Icebreaker - Pure Merino

Back in June this year 3 groups of Icebreaker retailers were lucky enough to spend some time with the Todhunters at Lake Heron Station – inland from South Canterbury in New Zealand’s Southern Alps.    I posted a blog after that trip, and you can read it here to refresh your memory.

I’ve kept in touch with Anne and Philip since then, and it’s been a pretty amazing Winter for them.  Philip has been winging around in Helicopters dropping skiers off at some incredible locations, with some great snow, and I got this note from Anne recently:

“Such a beautiful day here that I thought I’d post this shot out to you. This is looking back to the homestead area. A chilly -12C here last night. Just as the weather was starting to warm up, we had a southerly blast through, dumping 20cm of new snow around the house and plenty more in the mountains. Philip and the crew were off heliskiing as soon as the weather cleared and they are off enjoying some primo snow again today.

Meanwhile, the farm keeps ticking along with stock being fed and the blade shearing gang due in a couple of weeks to shear the ewes before lambing. Shearing with blades (like scissors) leaves much more wool on than electric shears so the sheep still keep warm through late winter and spring.”

So their life continues, embracing the weather in all its raw power. They have recently had a short video made showing the station, and the walks that run through their property over the Summer months.  Check it out here: Lake Heron Station.

Whilst technically it’s spring (past the 1^st of September), the Southern Alps of NZ are reluctant to pay attention to the calendar, still being given Winters harshest treatment.   What a sublime place to demonstrate the Icebreaker story of Born in the Mountains, Worn in the Mountains.

Jem Culpitt – Sales Manager, Icebreaker New Zealand

Last week, over three nights, Anne and Philip Todhunter from Lake Heron Station were very generous hosts to three separate groups from Icebreaker stores around NZ.  They introduced us to their amazing property that sits in a wide, once glaciated valley inland from South Canterbury, and gave a snapshot of their lives and a much deeper understanding of the start point of the Icebreaker we were all wearing.

We struck it lucky with the weather, clear, calm and COLD!!  The fringes of Lake Heron were frozen over, as was the smaller lake behind their beautiful house.  This cold weather served to somehow amplify the beauty of where we were, and clearly illustrated how valuable our Icebreaker layering system can be.

Each of the three groups was treated to a tour of their 100 year old woolshed, gaining insights about when and how the fleece leaves the Merino and enters the Icebreaker supply chain.  Lake Heron is one of a dwindling number of stations that still blade shears most of its flock.  The blade shears are essentially a large, hyper-sharp pair of scissors that the shearers work over the sheep by hand – hard work indeed!

After seeing the woolshed we walked up a back track to a point where the expanse of Lake Heron Station was easily seen.  Philip explained where the Summer and Winter country are – along the 40km of valley that is the backbone, and main “highway” for the property – and how the flock of 10,000 Merino are moved with the flow of the seasons to maintain quality feed and keep them off the higher country, away from the worst snows of Winter.  Speaking of snow, this place is home to some incredible heli-skiing – Philips “other” job being the lead Pilot for Methven Heli Ski…

Evenings were spent enjoying the families beautiful home, Anne’s amazing cooking, and on one night a 9pm football match “curtain raiser” to the All Whites first match at the World Cup, played at  brisk -5oC.  Of course there were some other very real shenanigans – but we won’t go into that here!

Every group left with a feeling of awe, and very real respect for the people and places that we draw both inspiration and the raw material for Icebreaker from.

If you want to know more about Lake Heron Station, and the Todhunters themselves, please visit www.lakeheron.co.nz and discover more about where we were.  A huge thanks again to yet another high country family for opening their home and lives to us.

Jem Culpitt – Sales Manager, Icebreaker New Zealand