Gruetzi & Kia ora From NZ

[BeeStinga]

Hi all,

I am sitting in my garage sipping an Appletons 12yo and enjoying a small Cohiba Siglo II whilst tending to my still on a neutrals run. Don't worry I'm practising safe stilling.. alcohol vapours and all that. I thought I would take the lag time to write a short intro. I have followed this forum for a little while but thought I'd join... mainly so I could see the pics and parts I was unable prior to logging on... but also because I have come to enjoy the style of this forum in general. I like the down to earth and honest take on things here, the video reviews are great. The only negative i would suggest is the abundance of Australians here [he says as he squints and ducks and cover from the Ozy contingent yelling get a bit closer to that still with your Cigar ].

I am an odd mix of Swiss and Kiwi hence the greeting and perhaps the interest in the odd range of hobbies. I've even grown some various tobbaco strains and had a go at rolling my own. Brings an appeciation of what it takes to make a good cigar. I have in resent times rekindled my love of good cigars after taking a bit of a break (of about 5 years) due to financial and other pressures. But I'm at this moment in particular quite pleased I have begun to restock my humidor. I am not a big poster but love to learn from others experiences and ideas so will be floating around when ever I have a spare moment. Still alot of different cigars to try.

So, anyway. Thanks for having me here.

B-Stinga

[T297]

hello

[Ken Gargett]

welcome and enjoy. what part of nz? did you grow the tobacco there? how did the roll-your-own go?

another kiwi? hmmmmm?

a swiss kiwi? so that would mean a neutral dole bludger? welcome anyway.

and yes, i'd be one of those abundant aussies.

[BeeStinga]

welcome and enjoy. what part of nz? did you grow the tobacco there? how did the roll-your-own go?

another kiwi? hmmmmm?

a swiss kiwi? so that would mean a neutral dole bludger? welcome anyway.

and yes, i'd be one of those abundant aussies.

Thanks, I think. Neatral dole bludger is a new one on me, well I was expecting something along the lines of a yodelling sheep wrangler (FYI that's only on weekends and public holidays).

I'm in the Waikato (Hamilton). Yes grew all my tobacco here. I am thinking of planting a few more this comming spring if my seeds are still viable. I still have some original tree tobacco plants about 1o years old, the frost hasn't really been a problem for this plant (not a real tobacco I know, but an interesting plant to me none the less with odd rubbery leaves - wouldn't consider smoking it myself). All tobacco's seem to grow very well in this climate with absolutely no care or watering etc. Have tried various havana strains and the usual mongrel hybrids. Rolling is a bit tricky to do well (and very slow). I have a few wooden forms/moulds now though. The curing/fermenting is the area I'd like to experiment more with though. But this is only a bit of fun, won't replace the real McCoy.

[Kangaroo495]

Welcome!

[thechenman]

Welcome to FOH...

[CigarmanTim]

Welcome aboard

[cigarros]

Welcome mate! FOH is the greatest friendly place for cigarsmokers! Enjoy!

[samb]

Welcome to the forum.

[Gary]

Welcome to the forums chum, good to have you aboard.

[Ken Gargett]

Thanks, I think. Neatral dole bludger is a new one on me, well I was expecting something along the lines of a yodelling sheep wrangler (FYI that's only on weekends and public holidays).

I'm in the Waikato (Hamilton). Yes grew all my tobacco here. I am thinking of planting a few more this comming spring if my seeds are still viable. I still have some original tree tobacco plants about 1o years old, the frost hasn't really been a problem for this plant (not a real tobacco I know, but an interesting plant to me none the less with odd rubbery leaves - wouldn't consider smoking it myself). All tobacco's seem to grow very well in this climate with absolutely no care or watering etc. Have tried various havana strains and the usual mongrel hybrids. Rolling is a bit tricky to do well (and very slow). I have a few wooden forms/moulds now though. The curing/fermenting is the area I'd like to experiment more with though. But this is only a bit of fun, won't replace the real McCoy.

interesting stuff. do you know if nz ever had a tobacco growing industry?

