter

Phew! Just a few weeks left before Spring is finished and Summer starts.

We had a great winter, lots of rain in the beginning but then the soil dried out a bit and our cattle, deer and sheep didn’t sink to their ankles in the wet soil anymore. Lots of good spring growth in our pasture and our animals look great. Lambing went really well with over 150% lambing rate and we have some really lovely lambs now. Read on to hear about some great seasonal things happening at the Eco Lodge plus some information on the Gisborne region and why it is such a special place. Knapdale's Spring Animals

We have had 15 new calves born to date. Some of the calves had problems finding the source of milk so we had to hand feed some of them till they finally clicked on where the milk comes from with cows! Luckily, Kay was born at Knapdale and she has a better eye for stock than Kees and she was a great help in feeding the calves. Another 4 cows still need to calf and we keep fingers crossed.

The Local Farmers Market

The Farmers Market is a great source of income to Knapdale in the quieter winter & spring months and we sell honey, venison, venison salami and surplus produce from our organic vegetable garden and orchard.

It was big job to prepare the vegetable garden this year and we applied much organic material deep down in the soil where the plants take their feeding from.

Why Gisborne & Eastland

Gisborne and the Eastland Region have experienced a higher growth in visitor numbers than other areas in NZ in the last few years. Gisborne is perceived to be off the beaten track which appeals to a certain group within the FIT market.

The “Coast” refers to the East Coast north of Gisborne and is one of the most authentic Maori areas in NZ. Most of our visitors “do” the Coast in one day and stay with us either before they commence the trip or upon completion. Coming through the 54 km gorge also appeals and cuts about 4 hours driving time.

Gisborne is known for its unspoilt breathtaking beaches, its authentic Maori culture and its warm & dry climate. Many visitors to the Knapdale Eco Lodge attend a cultural Maori tour through Tipuna tours at Whangara and a visit to Dive Tatapouri where they can experience a marine eco tour which includes feeding the stingrays in the ocean. The Tairawhiti Museum in Gisborne is also very much worth a visit for its Maori art. The Knapdale Eco Lodge is now also able to offer purchase services and overseas posting services for Maori art.

Please contact us if you have not got our rates for the 2009-2010 season: or .