Dreary winter on lifestylers' block ends with birth of triplets

Spring is almost here. Triplet lambs at a Minden lifestyle property. Photo/John Borren

The wet gloom of winter has lifted for Minden lifestylers Mostyn and Marilyn Bowler since the arrival a week ago of three joyous symbols of spring - lambs.

"They are so sprightly - they jump around all over the place," Mr Bowler said.

The triplets' frolics echoed the resurgence of life taking place in the countryside around the Bowlers, with spring officially ushered in today.

"The trees and shrubs really come into their own in the spring. I love the native bush, it is really important to me," he said.

"You can't beat waking up to see quail running around the lawn and hearing all the sounds of the countryside - it's just gorgeous."

The former senior teacher and school principal who switched careers to become a videographer was especially proud of the hundreds of native trees he has planted on their 1.6ha property above Te Puna.

Elsewhere in the Bay, farmers and orchardists had their fingers firmly crossed that spring would bring warmth and plenty of sunshine.

"It has been a challenging winter with all the rain," Pongakawa dairy farmer and Western Bay councillor John Scrimgeour said.

"Most farmers want a bit of sunshine more than anything else."

Farmers on the coastal flats had been particularly hard hit by rain, with parts of the worst hit properties under water for two weeks from cyclones.

"There was a lot of pasture resowing."

Being constantly wet underfoot was a drudge for farmers and their stock, he said.

"The general lack of sunshine lowered people's spirits."

Mr Scrimgeour said the ideal spring scenario was sunny days interspersed with a bit of rain and dairy prices continuing their promising upwards trend.

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers chairman Doug Brown said the industry wanted a lot of sunshine and warm temperatures.

"A nice warm spring will set the vines up nicely."

The obvious concern with all the wet weather was that cold and damp conditions were ideal for the spread of Psa, he said.

"We will have to wait and see. Hopefully, growers kept up their winter copper spraying programmes."

The other challenge from all the wet weather had been getting out into the vines to do winter pruning. Backpacker type labour had moved on to other jobs because they were not getting consistent work in kiwifruit orchards.

Mr Brown expected that most growers would be a little behind where they wanted to be at this time of the year.