Cattle Drive

footage, past and present.

Then young John Nolan takes a trip to the big back country

Reviewed by Maggie McEwing
New Zealand Outdoor Magazine

The latest documentary from South Coast Productions begins in rugged South Westland, where the Nolan family has farmed along the Arawhata Valley for more than 100 years. Stepping back in time, archived footage follows the cattlemen on what was once a three week journey north to sell Nolan stock at Whataroa.

Bev Nolan and Mick Clark were a part of these cattle drives and share some memories from the epic journeys. The gruelling three week trek was a long haul for the men and the large Hereford cattle that were not used to the vehicles they encountered along the way, but it was all worthwhile when the Nolan cattle fetched top price at the sale. "It rained all the time, we didn't notice it much, you just put a coat on." said Bev Nolan remembering what his grandfather had once said: "It won't go through your skin boy i can assure you of that, it won't go through your skin."

John Nolan is the fourth generation to continue the family tradition of farming in the Arawhata Valley. While modern transport and jet boats have since become invaluable tools for moving stock across the Arawhata river, this land offers many similiar challenges today, as it did for John's father and grandfather. The documentary then follows John as he leaves the West coast, with an annual rainfall of four metres for a drier and very different farming experience in Australia. There, he catches up with former cattlemen and hard case blokes Alex Wood and Tex Moar. Both have worked with cattle most of their lives, mustering for many large Australian stations. Alex Wood became a cattleman after running away from home before he turned 13, and mustered for large stations such as Victoria River Downs and Anna creek. John witnesses first hand how cattle are run in the vast Australian outback and even lends a hand during a muster.

The Cattle Drive combines real life stories from the renowned Nolan musters and the experiences of Australian cattlemen, with stunning images from vastly different lands, capturing the differences and similiarities of the challenges and enjoyment of farming cattle.

Anne Calcinai  Straight Furrow