KEY POINTS:
As the tyres locked and the ute began to fishtail down the narrow rain soaked track, the words of Sam the shepherd flashed through my mind: "Make sure you stand on the back in case you have to jump" he'd called out gruffly, with an indecipherable smirk on his face. Was he trying to scare us? Or was it legitimate advice?
We decided he must have been joking. But as the chained wheels continued to lose traction and the back end slid ever-closer to the cliff edge, we realised he wasn't.
Life on a high country station may seem idyllic - rolling ranges of sun-bleached tussock and snowcapped mountains - but there is a real danger that comes with the isolation. This is maverick country, where your neighbours are up to an hour's drive away and horses are still used to negotiate the steep, shingled hillsides, inaccessible by modern vehicles.
With fewer than 400 individual stations, New Zealand's high country is a much fabled land that few have experienced - a landscape embraced by Hollywood film franchises and home to the infamous Southern Man of many a beer advertisement.
We were roaming the back blocks of Dome Hills station - not far from Duntroon's Elephant Rocks, where Andrew Adamson filmed part of the first Narnia instalment - on the annual cattle muster. Part of the Waitaki District, Dome Hills lies around 45-minute's drive northwest of Oamaru, near Danseys Pass.
As it turned out, we didn't have to jump. But we did opt to hop off the flatdeck, choosing to walk down the greasy mud track behind the steaming herd of cattle, heading for a river crossing more than 300m below.
There, the 300 pregnant cows were to cross the icy waters of the Kakanui River before starting their final ascent to the back block, where they were to spend the rest of winter grazing. By the end of the day, the cattle had covered close to 25km and climbed more than 600m.
Our marathon trek had begun nearly seven hours earlier, on a crisp and clear May morning. With the weather reported to pack in later in the day, we were on a tight schedule, running a calculated race against the darkening skies. We had until mid-afternoon to march the herd uphill to a peak of 1400m, before dropping down into the river valley and back up a second incline.
The time constraints and condition of the tracks meant we untacked the horses at the top of the first peak, leaving them to run home, while the cattle followed the steep, zig-zagging track down to the river as we trailed behind in the ute. It was a plan that soon changed as the tyres struggled to grip the rain-sodden track.
After six hours in the saddle, in brisk single digit temperatures, it was a rather welcome change of pace; the movement helping to restore feeling to our bums and toes.
Not that we hadn't enjoyed our morning's ride. As we set out on horseback, a little after 8am, we'd fallen into a comfortable silence, savouring the rugged beauty of the sprawling landscape. The only sound, the chirruping whistles and gruff shouts of the two shepherds - Sam and Al - as they sent their dogs off to keep the cattle in line.
Aiming for the distant snowcapped peak, we cut a steady pace alongside the stream of cattle, occasionally cantering up ahead to round off a wayward bovine. But for the most part, the dogs had it covered, leaving us to drink in the scenery.
Climbing ever higher, the mild autumn sun broke through the overcast sky, creating pools of warmth as we passed through the dappled light. Behind us, Dome Hills spread forth - a sea of earthen green, mottled with red and orange tufts of tussock. Splinters of shingle rock litter the hillside and in the distance, pine trees mark the station's boundary.
It's a sight you never get sick of, according to owner David Douglas, who falls silent in awe of the familiar view. Dome Hills has been in his family for close to 90 years, originally bought by his grandparents for their youngest son, Maxwell.
Today, David and his wife Cindy own and run the farm, with the help of two shepherds and fleeting visits from their adult children. The 6500 ha station is home to 1000 cattle and 12,000 sheep and has recently been opened to guests and tourists, seeking an authentic high country experience - or just a bit of R&R.
Though the muster comes but once a year, there is always something to do on the farm and guests can head out with David and the shepherds to get a taste of rural life any time of year. Easy, even-tempered horses are available for the equine inclined, or you can hop in the ute and enjoy the roller coaster-like climbs and dips of the sometimes perilous country highways.
The truly adventurous may choose to stay overnight in one of the stations two huts - Middle Hut and Crumb Hut. Built before the Second World War, the huts are still used by hunters today and equipped with only the most basic of necessities, as we discovered during an afternoon tea break in Middle Hut.
Six adjoining bunk beds with frayed mattresses fill the small wooden shack, which is devoid of such modern luxuries as a toilet. But then, we were told, it just wouldn't be a true high country experience without having to "cop a squat" in a paddock, with an audience of sheep for company.
The sensible, however, will return to the warm confines of the newly renovated lodge - where a roaring open fire and well-stocked pantry will greet you, thanks to Cindy. Formerly home to David's parents, the four-bedroom lodge has a landscaped, private garden and two separate living areas, both of which offer expansive views of the surrounding alpine ranges.
Just minutes up the drive from the Douglas family home, the lodge gives guests as much or as little privacy as they want. Those seeking a private retreat can be left to their own devices, but if you're after a more pampered affair you'll be treated to Cindy's expert culinary skills, combined with the best of the region's produce.
Wine from the neighbouring Waitaki Valley, award-winning Whitestone cheese and Dome Hills' own beef and lamb were just some of the delicacies we sampled during our three-day stay.
Indeed, our gluttony would have been sinful had it not been for our hard day's mustering. As it was, we felt quite justified in opening a second bottle of pinot noir as we sank into the sofa's deep cushions and basked in the warmth of the crackling fire.
Too many holidays leave you riddled with guilt at your lack of activity and excess consumption. Or exhausted from an overly strenuous schedule. This one offered the perfect balance of action and indulgence, leaving our conscience clear and contented.
Joanna Hunkin travelled courtesy of Tourism Waitaki and stayed as a guest of Dome Hills.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For details of what Dome Hills has to offer see www.domehills.co.nz
Shepherding glossary
Wayleggo - command to call the dog off the sheep or cattle. Thought to have originated from "come away, let them go".
Go on - command to send the dog out (up the hill or towards the sheep)
Come by or Where - go left
Out or Come here - go right
Hey hey - makes the dog back up
Stand or Sit down - stop moving
Right oh - behave yourself
Get in behind - come back and get behind the shepherd
That'll do - that's enough
Pack up - sit in a small group behind the shepherd and stay there
