An American Good Bastard - Land

**Winston001** · 6th August 2014, 00:53

I was going to post this in another thread which Oldrider woud appreciate but in my not so humble opinion, it deserves its own thread.

Some years ago (about 12) Shania Twain and her husband Mutt Lange purchased Mototapu Station which is near Wanaka in the South Island. I have an affection for this country which I have wandered through, stashing my XR200 in bushes, and enjoying the solitude. I have climbed Mount Soho and that is a glorious albeit heart attack climb. One of these days I'll take my son up there...

Shania is gone - and Mutt Lange bless his soul has been converting the station to horses. I know this because I know people working on the station.

So the main thing is Mutt Lange has now voluntarily converted the high country into DOC estate with access for walkers and even vehicles into the Central Otago high county. In effect Mutt Lang has given away $20 million in real estate.

I am humbled by this man and utterly thankful.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/103...ong-protection

**MIXONE** · 6th August 2014, 01:53

Your heading would make a great epitaph.

**Brian d marge** · 6th August 2014, 02:57

agreed, IF the land is usable by all AND USED by all , it doesnt matter < WHO < owns it

Stephen

**oldrider** · 6th August 2014, 07:40

Originally Posted by Winston001

I was going to post this in another thread which Oldrider woud appreciate but in my not so humble opinion, it deserves its own thread.

Some years ago (about 12) Shania Twain and her husband Mutt Lange purchased Mototapu Station which is near Wanaka in the South Island. I have an affection for this country which I have wandered through, stashing my XR200 in bushes, and enjoying the solitude. I have climbed Mount Soho and that is a glorious albeit heart attack climb. One of these days I'll take my son up there...

Shania is gone - and Mutt Lange bless his soul has been converting the station to horses. I know this because I know people working on the station.

So the main thing is Mutt Lange has now voluntarily converted the high country into DOC estate with access for walkers and even vehicles into the Central Otago high county. In effect Mutt Lang has given away $20 million in real estate.

I am humbled by this man and utterly thankful.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/103...ong-protection

Winston, I think you will find the American is actually a South African who lives in Switzerland, the horses involved were Shania's project and most, if not all have been sold off the property since they split up as a couple and she moved on in life.

As you know Winston, a close aquaintance was farm manager for Soho farms until the farming side of the project became so minimised that he moved on to get back to "progressive" farming again, a job for life as a park manager was not at all appealing!

Having met Mutt Lange on numerous occasions I can only say that he is honourable in his intentions for both the land he controls and for the country as a whole, he is a nice guy, a dreamer if you will but if he can afford to dream big, why not! Good luck to him.

**HenryDorsetCase** · 6th August 2014, 07:41

53000 hectares is rather large. Good stuff I reckon.

Also, Shania's single still? Dibs!

[youtube]Z3Pb3EJY5Qg[/youtube]

Its not my sort of "country" music "Or as Jason Isbell recently described it - Bad AOR with a fiddle) but she is gorgeous Ken.

and this video should be a Ministry video. Its such a hilarious disconnect.

**Paul in NZ** · 6th August 2014, 07:49

Its an astonishing thing all right.... (I'll bet federated farmers are not happy). Still, the man deserves recognition and a gong .... Well done that man..