September 8, 2025 • 9 mins
Diasaster McMaster says rural connectivity isn't the best at Closeburn Station but there are options available to get around this.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Grant Disaster McMaster farms on the edges of Lake Walker
Type at closer In Station and joins us thanks to
Abby Rural Disaster.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good afternoon, everybody that that song is quite fitting today,
because yeah, I'm able to talk to you from from
out bid the wallsheads, something I have not been able
to do for a long time now.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Rural connectivity is a real big issue for a lot
of people, grunted me. And I spoke to Bob Dylan
the other day at Prague, for godness sake, and I
spoke to him like he was only two meters away
from me. You don't get that option when you live
really unfortunately in New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
No, So I'm like that at my lake and you know,
other times I've I've got to get out back to
the ride which is about seven k's or back to home,
so I've got the Wi Fi or just the old landline.
But yeah, that's Sydney come ahead and leads by leaks
and leaks and bound sorry. And there's there's quite a
few options out there for gone activity now and I've
(01:08):
managed to get onto one and and yeah it's sort
of I've got more cords and cables in the truck
than they'd having a DC ten, I think. But I've
got the I've got a plug for the for the
feeding out graying, one for the fine and one for
what we're doing now. So I think we're going to
get it hard hard wired because I've just been tirely
it for a week and we'll get it hard wired
(01:28):
and that will that will sort of everything out. So
I just got a little a little mounted a little
mounted box on the on the roof of the off
the truck really and you pack up the satellites going
along and it gives you your Wi Fi and you
can talk. So it's yes, it's pretty good, really it. Yeah,
I think it's can be about twenty meters away from
(01:49):
the from the truck and still talk. So yeah, it's
mounted on the roof and it's yeah, it's a pretty
good set up at this stage. And you look at
the safety issue and just a fact of of you know,
like being able to talk to you or examples, you're
out here waiting for the transport. Something must must have
could have happened and they haven't arrived where you know,
(02:12):
you've got to go all the way home or try
and get somewhere, so you know this is this is
good and yeah, I'm pretty happy with at the moment
as far.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
As rural connectivity where you are, especially for sound fine coverage,
just how bad is it.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
It's actually got better. But it is one of the
point of where the lake comes sort of straightens up
and goes to to Gorinorkey, so you're looking sort of
opposite Mount Nicholas and what we call rat Point on
this side. That's it's quite a bad area in there.
So that's always been a bit of a bit of
a bit of a problem. And there are different you know,
(02:49):
repeaters and tars around the lake on different sides, and
you can you can pack up on that, but we're
tucked away in a sort of a little valley and
it makes it a bit more difficult. So but this scene,
this needs to be working quite well now. I know
further up the up at me on Cride and the
providers they have said we're not putting any more cottle
(03:09):
wire in for the for the old for the old landline,
and so they're on all cell phone up at Canorchy,
are right, And as long as I'm in the house
near the Wi Fi, we can now get the cell phone.
So it is getting better, but up until a couple
of days ago, anywhere around the station, you're a bugabary.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Do you still use the landline quite a bit?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, yeah, I do because a lot of people don't
realize we can get cell phone coverage now, but we're
still got the old index beside the beside the phone
that you just push it up to a for andy.
Some will go in from here, but I don't. And
where you go. And it's good to teach a grand
because they think, what's that old thing on the bench,
But you've still got that. But you know, and seeing
(03:54):
us now you've got everything on your on your cell phone,
from the agents to the trance brought to whoever, and
you just go into the context and the where you go.
