Chris Gardner

King Country farms being burned to a crisp are being offered a $100,000 drought relief package, after the Government declared a drought.

The adverse event classification also unlocks tax relief for farmers and growers and enables the Ministry of Social Development to consider Rural Assistance Payments.

“West of the Waikato River it’s drought conditions,” said Waikato Federated Farmers president Keith Holmes.

“Areas like Tuakau, Piopio and Mahoenui aren’t getting any rain.

“Springs and wells providing stock water have dried up, and farmers are moving to once-a-day milking and sending stock to the works early.”

Sheep and beef farmers relying on income from grazing dairy cattle from eastern parts of the region are running out of feed, and some are having to send them back early in skinny condition.

“That’s a big hit on their incomes, and on the dairy farmers trying to capitalise on the strong milk prices,” Holmes said.

“Maize crops may look good, but with insufficient water, they’re putting on minimal cob and come harvest time they’ll have very little feed value.

Rotowai Farms sheep and beef farmer Natasha Cave said water was probably tighter than feed

“The King Country used to be summer safe, with fairly reliable rain, but no more,” she said of her Aria farm.

“We are making sure we have got good water systems in place.”

Taharoa sheep and beef farmers Chris Irons and Debbie Hastie are doing their best to fend off the drought on their 770ha farm, having received around half of the rain they usually do in January and February.

Around 70mm of rain fell on their Waitete Road farm in January, and 50mm of rain in February.

Irons, Waitomo Federated Farmers chair, said they were coping “due to good management” of more than 2000 ewes and 200 breeding cows.

“We are constantly asking ourselves if it does not rain in the next 10 days, what are we going to do?” Irons said. “Look after your capital stock first. It is what it is. We can’t control it.”

“Hill country farming in these conditions is very challenging,” said Waitomo mayor John Robertson.

“The hills throughout the district are very dry - the driest February that I have seen for many years. The few occasions where we have had up to 5mm of rain through this period have not been sufficient to adequately moisten the soils.”

“March forecasts do not look promising - a little rain, but not the many days of steady soaking rain we need.”

Across the border in Waipā Zane and Marie Kite expect to lose tens of thousands of dollars of milk production this season as they farm through extreme drought conditions.

Their Parallel Road farm, near Kaipaki, is one step ahead of the official drought declared for the region on Friday.

But there has been no rain, to speak of, since before Christmas and the Kites, who have run the family farm for 40 years, are looking at drying their 170-cow herd off a month early.

“I would call it a severe drought,” he said.

“There’s not one blade of green grass in any of our paddocks, but we have got to be positive.”

He has turned to feeding out silage to keep his herd going, and it is producing approximately 1 kg of milk solids per cow per day. Because of the lack of moisture, he’ll be drying his herd off a month early in March.

Holmes is chairing regular meetings with Waikato-Hauraki-Coromandel Rural Support Trust representatives and the Ministry for Primary Industries to monitor the situation.

The group met on Tuesday.

Waiting for rain

Mary Anne Gill

A mystery adventure race that annually transforms Lake Te Koo Utu in Cambridge into a haven for mums, dads and children attracted 473 participants this year.

The XRace, held on a humid Friday afternoon last week, took competitors an average of one hour, seven minutes 17 seconds to complete.

The Korakonui duo of daughter Gemma and father Grant Honeyfield blitzed the field, completing the 10 mystery challenges in just 43 minutes and 18 seconds.

The New Zealand Home Loans-sponsored event which started in 2013, was created by Shane Hooks of Auckland. It went through many name changes before XRace was finalised.

This mystery adventure race pairs parents with children aged 6-14 to race together, locate and complete mystery challenges, and compete against the clock and other family teams. The challenges range from physical (like tug-of-war) to mental (like memory challenges) to knowledge-based (like music challenges), and they change from year to year and course to course.

No two XRaces are the same. Events are held in Whangārei, Devonport, Tauranga, Taupō, Napier, Hutt City, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Hamilton, and Auckland.

Medals this year in Cambridge were presented by New Zealand representatives Zack Rumble (rowing), Bennett Greenough (BMX), Danielle Aitchison (Paralympian sprinter) and Becky Leigh (rowing).

Results:

Overall winners: daughter and father - Gemma and Grant Honeyfield (Korakonui), son and father - Harris and Adam O’Leary (Cambridge), daughter and mother - Jamie and Caitlyn Phillips (Hamilton).

Age Divisions

Junior (under 7) girls Zoe Gerritsen 1h4s, boys Marlow McDonald 56m44s, 8 year old girls Leina Kaelin 1h2m57s, boys Sam Panting 57m19s, 9 year old girls Chloe Blackstock 55m, boys Cian Moore 46m42s, 10 year old girls Charlotte Tate 50m21s, boys Harris O’Leary 43m25s, 11 year old girls Sophie Hickey 54m14s, boys Connor Moore 46m39s, senior girls Gemma Honeyfield 43m19s, boys Alex Simmonds 48m56s.