[BeeStinga]

interesting stuff. do you know if nz ever had a tobacco growing industry?

Thanks for all the welcomes people.

Yeah Ken there was, but I believe the last commercial growing was finished in the mid eighties. I visited Nelson last year in the area where they used to grow alot of hops and tobacco and a few crops of hops remain. I think there has been a bit of a comeback for local hops. I didn't see any tobacco but alot of the old oddly shaped drying sheds with tall roofs and flues, which I believe where used for both, still remain (in a rusty state).

This is a link from the govt cyclopedium NZ Tobacco So how's your Baccer?

[Ken Gargett]

Thanks for all the welcomes people.

Yeah Ken there was, but I believe the last commercial growing was finished in the mid eighties. I visited Nelson last year in the area where they used to grow alot of hops and tobacco and a few crops of hops remain. I think there has been a bit of a comeback for local hops. I didn't see any tobacco but alot of the old oddly shaped drying sheds with tall roofs and flues, which I believe where used for both, still remain (in a rusty state).

This is a link from the govt cyclopedium NZ Tobacco So how's your Baccer?

send quite a bit of time around nelson and have never seen any tobacco fields or even heard anyone mention it. must ask about it next time. though there are plenty of odd shaped sheds.

sounds a bit like us. there was quite a flourishing industry here - mostly king valley in victoria and i think up on the atherton tableland in qld (which seems more suited) but i don't think the quality was ever much.

most of the king valley farmers now grow grapes.

[frenchkiwi]

Thanks for all the welcomes people.

Yeah Ken there was, but I believe the last commercial growing was finished in the mid eighties. I visited Nelson last year in the area where they used to grow alot of hops and tobacco and a few crops of hops remain. I think there has been a bit of a comeback for local hops. I didn't see any tobacco but alot of the old oddly shaped drying sheds with tall roofs and flues, which I believe where used for both, still remain (in a rusty state).

This is a link from the govt cyclopedium NZ Tobacco So how's your Baccer?

nau mai haere mai! fellow kiwi here. don't listen to the aussies too much, especially Ken, he is still sore that the Reds didn't make the S14 semis after a thrashing by the mighty 'Canes (who then limply rolled over for the sydney fairies... sigh).

interesting to hear about your tobacco-growing. the Ministry of Health will be bashing down your door soon. As an interesting aside, I was recently told that Nelson-marlborough actually has the second largest hops growing area in the world now behind some place in the US...

anyway enjoy the forum, and keep your ashtray full.

[Ken Gargett]

not true! if anyone had told me we'd do this well, i'd have been over the moon. and stuffing up against the canes was not the reason - the cheating scumbag with the whistle in the first game against nsw cost us a spot. i should add i was gutted that the canes lost to nsw. i support any kiwi team playing nsw (or england) and very nearly got myself in huge hot water a few years ago in the final when nsw played the crusaders. in a pub in the hunter valley with 300 watching it - me and three other kiwis cheering for the crusaders. not popular.

[BeeStinga]

send quite a bit of time around nelson and have never seen any tobacco fields or even heard anyone mention it. must ask about it next time. though there are plenty of odd shaped sheds.

sounds a bit like us. there was quite a flourishing industry here - mostly king valley in victoria and i think up on the atherton tableland in qld (which seems more suited) but i don't think the quality was ever much.

most of the king valley farmers now grow grapes.

I don't think many Kiwis are even aware of this history. The tin sheds are very tall and thin, very small in general. They have a kiln area stuck on the side. The height was to string up the hops vines. I saw a lot around Tapawera on the Motueka Valley Highway (Highway would have to be a fairly loose definition is the neighbourhood). Like the King Valley in Victoria a lot of the land to the North and East of this area is vineyards. Very manicured land and scenic.

Hope to get down that way again in the future. Visited a mate but didn't even get my fishing rod unpacked as planned due to a packed itinerary (gutted), an abundance of awesome clear streams full of strong brownies.

The Waikato would be ideal however most land is dairy farming. I planted most of my tobacco along a gully area, seperating the different strains in groups in an attempt to avoid cross pollination.

