Running of the Sheep in France | Murray Lloyd Photography

The Fete de la Transhumance is celebrated in St Remy de Provence annually on Whit Monday. This traditional French festival commemorates the days farmers trekked for days to take their sheep from drought stricken lowland in search of greener pasture in the mountains. I am sure Van Goph (sans left ear) would have appreciated the 3000 sheep, goats and donkeys being herded through the town for the 31st Fete de la Transhumance. He was living (self-admitted) in an asylum in St Remy between 1889 and 1890. The river of sheep winding through the narrow streets of the town resembled a readymade impressionist painting.

Photographers in action on street in St Remy de Provence

Unlike the running of the bulls in Pamplona, no instant fines were handed out to people with cameras. The sheep did two laps of the town before departing – I hope they did not notice the menus.

Leapard skin clothes on two youg girls.

Infatable horse at the Fete de la Transhumance

Woman with shaggy hair in street.

Fete de la Transhumance

Farmer herding sheep in street at the Fete de la Transhumancein St Remy de Provence

Sheep in street at the Fete de la Transhumancein St Remy de Provence

Sheep in street at the Fete de la Transhumancein St Remy de Provence

Sheep in street at the Fete de la Transhumancein St Remy de Provence

Boys playing with sheep at the Fete de la Transhumance in St Remy de Provence

sheep at the Fete de la Transhumance in St Remy de Provence

Fete de la Transhumance at st remy de provence, france.

Black dog watching sheep in parade.

French restaurant sign advertising rack of lamb.

Martinborough Olive Harvest Fest | Murray Lloyd Photography

Sign advertising Martinborough Olive Festival

Helen Meehan explains Olivo Oil at Martinborough Hotel

Olivo Oils served at Martinborough Hotel.

Guests dining at Martinborough Hotel as part of olive harvest festival.

Tirohana Estate, Martinborough.

Peter and Ruth Graham from Atutahi at Tirohana Estate.

Lamb Cutlets poached in Tuscan Blend Olive Oil (from Atutahi) with baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, gremolata of hazelnut, mint, lemon and parsley.

Peter Graham talks to guests at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival

Poppies Restaurant, Martinborough, New Zealand.

Margaret and Mike Hanson from Blue Earth Olive Oil, photographed at Poppies Martinborough

A dessert at Poppies Restaurant, Creme Inglesa with Barcelona inspired Trifle .

Jared Gulian with his newly published book Moon over Martinborough.

International Olive Oil Judge Margaret Edwards explains how to taste olive oil.

Guests smelling olive oil at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

Guests tasting olive oil at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

Margaret Edwards helps blend individual oils for the class to take home.

Martinborough Hotel at night.

Night Market at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

Visitors at Night Market at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival.

The Olivo crew at Martinborough Olive Harvest night market.

Misty landscape at Martinborough.

Ray Lilley of Whiterock Olives holding fresh olives.

Young girl picking olives in morning sunlight.

Picking olives at White Rock Olives in Martinborough.

Picking olives at White Rock Estate in Martinborough.

Nalini Baruch giving cooking demonstration at Lot 8, Martinborough.

Narlini Baruch giving a cooking demonstration at Martinborough Olive Harvest Festival

Orange slices with sea salt and Lot Eight 2013 Aromatic Olice Oil.

Close up photo of hands holding green olives in sun.

Hand Picking at Te Mata Estate | Murray Lloyd Photography

Four tonnes an hour seems like good returns from 50-60 pickers but when compared to a mechanical picker this is small return. Hand picking is at least twice as expensive and twice as slow when compared to a machine so why do it?

Vintage at Te Mata in Hawkes Bay

Te Mata Estate in Hawkes Bay hand picks grapes for all of their premium wines and further. The hand picking is also appreciated by the community which gathers for each vintage. Loyal pickers return year after year, while an international flavour is often provided by Italians, Germans and once even a crowd from Mauritius.

Vintage at Te Mata in Hawkes Bay

The machines are not as fussy when it comes to unwanted material on bunches of grapes so the resulting fruit from hand picking is cleaner. The cabernet franc grapes seen picked in these photos are a result of a very long hot summer.

Vintage at Te Mata in Hawkes Bay

Vintage at Te Mata in Hawkes Bay

John Buck, of Te Mata, said it almost seemed there was no vintage taking place in 2013 because of the lack of stress (due to the high quality of the grapes).

While not made directly into wine on its own by Te Mata the cabernet franc juice will be blended to make either Awatea or Coleraine, New Zealand’s top rated Bordeaux style red wine.

Vintage at Te Mata in Hawkes Bay

Vintage at Te Mata in Hawkes Bay

Vintage at Te Mata in Hawkes Bay

Vintage at Te Mata in Hawkes Bay

Vintage at Te Mata in Hawkes Bay

Floundering at Waikanae | Murray Lloyd Photography

Flounder is always on the menu at this time of year. Brother-in-law, Powerful Al usually manages the drag net operation along the beach with any other able bodied person tagging along. Although the net requires two people to drag it, crabs invariably scuttle in and it's all hands on deck to untangle them. The large ones end up as bisque or some crab flavoured dip ( thanks to painstaking work by Al) while the smaller ones are delivered back to the sea. A drag might net a couple of flounder, or even three, and sometimes there are just a few stray herring. After being gutted and scraped, flounder are cooked whole on the barbecue and served up with a wedge of lemon – a very delicate, sweet flavour; yummo.

Scarecrow creativity | Murray Lloyd Photography

Traditional Scarecrow

Pinot plungers at Scarecrow Festival in Greytown

Scarecrow looking like a Chef with barbeque and sausages at Scarecrow Festival in Greytown

Shepherds Shemozle in Hunterville | Murray Lloyd Photography

Shepherd with dog

In Hunterville around Oct/Nov is one of the highlights on New Zealand's event calendar. The day features the Miss Hunterway Competition - "a beauty show for real bitches", a Dog barking sound off and the Shepherds' Shemozzle - a race pitting man and dog against other men and dogs along a fear factor type course (they do one for kids as well). In the past the notorious food stop has included - sheep eyes, pints of cream, bread buns, raw eggs, pints of beer, freshly dug carrots (with dirt), warm coca cola, bulls testicles, and vinegar. The food is expected to be forced down at the food stop as fast as possible by red-faced shepherds having just run/jumped and crawled several kilometers with their ever faithful dogs beside them all the way.