 

Honeyfields show X Factor?

The Stubbs family of Awatiro Farm are preparing for the return of kiwi.

“There’s talk of creating a Kiwi sanctuary nearby,” said sheep and beef farmer Ben Stubbs.

He’s from the fourth generation of the family to farm Awatiro off Te Anga Road near Waitomo village, and the family has found kiwi bones in its cave system over the years.

“The sanctuary will bring their genetics back to our place.”

Read more

Latest AgriBusiness news

King Country Farmer

Waikato’s Chamber of Commerce has renewed its call for local body amalgamations and suggested Waitomo and Ōtorohanga district councils should be the first ones off the block.

It is no secret that Waitomo mayor John Robertson is a fan of merging with the council’s northern neighbour, but outgoing Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter is not.

Waikato chamber chief executive Don Good told The News having 12 councils in the Waikato region for 536,000 people – which includes King Country and Waikato Regional Council – is “ludicrous”.

Amalgamation should be dominating election debates this year, he said.

“The duplication is immense. The inefficiency that causes costs ratepayers. Ratepayers are voters, and ratepayers are not happy with 15 per cent rate increases,” he said.

Robertson, who has experience in amalgamation talks when he was a commissioner in Northland, is on record as saying Waitomo and Ōtorohanga are two councils of comparable size and population.

Savings would come from having procurement savings, fewer councillors, one district and one long term plan.

Good has even floated the idea of a ‘mega’ southern council of South Waikato, Waitomo and Ōtorohanga as a first step and a natural geographic fit.

A decade ago, an amalgamation between Waipā, Waitomo and Ōtorohanga was floated by the Property Council of New Zealand.

Sources told The News Ōtorohanga would favour a merger with Waipā over one with Waitomo.

“Downsizing of council staff is one solution but should have been done years ago,” said Good. 

“Sharing tasks among the councils is another that could work to reduce costs, but not complete centralisation.

“That seldom works, and invariably reduces democracy,” he said.

Poisonous parochialism would be the undoing of any amalgamation plan, Good said as would councillors and council staff who protect their patch at the expense of ratepayers.

“Many have developed cosy, comfortable, monopolistic attitudes and relationships.”

What do you think? Email us editor@goodlocal.nz

A ludicrous dozen

Young Antony Stubbs used to fear invasion.

His father, 2nd Lieutenant Trevor Stubbs of the King Country Home Guard, and his mates were left without rifles to defend New Zealand after they were handed in to help with the war effort.

This left Stubbs and his Home Guard mates to substitute rifles with broom handles and manuka poles for parades.

“They would parade at Marakopa and Dad would come home and tell us that Marakopa was ‘Home Guarded’,” the 86-year-old remembers.

“They were dead scared about the Japanese coming,” adds his younger brother Alister, 84.

The Stubbs hill country farm, Awatiro, off Te Anga Road, formerly occupied by Trevor’s parents Hugh and Harriet was a perfect base of operations, with views out to the potential enemy landing sites on the West Coast and around the North Island.

The pair can remember their father positioning their old Ford V8 pick-up truck to use the headlights for sending messages in Morse code to his Home Guard brothers in arms. It was a Kiwi version of the warning beacons that had served Britain so well down the centuries.

Tank traps were also installed to halt, or at least slow, an invading force and 2nd Lieutenant Stubbs was trained in their deployment. There was one on the road leading to the farm, and more around the district.

If the enemy ever landed, the Home Guard would rely on Awatiro Farm as a base of operations, packing out a remote cave with provisions packed in tins lined with foil.

The Home Guard was formed in August 1940 under the Emergency Corps Regulations when New Zealanders feared an invasion of the Japanese Empire in the Second World War.

The British version was popularised by the long running situation comedy Dad’s Army which replaced the local militias of old.

The brothers remember huddling daily around the radio with their father and mother Madge.

“They would walk in at the end of the day and turn the radio on and at six o’clock we would hear Big Ben striking,”

They would hear news of how the war was going for the allies in Europe and other parts of the world.

“We did not know was going to happen,” Alister said.

He also listened in to the nightly news with his twin brother Graeme and their whanau from their old hill country farmhouse.

Their parents are long gone now, and the farmhouse was later destroyed in a fire, taking many mementos with them. But the fifth generation of Stubbs continues to work and live off the land.

Nearly 80 years after the war ended, Trevor has been recognised by the New Zealand Defence with a posthumous New Zealand War Service Medal for his service.

Antony applied for the medal after Hangitiki military history expert Ross O’Halloran asked Antony’s nephew, Angus Stubbs, whether his grandfather had ever been decorated.