B

[BeeStinga]

nau mai haere mai! fellow kiwi here. don't listen to the aussies too much, especially Ken, he is still sore that the Reds didn't make the S14 semis after a thrashing by the mighty 'Canes (who then limply rolled over for the sydney fairies... sigh).

interesting to hear about your tobacco-growing. the Ministry of Health will be bashing down your door soon. As an interesting aside, I was recently told that Nelson-marlborough actually has the second largest hops growing area in the world now behind some place in the US...

anyway enjoy the forum, and keep your ashtray full.

Hey there, it is legal to grow tobacco in NZ but just not to sell it without the license and duty etc. You just have to check the MAF Biosecurity list for allowed plants and cultivars and any appropriate import proticol.

I won't say too much about the rugby, the Chiefs haven't followed up last years fairly respectable showing this season. So you are from Welly, where do you source your cigars, Havana house in AK? I must check out the forums Cigar-czar some time in the future, a few novel cigars I haven't seen here.

[BeeStinga]

Thanks for the welcomes everyone.

[Ken Gargett]

[

Hope to get down that way again in the future. Visited a mate but didn't even get my fishing rod unpacked as planned due to a packed itinerary (gutted), an abundance of awesome clear streams full of strong brownies.

the browns (and the wines) are the reason i go. has to be the best brown trout fishing in the world, even if they are not the biggest.

[MIKA27]

Welcome aboard mate!

[frenchkiwi]

not true! if anyone had told me we'd do this well, i'd have been over the moon. and stuffing up against the canes was not the reason - the cheating scumbag with the whistle in the first game against nsw cost us a spot. i should add i was gutted that the canes lost to nsw. i support any kiwi team playing nsw (or england) and very nearly got myself in huge hot water a few years ago in the final when nsw played the crusaders. in a pub in the hunter valley with 300 watching it - me and three other kiwis cheering for the crusaders. not popular.

i agree about that first game v nsw - robbed. Same for Canes they lost their season over narrow losses to Bulls (1pt at loftus with home refereeing!) Sharks and draw with Crusaders.

Reds have been revelation of the season, hopefully they can build on it despite the very thin talent stocks on offer next year because of Force and now Rebels. We love'em over here cos of the kiwi players like Cooper and the style of footy they play, they just aint allowed to beat our teams...

[El Presidente]

Welcome aboard!

Took the family for a weeks fishing at Christmas at a farm stay in Tirau. Beautiful country.

[Ken Gargett]

i agree about that first game v nsw - robbed. Same for Canes they lost their season over narrow losses to Bulls (1pt at loftus with home refereeing!) Sharks and draw with Crusaders.

Reds have been revelation of the season, hopefully they can build on it despite the very thin talent stocks on offer next year because of Force and now Rebels. We love'em over here cos of the kiwi players like Cooper and the style of footy they play, they just aint allowed to beat our teams...

reds had a good season v kiwi teams, beating 3 out of five (better against the yarpies with 4 from 5 but only 1 from 3 v the locals). the blues game could have gone either way but early in the season and we were still coming together and in the wet, it was probably a fair result. the canes we blew with ill-discipline. that try on half time was so dumb and then the sin binning. and the highlanders looked like a replay but we managed to sneak out of it. with experience, we should win games like that.

cooper is a freak. does amazing things but also some really dumb ones. but he is the ultimate mug lair. makes carlos spencer look like a shrinking violet. his backhand flick pass for hynes try on the weekend was seriously brilliant, almost campo like (though i suspect campo would never have passed - just found a way in to score himself). but, and i have watched it at least 4-5 times, it was completely unnecessary. he could easily have sent a normal pass but where is the fun in that?

[mazolaman]

Hi Mate,

We toured your country a few years ago and loved it,a beautiful place.

We're off to Switzerland in a couple of weeks,on a bit of a drive around,and looking forward to it.(nice cheap cigars too....)

Welcome...

[Trevor2118]

Welcome to FOH.....