It's snowy and cold, but farm work, whatever the weather, is never done.

It's snowy and cold, but farm work, whatever the weather, is never done.

"Another day at the office – very white and cold office – it's lucky I've got a tolerant wife," says farmer Robert Durling.

Mr Durling and his wife, Kylie, manage 1500 cattle on a property near Athol in Southland, and a big snowfall can turn simple tasks into arduous ones.

Living 400m above sea level, they're no strangers to heavy snowfalls. But they were surprised by the amount they received this week.

"Every time you pulled the curtains and looked out the window it was still snowing," says Ms Durling. "It kept coming down. I guess that's why some people drink."

"We had over a foot at home, and here it's up to my knee," says Mr Durling. "We've got 1500 cattle up here that we've got to get around, so it was making life difficult enough."

The sudden cold snap has given the cows a real appetite. It's a team effort in the powdery snow, but Ms Durling admits it's been a tough 24 hours.

"Some days up here it's really beautiful and gorgeous," says Ms Durling. "Other days you get this. But it's still really pretty."

In spite of their own struggles, the Durlings still feel for their drought-hit North Island counterparts who are going into winter with a severe feed shortage.

"Given this year with the dry, we're the lucky ones," says Ms Durling. "We've got enough. If you haven't, it must be heartbreaking."

"We've got a taste of it," says Mr Durling. "I'll be quite happy if we don't see any more, but we live in northern Southland, so chances are we will."

It may look like Siberia at the Durlings' property, but the cold snap is not set to last. In fact, the thaw is already on.