Day 12: agro-ventures -- rabbits and possums

Think NZ, think sheep? You should. There are more sheep than people in NZ. But we didn't exactly end up at a sheep shearing.

We instead went to Waitomo's The Shearing Shed, where they shave angora rabbits.

The process might look traumatic but the rabbits, natives of the Pyrenees, would overheat and die if not given a haircut on a regular basis.
The process was so, well, medieval that I had trouble listening to the witty banter of the sexagenarian mc.

Not only were they purveyors of angora at The Shearing Shed, but also possum pelts and products. New Zealand possums aren't like the American rat version. NZ possum has an incredibly warm and soft coat that's interwoven in wool products. It's not quite a Daniel Boone coon cap but J and I bought woolen caps for our trek on the South Island next week. 50% lambswool, 40% possum fur, 10% nylon for stretch.

Bunny shorn...