“Many people who did Home Service didn’t realise that if they had completed a certain amount of time, they were eligible for the NZ 1939-45 war service medal,” O’Halloran said.

O’Halloran has also supplied the family with the appropriate military pins to replace the ones lost in the fire late last century.

So, how would Trevor have reacted to the award?

“He would be overwhelmed, really thrilled,” Antony said.

“He was pretty interested when I did my compulsory military training in 1957.”

“He would be really humbled,” Alister said.

Belated honour for Trevor

Retailers and tourism operators are hoping for a busier than normal summer as the two-month closure of the Desert Road may push more traffic into the King Country and Waipā.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency closed State Highway 1 between Tūrangi and Waiouru on Monday (January 13) for road reconstruction and replacement of the wooden deck of the Mangatoetoenui Bridge.

This means between 3000 and nearly 6000 vehicles will need to find alternative routes from north to south and back again over the next two months.

“It will probably push more traffic through our district,” said Waitomo mayor John Robertson.

He hoped established stops like Piopio to be busier as a result of the road closure – it’s not on the direct route around the west side of National Park, but could draw re traffic if visitors decide to add Taranaki to their travels.

“Holy smoke,” said Piopio’s Fat Owl Bar and Eatery and Fat Pigeon Café owner Melanie Simpson when considering traffic heading her way instead of following the NZTA detours.

“I had not even thought of that. That’s going to be very good for us. We are going to have to put extra staff on.”

The timing is excellent for Mini India Takeaway in Rora Street, Te Kūiti, said operator Rajesh Bahunguna. By happy coincidence Bahunguna is opening an Indian restaurant further down the street later this month and he said both businesses would probably benefit.

Te Kūiti New World checkout supervisor Bubz Ruki expected the already busy supermarket to have a couple of busier months as a result.

“We do get a lot of traffic go through… a lot of motorhomes stocking up.”

Bosco Café director Sarb Gill said the Te Kūiti business on State Highway 3 would be putting on extra staff to cope with the demand.

“While road closures can be frustrating for drivers, as a business owner in the King Country, we see it as an opportunity to welcome more travellers to our region,” Gill said.

“We’re eager to share our warm hospitality and stunning scenery with visitors. We’ll be adjusting our staffing to accommodate the influx, and fingers crossed, it will be a great experience for everyone.”

Tourism Holdings Ltd chief executive Grant Webster, whose business operates the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Waitomo Homestead at the Big Apple, was excited.

“That would certainly be an opportunity for us. We would be very open to welcoming more customers through,” he said.

Spellbound Glowworm and Cave Tours owner-operator Peter Chandler expected the closure to be good for the King Country but with many people booking three to six months ahead he did not have much capacity for extra tourists for his nine tours per day.

“Our tours are full every day,” he said.

Michelle Boddie of Down to Earth Tours had a similar story.

“We are pretty booked until late March.”

Cancellations would create last minute vacancies, she said.

Waitomo Adventures owner-operator Nick Andreef said while the road closure should result in more vehicles travelling through the Waitomo District and stopping, the most likely result would be more congested roads.

“It may not be positive because the roads are not up to it,” Andreef said.

A regional tourism organisation would have made the most of the opportunity, promoting the district.

“We are still in dismay at our councils dropping support for a regional tourism operation,” he said.

Murray Hunt furnishers manager Bev Cooper thought the road closure could bring more people through Ōtorohanga and into the branch there.

“It will be interesting to see,” she said. “Mostly we get people stopping off who are driving Auckland to Wellington.”

She didn’t expect any extra traffic through the Te Awamutu branches which generally attracted Cambridge and Hamilton shoppers.

Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan also didn’t expect Waipā to benefit from the closure.

“We are not expecting too much of an influx,” she said.

Bonus for summer

Staff Reporter

New columnists

Welcome to 2025 and your first edition of the King Country News for the year. Today we unveil two new regular columnists - volcanologist Janine Krippner, and history writer Meghan Hawkes who have been extremely popular in our sister papers the Te Awamutu News and Cambridge News.

New kiwis

A dozen new New Zealanders were  welcomed at a Waitomo District Council citizenship event before Christmas. People from Samoa, England, Fiji and Hong Kong met Waitomo mayor John Robertson at the ceremony. The new citizens are Sulusi Ailoi, Meka Ailoi, Vaai Konesetasia Sulusi, Pafelio Sulusi, Petesa Josephine Sulusi Ailoi, Mandy Sulusi, and Virginia Sulusi, Vavega Lifa, Fogaa Lifa and Theresa Vavega Lifa, Tina Anne Knox, Josaia Sauliga Korosaya and Tsz Wah Fani Ng.

Lifejacket swap

Old4New, an initiative where people can exchange their old, worn-out lifejackets for discounted new lifejackets, is on Saturday at K’aute Pasifika in Hamilton. Over the past decade, more than 22,000 old lifejackets have been traded in through Old4New.

