Photo: Simon Williamson
Simon Williamson's grandfather was in his late twenties when he rode his horse from St Bathans in Central Otago to Tekapo in South Canterbury.
The lambs he sought were too expensive but a good deed proved life-changing.
He met a man who took a liking to him and offered him the chance of owning a high country station called Birchwood in the Ahuriri Valley.
He bought it and his family and descendants lived there for 64 years.
It was then sold to the Crown and the Williamson family, in turn, bought another station, Glenbrook further east, straddling State Highway 8 south of Twizel.
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