So yeah, a thing of the past.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Dad's still got his not his diary, but as I
don't know, Isa zerted businesses from back in nineteen eighty
nine and he's still got it to this day and
it's just gone through the annals of time. But yes,
for a lot of Bailderly folks, especially at landline is
still highly relevant.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Oh I know, it is, indeed, And it's like the
cards and business cards you had, and I just went
through some of mine the other day, you know, and
the folder type thing, and well half of those businesses
are around now will been taken over, and you just
and like to try. And I think the problem is
if you're trying to get hold of somebody that has
(04:43):
a cellphone, you don't have the number, you can't sort
of look on the telephone box. But you know, that's
getting pretty bloody small now too. It's like the Italian
Book of War. Here is hero is not much under andy.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
There's like a certain radio host of the field days
he went announced a couple of influences for their business card,
not realizing that there are they had their own website.
He who shall remain nameless. But look anyway, great ground
conditions up there at the close spurin but dodgy.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah, And it's been a bit of a poor week
since we spoke last. Seventy five mills of rain on
Friday night and Saturday night, so there was actually there
was fifty and one go and then the rest of
over two more bits and we've had some pretty hard
frosts and just just crap weather really, So snow's right
down and it's saying ten degrees today, which started off
(05:33):
about negative minus three this morning. So yeah, the stock
haven't been liking it too much. It was not on
Sunday when it stopped raining. At the sun's come out,
you know, it's been a bit better, so they've picked
up again. But yeah, it's just it's pretty it's a
bit rough at the moment, and well, I mean it's
just going really but not a lot of glaciers as
(05:56):
you could imagine, and said before that it's about four
and a half degrees of sort so that's not looking
like changing anytime shortly. A lot of surface water about
coming out of the out of the well, coming down
the creeks and out of the out of the gullies
and the various place spring. So very quite similar to
last year, but certainly not the rain with we had
(06:17):
a lot more rain last year and we've had have
had now. But yeah, sort of it's but trying really.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
But you're still getting these heavy frosts.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah we have been. Yeah, and you know hard frost
which has been it's been quite good after the rain
because it's sort of you can get across it. You
know it's going to you're losing so much seed and wasters.
So that's and that sort of drives it out of
it too. But yeah, it's certainly not it's not very
good for grass cloth handy.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
So you're about three weeks away for three weeks away
from landing yet.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Yeah, but more than that, I see, I've got work. Yeah,
about three weeks handy, So I think I've got to
get another about fifteen vols of bailigion and which I
can get. So we're just down to the last few there.
Town is up on Monday to put us over the
conveyor to give them the five and one and what
have you, and a lot of those will be spread out.
Might just keep the two who's back for another week
(07:13):
or so and they blocked freshen up a bit more.
But he would sort of punt the stores.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Really, did you get seventeen bottles of bay? Let you
have a couple like your sleep?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, I've allowed for that because the balls, the balls
will lead a few more too, so there's not much
tug over them to to you know, they've been on
hay at the moment. But yeah, just get another truck
road out and they'll still get a bit of valley there,
and you know the stock are looking okay, but they
could certainly, Yeah, when the sun comes out there enjoying.
(07:43):
It been a bit tricky for the cows on the
hills at the moment. Had a one slipped off the
other day, just you know, up quite high and condition's
not right, so that's that's never good. And yeah, a
couple of lost a couple of calves from the heifers
that have sort of just starting the carve over at
the Eratown block, and that weather on tidy to couple
(08:05):
them up. So it's been pretty bloody horrific really, you know,
it's sort of we've just struck that at the wrong
at the wrong time of as well, there's never right time,
is it.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Well, disaster, we hope the next week's better for your weatherwise,
and the likes and things start get you start seeing
a little bit of growth. We always appreciate your time.
We always appreciate you keeping it real.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
No, that is what it is. And I'm not complaining
at all of just the way it goes, and it's
farm and that's why we do it. And you know,
the when the guard gets tough, the tough keep going
and that's why we've got good pirand old sheep and
angus cows and just spit a good managemental health, some
stays along the road and the suddill shine, and yeah
we'll we're knocking the tails off the lands and drinking
(08:47):
beer shortly.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Grab McMaster thanks to ABI Rural. Always appreciate disaster fronting
up and being honest as well about these conversations because
it's relevant regetting daily life right. Amy Cope breaks up
next from Roment, Southland.