Waste submissions

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) received 478 written submissions on behalf of the Board of Inquiry on the Te Awamutu-waste-to-energy plant resource consent application from Global Contracting Solutions Limited. A pre-hearing meeting for submitters and the applicant to discuss procedural matters will be held at FMG Stadium in Hamilton next month. The hearing is expected in June.

Council reform

The Government has agreed to reforms that refocus local councils on delivering essential services and core infrastructure, spending responsibly, and operating under greater scrutiny, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says.

News in brief

Roy Pilott

A come-and-go lake near Raglan has been declared the oldest in New Zealand.

Lake Disappear – Mokaikaraka – is in a valley near Bridal Veil Falls dammed by lava flow 2.33 million years ago. It can be two kilometres long and 15 metres deep at one time of the year – and the drain to present as  just a small stream

And nearby, timber which is older than Karioi itself and with bark attached is regularly found  on the maunga.

The nuggets of information came out in an engaging  presentation at Te Awamutu Library last month.

Oliver McLeod, from the Waikato Regional Council, was joined by  Janine Krippner, who writes On Shaky Ground for the King Country News, to discuss the geology of Karioi volcano – the title of his new book – and the field extending from it including Pirongia, Kakepuku and Te Kawa.

The pair are rock stars of a different type. McLeod explained that studying rocks enabled  geologist to trace the history. Karioi as Ankaramite, Olivine basalt, Plagioclase-basalt, Andesite and Peridotite.

Ankaramite is McLeod’s favourite.

“My life’s mission is to share Ankaramite. My mum says it looks like concrete, but  think it’s just beautiful,  full of crystals and growth rings.”

McLeod’s four-year work, which was helped by sponsorship and crowd funding - follows the geological mapping of Karioi to show how it  evolved – eruption by eruption - and changed in shape over millions of years. It follows a similar work on the younger Mt Pirongia.

His map of Karioi shows in different colours flows from each of a series of eruptions and the book’s illustrations include rock profiles where he identified layers which predate the maunga.

Another nugget was  that Whale Bay – Te Marae o Mōkī - at Raglan is a lagoon – an unusual feature on the west coast - formed by a significant landslide.

Mt Taranaki today looks like Karioi and Pirongia would have 2.5 million years ago. Pirongia is the youngest of the four maunga – Te Kawa and Kakepuku are dated back 2.3 to 2.7 million years – but more work is required to determine the accuracy of that estimate.

Karioi had also gone through collapses similar to the Mount St Helens, south of Seattle, eruption in the US in 1980. Mt St Helens, not unlike Taranaki in profile, literally blew its top.

The work carried out by McLeod has also underlined similarities between what the Waipā maunga were like millions of year ago and what Auckland had with Rangitoto and its own field of volcanoes.

Krippner, who did the introduction by explaining she liked her volcanoes hot, said understanding those that were not enabled volcanologists to better understand active fields and how they might change.

At any one time 40 to 60 volcanoes would be erupting around the world, and 90 per cent are in the Pacific’s ring of fire – which includes New Zealand.

The gathering attracted about 30 people – including one The News reader who arrived with a selection of Krippner’s weekly columns in a folder.

Rock stars reveal Karioi facts

King Country landscapes by three of New Zealand’s most revered artists are part of the Timeline: Waikato Art 1850 to 2000 in the reopened Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery.

Paintings by Peter McIntyre and John Weeks are on display in the exhibition, which opened last week.

Weeks who was born in England in 1886 and emigrated to a farm at Mangapiko near Te Awamutu in 1892, was an influential figure for many of New Zealand and Waikato’s regionalist paintings.

His King Country landscape shows many of the characteristics of Week’s painting style and use of colour. In 1958 he was awarded the OBE for services to art and died in 1965.

McIntyre’s oil landscape from 1975 has a surreal element in the style often used by the World War II official artist in his later years when he had a holiday home in Kakahi, south of Taumarunui.

Born in Dunedin in 1910, McIntyre was a prolific artist who was also awarded an OBE for services to art. He died in 1995.

The other with King Country connections is Taharoa Farm 1950 by Violet Watson, who was born in 1906. The rural landscape oil painting by the artist was a particular favourite of Watson’s who died in Hamilton in 1992.

A painting of Hautapu School featuring a school building nestled behind thick bush in 1987 is part of the exhibition.

Dunedin-born Rodney Hamel, 87, who specialises in landscapes and portraits, was a teacher of history and geography at St Paul’s Collegiate in Hamilton from 1963-2000 and often painted the Waikato landscape from the top of Maungakawa.

The Hautapu School painting is part of an extensive Waikato collection.

He used water colours until the 1990s when he began learning to pain with oils and returned to live in Dunedin in 2004.

