Country Life

Last week's torrential rain dumped one million tonnes of forest debris on Tolaga Bay farms but forest experts say even mature trees wouldn't have stayed standing in those conditions.

Stream of Consciousness, Milking It: From Cows to Sheep, ABC Rural Correspondent,   A River of Debris and the Regional Wrap.

The trail's been in place for half a dozen years, as a result the hub town of Paeroa has a new motel, restaurants, cafes and cycle rentals. Waihi is attracting new residents too.

Jim McPhee runs a Dorper stud for terminal sires on his small farm near Darfield. With strong wool prices in the doldrums the meat focused sheep are drawing interest from farmers because they shed their wool and that eliminates the cost of shearing.

Plant and Food Research at Clyde is releasing new varieties of apricots it says should be a hit with both consumers and growers.

Apple pruning is well underway in Hawkes Bay in cold but excellent conditions. Winter has arrived in Canterbury bringing with it frosts and snow on the mountains.

Ken Eade milks 550 cows with his son Bruce at Kelso in West Otago. Like most other dairy farmers he is concerned about the spread of Micoplasma Bovis and the potential impact it will have on the family business.

Hauraki Cycle Trail, Developing Dorpers, Concern for Calves, Luscious Apricots and the Regional Wrap.

Horse Power, Training Trees, Wine Making the Natural Way, Living with Mycoplasma Bovis and the Regional Wrap.

The country's transformed in the past week from cruisy autumn to wet and cold. Kiwifruit harvesting still has a long way to go.