Grant Disaster McMaster farms on the edges of Lake Walker
Type at closer In Station and joins us thanks to
Abby Rural Disaster.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good afternoon, everybody that that song is quite fitting today,
because yeah, I'm able to talk to you from from
out bid the wallsheads, something I have not been able
to do for a long time now.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Rural connectivity is a real big issue for a lot
of people, grunted me. And I spoke to Bob Dylan
the other day at Prague, for godness sake, and I
spoke to him like he was only two meters away
from me. You don't get that option when you live
really unfortunately in New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
No, So I'm like that at my lake and you know,
other times I've I've got to get out back to
the ride which is about seven k's or back to home,
so I've got the Wi Fi or just the old landline.
But yeah, that's Sydney come ahead and leads by leaks
and leaks and bound sorry. And there's there's quite a
few options out there for gone activity now and I've
(01:08):
managed to get onto one and and yeah it's sort
of I've got more cords and cables in the truck
than they'd having a DC ten, I think. But I've
got the I've got a plug for the for the
feeding out graying, one for the fine and one for
what we're doing now. So I think we're going to
get it hard hard wired because I've just been tirely
it for a week and we'll get it hard wired
(01:28):
and that will that will sort of everything out. So
I just got a little a little mounted a little
mounted box on the on the roof of the off
the truck really and you pack up the satellites going
along and it gives you your Wi Fi and you
can talk. So it's yes, it's pretty good, really it. Yeah,
I think it's can be about twenty meters away from
(01:49):
the from the truck and still talk. So yeah, it's
mounted on the roof and it's yeah, it's a pretty
good set up at this stage. And you look at
the safety issue and just a fact of of you know,
like being able to talk to you or examples, you're
out here waiting for the transport. Something must must have
could have happened and they haven't arrived where you know,
(02:12):
you've got to go all the way home or try
and get somewhere, so you know this is this is
good and yeah, I'm pretty happy with at the moment
as far.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
As rural connectivity where you are, especially for sound fine coverage,
just how bad is it.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
It's actually got better. But it is one of the
point of where the lake comes sort of straightens up
and goes to to Gorinorkey, so you're looking sort of
opposite Mount Nicholas and what we call rat Point on
this side. That's it's quite a bad area in there.
So that's always been a bit of a bit of
a bit of a problem. And there are different you know,
(02:49):
repeaters and tars around the lake on different sides, and
you can you can pack up on that, but we're
tucked away in a sort of a little valley and
it makes it a bit more difficult. So but this scene,
this needs to be working quite well now. I know
further up the up at me on Cride and the
providers they have said we're not putting any more cottle
(03:09):
wire in for the for the old for the old landline,
and so they're on all cell phone up at Canorchy,
are right, And as long as I'm in the house
near the Wi Fi, we can now get the cell phone.
So it is getting better, but up until a couple
of days ago, anywhere around the station, you're a bugabary.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Do you still use the landline quite a bit?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, yeah, I do because a lot of people don't
realize we can get cell phone coverage now, but we're
still got the old index beside the beside the phone
that you just push it up to a for andy.
Some will go in from here, but I don't. And
where you go. And it's good to teach a grand
because they think, what's that old thing on the bench,
But you've still got that. But you know, and seeing
(03:54):
us now you've got everything on your on your cell phone,
from the agents to the trance brought to whoever, and
you just go into the context and the where you go.
So yeah, a thing of the past.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Dad's still got his not his diary, but as I
don't know, Isa zerted businesses from back in nineteen eighty
nine and he's still got it to this day and
it's just gone through the annals of time. But yes,
for a lot of Bailderly folks, especially at landline is
still highly relevant.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Oh I know, it is, indeed, And it's like the
cards and business cards you had, and I just went
through some of mine the other day, you know, and
the folder type thing, and well half of those businesses
are around now will been taken over, and you just
and like to try. And I think the problem is
if you're trying to get hold of somebody that has
(04:43):
a cellphone, you don't have the number, you can't sort
of look on the telephone box. But you know, that's
getting pretty bloody small now too. It's like the Italian
Book of War. Here is hero is not much under andy.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
There's like a certain radio host of the field days
he went announced a couple of influences for their business card,
not realizing that there are they had their own website.