The exhibition also features an image of Arapuni Dam by photographer Laurence Aberhart and early watercolours of the Waitomo Caves, Pirongia from Mangatama and the Waipā River at Ōtorohanga.

After a six-month closure for extensive renovations, the museum is ready to welcome visitors to their opening weekend’s ‘housewarming’ celebration to experience the improvements as well as the four new exhibitions alongside established favourites including Exscite.

Other highlights include the traditional and contemporary handcrafted weaving works in He Aa I Uta, He Aa I Tai: Weaving the Elements, details from the museum’s own history in Exhibition no. 831 and the prestigious international Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition, showcasing award-winning images of the universe.

The primary focus of the renovation was to bring the building up to modern museum standards, including crucial roof repairs and the installation of a new air lock entry for enhanced climate control.

The museum has opened after a six-month closure for renovations.

King Country... as it was

Far from being the stuff of nightmares, the leeches being bred by ex King Country farmers on New Zealand’s only leech farm in the Waikato are highly valued medical miracles. Viv Posselt investigates.

Maria and Robert Lupton have been breeding leeches for about 34 years.

They started out in Northland, then moved to Aranga where they managed a farm for four years before purchasing a farm at Matiere in the King Country in 2000. After selling that in 2007, they moved to their current Te Miro farm, housing their precious leeches in an adapted cowshed.

Millions of the parasitic worms have gone from their care to serving a critical purpose in hospitals around the country (and further afield) where they have become mainstream in aiding wound healing in the aftermath of surgery.

2024 has been a particularly busy one … it’s tracking to be a record year in terms of demand for the little suckers.

The perfectly-designed blood feeders have been used medicinally for thousands of years. In today’s hospitals, they help prevent a post-operative condition called venous congestion, which occurs when the blood pools and stagnates in veins cut during surgery. As the leeches feed on areas of damaged tissue, they reduce the risk of blood clotting, thereby allowing time for new, healthy tissue to grow. Each tiny bite comes with a shot of naturally occurring anaesthetic that helps numb the area.

As the only leech breeders in the country, the Luptons carry a weight of responsibility that they say will drive their next decision.

They want to retire, so are selling the farm and its boutique leech operation. Mindful of how important the leeches are, they want it to go to someone who shares their understanding that what they do is first and foremost a service to the community.

“You have to have a social conscience to do this,” Robert said. “Time off isn’t always guaranteed. On several occasions we’ve been about to head out fishing for a day or so when the call has come in for more leeches. So, we head back in, pack them up and deliver them to the hospital – sometimes with the boat on the back.”

Any call for a delivery of leeches is urgent. Hospitals keep only a few, so when the need arises, more must be swiftly delivered because once a leech has had its fill, it won’t feed again for months. Up to 300 will be dispatched at any time, either couriered to nearby hospitals or flown further afield. Their records relate stories of many re-attached fingers, or lips and ears healed after traumatic injury.

As they move into summer, they know the need will increase – five calls over five days recently attest to that.

“Springtime is when the DIY’ers start doing things like slicing off fingers in skill-saws,” said Maria, “or people are out and about doing more things with tools. Summer is always busier.”

The Luptons currently have around 50,000 leeches in their shed. They sell between 4500 to 5500 of those each year, but the numbers are rising as New Zealand’s population grows.

The couple’s start in leech farming was almost accidental. It began when their children sent leeches they found on their Northland property into a creepy-crawly exhibition at Auckland Zoo. The resultant media interest caught the eye of a Middlemore surgeon who was struggling to get the blood flowing in a post-operative patient. The leeches worked their magic.

Since then, they have melded international care systems with their own ‘trial and error’ learnings on how to raise the leeches. A few years ago, Maria spoke to a gathering of Australian and New Zealand surgeons whose stories of successful outcomes using leeches validated all their efforts.

Now, with retirement looming, they are determined that the operation remains sustainable.

Not much gets in the way

of the production cycle. They have one part-timer who helps them in the shed, and there is a need to constantly monitor the leeches’ living environment.

In recent years, they’ve taken issue with events such as the recent Targa New Zealand rally, held annually on public roads in the area. The route has seen the road closed for a full day, and while organisers pledge to open it when needed for medical-related reasons, they worry that they won’t be able to get leeches to where they’re needed in the event of an urgent call.

“We’re on call 24/7 and have been lucky thus far,” said Robert.

“We haven’t had to test that pledge yet. But that and other similar events where there are road closures worry us.”

Leech breeders eye retirement

Grey Ormsby is buzzing because he did not listen to his father.

A quarter of a century after Waitomo Group founder Desmond Ormsby advised his son Grey to exit the fuel supply industry the company won the supreme award at the Waikato Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

In an exclusive interview with The News current owner Jimmy Ormsby revealed: “In around 2000 my grandfather said we would be better taking the money and getting out of the business.”

