Work hard, play hard.

It's 4:30am.

Go nowhere, head towards the middle (Lawrence), turn right for 25km up a dirt road and you'll be near the Waipora.

Call it public health, occupational health, or blind curiosity but something got Jenny and I out of bed long before the sun was up to go watch a gang of shearers. I had seen a handful of shearers come through Lawrence GP clinic and I wanted to get an idea of what the job was actually like.

This particular team was shearing 18'000 sheep over two weeks. That's a lot of wool.

We stood around awkwardly for the first wee while, just watching. The shed was warm and smelt stringent - wool and machinery and just a wee bit of sheep poop. The sunrise was pretty cool. Over the hill as the sun rose, the next flock (?flock) of sheep were coming over the rise and down into a valley. Impressive sight- heaps of them.

At 8am everyone stopped for smoko, and we got a chance to say who we were. A couple of ladies got us on the table (ripping the daggy bits off the edge of the fleece) and on the brooms, (getting the shorn crutch out of the way of the shearers, and any bits of wool so they wouldn't slip over). Jenny loved the wool press - I wasn't such a fan, after almost getting coned by the metal door when it sprung open.

We were in the way a lot, but the guys were nice enough about it. It felt to me kinda like the first time you go into theatre- not sure where to stand, what to do.

Lunch was at 10:45... early start equals early lunch. Curried mince and white bread. Tasty as...
the rousers were happy to describe what they hated about their job (sore backs, itchy, sweaty hard work) and what they loved (the pay... the people, the travel). Most of them were from the north island. The background culture of shearing is to spend what you earn ("I'm here for a good time, not a long time."). If you're still up at 3, it's better to stay up and work through the next day.

Not a hugely academic day - but good fun.