Hinewaka is the home to David and Pip Blackwood and their four children. Kate, Becky, James and Mitch. The property has been in the  family for 5 generations. David and Pip have been farming the home property since 1983. 

 

Hinewaka is situated 20kms south-east of Masterton in the Gladstone district. The property  is 780ha  of rolling to steep hill country based on limestone soils. The property is 1500feet above sea level and averages 800mls on rainfall per year. Much of the property can be cultivated and each year about 20-30 ha is planted in kales for summer and winter feed.

Alongside the shorthorn cattle operation is a commercial sheep enterprise , consisting of 3700 Coopworth/Romney ewes and 1100 hoggets. Lambing averages in the range of 130-150% and, each year , most lambs are fattened for slaughter.

 

Shorthorns have been farmed by the family for over 150 years. David’s grandfather , Bob Booth, imported many sires in to NZ in the 1950s and 1960s. The original shorthorns carried the prefix ‘Glenside’ , which was the name of another farm , in the district, owned by the family. The property was sold in 1974 and the prefix changed in 1985 to ‘Hinewaka’

 Today, a herd of 150 cows is run under commercial conditions and an on farm bull sale is held every year. Shorthorn bulls are sold all over New Zealand to both stud and commercial operations.