Desmond had founded the company in 1947 in King Street, Te Kūiti employing half a dozen people before moving to Carroll Street in 1953. Exxon Mobil Corporation wanted to exit its joint venture with the Waitomo Group around 2000, leaving the family with the choice to go it alone or close.

“My grandfather said to my dad, ‘I think you should take the opportunity to get out. Dad obviously didn’t listen to his father and said, ‘we’re going to go hard.’”

Today the low-cost company is based in Frankton, Hamilton, and employs nearly 100 full time equivalents and almost as many contractors.

Waitomo Group has gone hard, growing from a business-to-business fuel wholesaler to a business to customer retailer.

It opened its first petrol station in 2012, aiming to be 20 cents a litre below the market rate, and its first South Island station in 2019.

Waitomo Group has five stations planned for Nelson in the coming year busting the 100 fuel stops and diesel stops ceiling nationally.

As well as winning the Supreme Award the company won the Business Growth and Strategy Award and the Sustainability Award at the Waikato Chamber of Commerce event on Friday.

Waitomo Group was also a finalist in the Innovation, People and Culture, and Marketing categories of the awards.

“Dad gave me a phone call the next day,” Jimmy said. “He was buzzing.”

“My grandfather, who passed away 22 years ago in 2001, would be amazed. He would be smiling down on us, and he’d be very happy, very proud,” Jimmy said.

On Monday Jimmy took the business award trophies to his dad, who now lives north of Hamilton, to show them off.

“Fantastic, I am so proud of you.” Grey said to Jimmy. “You must be so proud of the team too.”

He is.

On the option to exit, Grey said he was confident the company would perform better under Ormsby family ownership.

Waitomo Group now considers itself a market disruptor, offering competitive prices at retail as well as bulk fuel supply via commercial mini tankers for commercial and farm trade operators.

Jimmy’s wife Ailsa serves on the board while their oldest daughter, Isla, is helping the group manager of revenue in her gap year.

 * See: Waitomo takes out top spot

Other award winners:

Business Growth & Strategy Award - Waitomo Group, Chief Executive of the Year -  Pam Roa, Longveld, Community Contribution - Hamilton Multicultural Services Trust, Emerging Leader - Ashley Mason, Sentinel Homes, For Purpose -  Wild Bamboo, Innovation -  Waikato Milking Systems, Marketing  - Gallagher Animal Management, Small Business  -  Brainchild, People and Culture – Longveld, Service -   Whites Powersports, Sustainability -  Waitomo Group.

A supreme disruptor

Meghan Hawkes

It did not matter how late the hour, or wet and dark the night, or how heavy and muddy the road, Dr MacLeod of Piopio never failed to respond to the call of duty.

William MacLeod was a crofter’s son, born on the Isle of Skye, who rose to become a doctor, qualifying in 1905 at Glasgow. After he came to New Zealand he was registered at Otago’s Medical School and in 1913 moved to Piopio. He possessed the sterling and dependable qualities for which Scottish people were so distinguished and quickly gained popularity as much for his unassuming and friendly manner as for his professional skill.

A doctor had been badly needed in the district. Just the year before harrowing tales of suffering were related to the Waikato Hospital Board by a deputation of King Country settlers. It was stated that nobody, except those living there, realised the dreadful experiences of those from the back blocks. A doctor’s residence, with one room available as an emergency ward, was duly built at Piopio.

From his arrival Dr MacLeod’s self-sacrificing devotion to his duties won him sincere respect and esteem. In 1914 William married Jessie MacLennan at Miss Hattaway’s nursing home in Te Kūiti.

Jessie, who had come out from Glasgow to be married, was well known in Scotland as a singer of Scottish and Gaelic songs. She had taken a prominent part in national singing competitions, and it was anticipated that she would be a decided acquisition in her new home. Within a few years the couple had two daughters, and William continued to be a diligent doctor, particularly during the flu pandemic of 1918.

In late May 1921 William was suddenly taken ill and on the advice of Dr McRae, was sent to Hamilton by the express train to go into Dr Douglas’s private hospital. George Brown, of Piopio, accompanied him to Hamilton.  Two days later William had surgery for appendicitis which appeared quite successful. But two days after the surgery Jessie MacLeod was sent for urgently, William’s pain had not subsided and now there were symptoms of peritonitis. Two more days later a second operation became essential and was performed at 10am, but William died about 4pm. His sudden death was a stunning blow to all who knew him. There was hardly a settler’s home that he had not entered. He was more than a physician to most of the community - he was a friend.

William was buried at Te Kūiti, the funeral procession being the largest seen in the district. The church was crowded, and the members of the Freemasons (of which William was a member), attended in Masonic regalia. A lambskin apron was thrown on to the coffin and the symbolic acacia sprig of immortality placed on it.