He who shall remain nameless. But look anyway, great ground
conditions up there at the close spurin but dodgy.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah, And it's been a bit of a poor week
since we spoke last. Seventy five mills of rain on
Friday night and Saturday night, so there was actually there
was fifty and one go and then the rest of
over two more bits and we've had some pretty hard
frosts and just just crap weather really, So snow's right
down and it's saying ten degrees today, which started off
(05:33):
about negative minus three this morning. So yeah, the stock
haven't been liking it too much. It was not on
Sunday when it stopped raining. At the sun's come out,
you know, it's been a bit better, so they've picked
up again. But yeah, it's just it's pretty it's a
bit rough at the moment, and well, I mean it's
just going really but not a lot of glaciers as
(05:56):
you could imagine, and said before that it's about four
and a half degrees of sort so that's not looking
like changing anytime shortly. A lot of surface water about
coming out of the out of the well, coming down
the creeks and out of the out of the gullies
and the various place spring. So very quite similar to
last year, but certainly not the rain with we had
(06:17):
a lot more rain last year and we've had have
had now. But yeah, sort of it's but trying really.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
But you're still getting these heavy frosts.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah we have been. Yeah, and you know hard frost
which has been it's been quite good after the rain
because it's sort of you can get across it. You
know it's going to you're losing so much seed and wasters.
So that's and that sort of drives it out of
it too. But yeah, it's certainly not it's not very
good for grass cloth handy.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
So you're about three weeks away for three weeks away
from landing yet.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Yeah, but more than that, I see, I've got work. Yeah,
about three weeks handy, So I think I've got to
get another about fifteen vols of bailigion and which I
can get. So we're just down to the last few there.
Town is up on Monday to put us over the
conveyor to give them the five and one and what
have you, and a lot of those will be spread out.
Might just keep the two who's back for another week
(07:13):
or so and they blocked freshen up a bit more.
But he would sort of punt the stores.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Really, did you get seventeen bottles of bay? Let you
have a couple like your sleep?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, I've allowed for that because the balls, the balls
will lead a few more too, so there's not much
tug over them to to you know, they've been on
hay at the moment. But yeah, just get another truck
road out and they'll still get a bit of valley there,
and you know the stock are looking okay, but they
could certainly, Yeah, when the sun comes out there enjoying.
(07:43):
It been a bit tricky for the cows on the
hills at the moment. Had a one slipped off the
other day, just you know, up quite high and condition's
not right, so that's that's never good. And yeah, a
couple of lost a couple of calves from the heifers
that have sort of just starting the carve over at
the Eratown block, and that weather on tidy to couple
(08:05):
them up. So it's been pretty bloody horrific really, you know,
it's sort of we've just struck that at the wrong
at the wrong time of as well, there's never right time,
is it.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Well, disaster, we hope the next week's better for your weatherwise,
and the likes and things start get you start seeing
a little bit of growth. We always appreciate your time.
We always appreciate you keeping it real.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
No, that is what it is. And I'm not complaining
at all of just the way it goes, and it's
farm and that's why we do it. And you know,
the when the guard gets tough, the tough keep going
and that's why we've got good pirand old sheep and
angus cows and just spit a good managemental health, some
stays along the road and the suddill shine, and yeah
we'll we're knocking the tails off the lands and drinking
(08:47):
beer shortly.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Grab McMaster thanks to ABI Rural. Always appreciate disaster fronting
up and being honest as well about these conversations because
it's relevant regetting daily life right. Amy Cope breaks up
next from Roment, Southland.
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