Back to the future, a wagon trip of a lifetime from the 1800s in newzealand

We are a young West Coast family with deep roots in the West Coast pioneering lifestyle.

Growing up around horses and wagons travelling with both our fathers, Martin Kraal and the more prominently known late Stephen McGrath from Newton Livery in the Buller Gorge. Both of whom were good self taught horse men and traveler’s by wagon in the late 1980s.

We have carried on our interest in horses, and are now about to embark on the mission of a lifetime with our two boys Miro and Jaxon, mother Almond, and myself Tama.

Let me tell you how this mission became from the start.

We have harnessed horses that we inherited after Almonds father Stephen McGrath passed away nearly 5 years ago now. They are Clydesdale horses named Burt and Ramere.

Almond and I had basic harness horse knowledge at this point with a strong interest. But that was as far as it went as I myself thought Stephen would live forever, he was a legend in the horse world.

After his passing the yearning for travelling and doing harness work got stronger and we learned alot very quickly through trial and error just like our fathers did when they were young.

I found a lovely wagon in Leeston. late 1800s era It will take us about 6 weeks to travel the 350km home.

Traveling from Leeston up through lake Coleridge over Arthur’s pass and down through Moana to Blackball then up the Grey valley to Inangahua.

We hope to be able to enlighten some people to the way New Zealand used to be, the lifestyle of slow living and exciting travel.