Very deep grief was felt in the King Country at the death of their ideal country doctor and his ornate headstone bears the inscription that it was ‘erected by the members of this district by whom he was much loved’.

Piopio's popular doctor

Janine Krippner

People around the world are often familiar with the most significant eruptions, such as the 1883 Krakatau eruption, which had profound and far-reaching effects. However, there are many stories of volcanic eruptions that have impacted communities globally, yet remain underreported or have been lost to time.

As part of my ongoing work in the Canary Islands, a volcanic archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa, and a region of Spain, I am collaborating with partners at GeoTenerife to help provide locals with insights into their volcanic history. It is crucial that we continue to raise awareness of these historical events and their relevance to present-day communities.

This has led me to explore 18th and 19th-century Spanish eruption accounts. These accounts offer invaluable glimpses into past volcanic activity, which can help us recognise how unrest and eruptions might impact communities. This, in turn, can critically assist with decision-making when a volcano stirs.

One notable example is the 1706 eruption in Garachico, on the northern coast of Tenerife. At the time, Garachico was the island’s largest port and was a thriving town with smaller villages nearby. During this eruption, lava cascaded down the steep slopes into the town, partially filling and damaging the harbour. Despite its relatively small size compared to other eruptions, this event had a profound impact on both the town and the island as a whole.

Constructing a reliable eruption timeline from historical records is challenging. Our modern understanding of volcanic processes has evolved and the terminology we use today often differs from that of the past. For instance, interpreting terms like “smoke” (Is it ash? Gas? Steam? Or something actually burning?) or “fire” (Is it lava?) can be difficult. A deep understanding of volcanic activity is essential to making sense of these descriptions. Additionally, translation errors can further complicate matters. For example, translating “lahar” from Indonesian as “cold lava” is misleading—cold lava is simply rock.

However, these historical accounts also offer us crucial insights into volcanic precursors, especially during times before the advent of modern volcano monitoring.

One colourful account reads:  “tombs could be seen as if they were trying to throw out dead bodies, and in the houses, the roofs began to shake until they gave way. The bells could be heard ringing with heartfelt blows, as if they were ringing in agony…” (Cassares, 1709). Along with other historical eruption accounts, this suggests that seismic activity can be a significant precursor to eruptions in the region.

Other accounts provide a window into the emotional experiences of the people living through these events, such as: “the fearful night continued… in this way, Lord, the great earthquakes originated, with such ferocity that everyone was moved to sadness.”

Learning about past eruptions is essential for preparing communities for future volcanic events. Each volcano presents unique lessons, shaped by its specific landscape, history, and the culture of the people living in its shadow. By examining these stories, we can better equip communities to face the challenges posed by future eruptions.

Deciphering past eruptions

John Robertson

While I have learnt much from two decades of community leadership and public service, what sticks out most is the importance of community pride.

When people have pride in their communities, they feel safe. They see their towns well maintained and clean. They see them busy and vibrant. They see people smile when they pass others on the footpath.

But pride is not something that naturally occurs. Researchers say it comes about from us having a stake in our community, to having an investment in our community’s success - emotionally, financially, or culturally.

Like in Te Kūiti, those who created the Maara Kai Roopu community garden, those involved in Legendary Te Kūiti, those who help at Brook Park.

Like in Piopio, those behind the Piopio Trust, those who help as volunteers to sort out rubbish bin issues, those who keep an eye on the holiday park.

Like in Mōkau, those who manage the Domain, those who support the museum, those who look after the beaches.

Whether in these places or in others, or on marae around our district, those who make an investment in their community build pride.

So too do those who support sport, promote the arts, cultural activities, kapa haka, and events like the shearing championships, the volunteers who support fire and ambulance services, and the service clubs who back community initiatives. They all build pride.

We can all be community champions, doing something positive for our community. Imagine the impact that such a movement involving all of us would have. A safe community. No anti-social behaviours. No burnouts. No drugs. No crime. Just pride.

Councils can invest in amenities that support a proud community. Facilities like the Gallagher Recreation Centre are such an investment. Our current mission to clean up the grandstand at Te Kūiti’s Centennial Park and bring more activities to this park is another.

But Council cannot create pride. Only people can pull this all together, people who invest in community success – emotionally, financially, or culturally.

We are going through a period of anti-social behaviour on some of our streets in Te Kūiti right now. Let’s talk and turn this around.

Without wanting to paraphrase Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, I dream of a time where all in our local communities contribute positively, a time where respect replaces disrespect, where care replaces disregard and where pride replaces shame.

Maybe it’s a dream too far. Maybe not?

Pride and champions

Measuring deformation is an important part of the volcano monitoring toolbox. Deformation is a change in the ground surface or shape, whether that’s up (inflation), down (deflation), or sideways.

