Cattle Stop on a back road in the Otago high country between Middlemarch and Macraes. The boundary sign defines the Waitaki District side vs Dunedin City side. I took these on April 13 when our car trip back involved a deviation from the usual route that we take when we return home from the east coast via Middlemarch. New Zealand.
For those of you who encounter these devices, what term do you use for them?
We may sometimes use ‘Cattle Grid’ but Cattle Stop or Cattlestop appear to be most used. I had a bit of a laugh when I found a NZ Company that specialises in Cattlestops: “Stops cattle in their tracks & lasts the distance…”
And this: “Smooth to drive over, no rattling but some noise so you can hear those unexpected guests” ~HA! I like the gentle humour, Kiwi Cattlestops. 😀
Click on any photo to enlarge.



Text and photos by Liz; Exploring Colour (2022)
In the UK these are cattle grids. Never heard of ‘cattle stop’, but it’s more self-explanatory than the term we use!
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Thanks for replying Mr PM, I was aware I hadn’t had a UK response so you’ve remedied that! I think cattle grid is occasionally used here, perhaps by folks fresh from the UK, but the usual term here is cattle stop. Now I’m wondering about Australia.. they don’t necessarily use the same terminology as us! Nigel thinks they may also more commonly use cattle grid.
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Didn’t know these things existed. We have rumble strips but those are for cars. Of course, here in the densely settled northeast roaming cattle are kept within fences and barbed wire so I guess cattle stops aren’t necessary.
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Oh, I’m surprised Steve! We have plenty of fences, barbed wire, and electric fences but cattle stops are still everywhere here! One example: most farmers will have animals graze their long driveway that leads to their house from the road.. so most driveway entrances have a cattle stop. While a gate can do the job, there’s always a visitor/tradie/sales-rep who leaves the gate open so it’s worth having the cattle stop as well!
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We call them cattle guards. The best ones have a sign nearby that says “Caution: Open Range.” I rarely cross one these days except in the refuges, where cattle are utililized as browsers and perform much as bison did in former years, but they’re everywhere on the ranches and farms.
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Ah! I’m so pleased you’ve responded Linda, where you are the term for the device and the signage text are both completely different to what’s used here. Thanks! ~they’re everywhere on farms here too and on some minor public roads like this one, generally very clattery as you drive over 🙂
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