The last few summers here in Hawkes Bay have not been dry nor, by the Bay's standards, very hot and sunny. Although the orchardists have not had to irrigate nor have they had the sun at the right time for really good quality and quantities of apples. The irrigators in the orchard in front of The Cottage have not been used for several years. In fact the last time I mentioned irrigation was in 2008. When I arrived back here at the end of October the hills of the Bay were verdant. However since then the amount of rain has been small and in many parts of the North Island only 5% of the average rainfall has fallen this month.
So the irrigator which stands like something I imagined from the original War of The Worlds (the one with music by Jeff Wayne - ah, memories) is back in action. What is striking to me when I look at the following photos is the brown paddocks on the hills behind the orchards.
The water for the irrigators comes from a natural water reserve under the geological bowl in which the orchards and The Cottage are situated. It's the same reserve that we get our water from. Fortunately despite the huge amount used by the irrigators it's never run out.... yet.
Our very own rainbow.
Posts
The Garden of Eden in the midst of the desert... Good thing there is that water reserve for the orchard! (and for you)
ReplyDeleteYes, Monica, we are very lucky. The water is very good too. We have a borehole and pump to our storage tank which is above the house and cottage and gives us a really good head of water even without the pumps running.
DeleteJust like the Isle of Lewis last summer.
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought it - the driest place in the U.K.
Yes, Spesh, its many years since we had such a dry summer on Lewis.
DeleteYears since I've seen one of these. They are driven by the water they spray. Do yours have that little plate that flaps about to disperse the water?
ReplyDeleteYes, Adrian. It makes a clacking hour in , hour out. It's almost soporific.
DeleteFive percent of normal rainfall is brutal! This area looks like our Okanagan in B.C.
ReplyDeleteRed it's a problem for agriculture, the dairy industry and the fire risk.
DeleteNo Nathaniel....
ReplyDeletegreat memories
:)
Nathaniel, Fiona? Am I missing something?
DeleteThe technology of yesteryear more often than not works better and lasts forever.
ReplyDeleteAmazing that you are dealing with irrigation issues, same thing here. Retrieved some irrigation hose in storage and installed it only yesterday, so that now both sides of the garden can be watered at the same time.
You are quite lucky to be right on top of a natural water reserve. Right now my tank is empty since no rain to speak of, so I have been watering with piped water. I'll scream when the bill comes I suppose.
I agree, Virginia, that in things like this the simpler the better. I hope that your water shortage doesn't get too severe.
DeleteI think your hills might be just a fraction drier than ours, close call. Lucky the maize and turnip crops don't need much water.
ReplyDeleteGosh Pauline. Mind you I have noticed that you've quite often had rain this year when we've not. Hawkes Bay seems to have been unusually dry (but then not as dry as Tauranga).
DeleteI can hear them. I grew up with that sound of Hawkes Bay: 'Clack, clack, clack, clack ,clack...'
ReplyDeleteYes, Katherine, when it starts it's a bit intrusive and then it just settles into one's brain and it's odd when it stops.
DeletePS I have my very own rainbow too. Blue and red, yellow and green... on my foot! :-D
ReplyDeleteThat, Katherine, sounds singularly unpleasant. I hope that it's mending - I can't believe that it happened nearly a week ago.
Delete