Understanding what the cause could be, the uncertainty involved (what we don’t know, or errors introduced by processing the data), and incorporating information from other monitoring techniques allows us to narrow down what might be happening below the surface.

We can measure deformation using high-precision GPS (Global Positioning Systems). Another way is using radar satellites, a technique called InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) that allows us to measure down to millimetres or centimetres of change from space.

After experts process this data, we can then investigate different causes behind the change while taking into account the local geology and hydrology.

One cause is magma movement. If magma is rising towards the surface as an intrusion, it can push the ground upwards and/or outwards. As magma reaches shallower depths the pressure on the magma is reduced (deeper in the crust equals more pressure). At lower pressures gases are released from the magma and they expand, increasing the pressure within the magma and on the surrounding rock, which can cause slight movement of the surface. This is often millimetres to centimetres in scale.

Sometimes this is much more obvious. Leading to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, the north flank bulged outwards at about two metres each day. Magma was pushing up into the volcano, erupting with catastrophic consequences on May 18.

Magma rising does not mean an eruption will happen. It can stall and stop, slowly cooling and solidifying into crystalline rock over time. It can remain an intrusion. This process can cause some slow subsidence of the land above it.

Another cause is fluids, like geothermal water. Volcanoes often have geothermal systems because of remnant heat from older eruptions heating water at shallow depths. This water can be rainwater percolating down through the ground, it can also be fluids released from the magma.

Volcanoes can also be in areas with a lot of faults, and they can produce deformation when they move. Faults can move because of processes that have nothing to do with the volcanic system, or they can become active because of magma or fluids moving within the ground.

The ground can also subside when fluids or gas are removed, like magma erupting or the extraction of water or geothermal fluids.

The removal of groundwater in California’s San Joaquin Valley resulted in about 8.5 metres of ground subsidence from the 1920s to around 2015. A single storey room is typically 2.4 metres high. We have seen similar subsidence with geothermal steam extraction in New Zealand. Spread out over large distances, this can be difficult to see just by looking.

The surface itself can also slump because of gravity and instability, or sinkholes can form.

While we think of the ground below our feet as solid and stable, it still moves. This is sometimes very slow, other times very fast, and geoscientists study all aspects of it to understand what has happened, what is happening, and what might happen next.

Understanding deformation

Harley Davidsons were the motorcycle of choice for the Te Kūiti police proving far cheaper than the horse when time was considered.

Their popularity in America was attested to by 49 police chiefs who all spoke very highly of the motorcycle for their work, finding that the Harley Davidson was the most economical, most durable and efficient.

Not as durable though was the Te Kūiti police sergeant’s residence which was noted with disgust to be falling to pieces and without a lick of paint for years.

Ōtorohanga residents were being pestered by an individual who opened conversations by asking in an earnest tone for ‘painkiller.’ He got strong tea in one house, and some quack medicine in another. At one house, though, he quite settled in, and the constable had to be called to move him on. He was described as a drug fiend.

As if this wasn’t enough - potatoes, cabbages, peas, and other vegetables appeared to be the favourite food of a certain cow which was allowed to roam Ōtorohanga streets night after night. People were getting tired of this animal and suggested that the police take action.

The proposal that the Waitomo Caves needed to be more widely advertised was made to the Minister of Tourist Resorts. If the caves were lighted by electricity and full publicity given to the attractions of the district, Waitomo would rank second to Rotorua in popularity. There were great possibilities for making it one of the most popular health and tourist resorts in the Dominion, but the hostel there was in a state of disrepair. Accommodation was only sufficient to allow visitors to stay for one night. The manager and staff did everything possible for guests but they were hampered by the reluctance of the Government to spend money on the buildings. The hostel was beautifully situated and the grounds could be made very attractive. It would not cost a lot to construct lawn tennis courts and croquet and bowling greens at the hostel. There were many people in Auckland who would make the caves a health resort. During the hot weather in the city many would stay at for recuperative purposes if the facilities were available.

A Mōkau farmer installed in his milking shed a device for recording the weight of each individual cow’s milk. The simple part consisted of a face with an index hand similar to that of a clock. Just as the milking of a cow was finished the hand recorded on the dial the weight of the milk given.

The owner swore that the very first day he set up the machine each cow on backing out of the bail immediately turned round and scanned the face of the dial with the greatest interest.

Later on he noticed all the cows in the yard having an argument among themselves, presumably as to which had given the greatest quantity of milk

When police had Harleys

Tom Roa

I wonder how many of us applied for annual leave on the Friday, taking advantage of the Waitangi holiday to turn it into a long Waitangi Weekend.

I suggest that if we’re honest, that will have been how the vast majority of us regard Waitangi Day - enjoying the holiday, aware of the significance – and how can we not be with so much media – mainstream as well as social – attention to events at Waitangi and elsewhere? But I suggest the vast majority of us treat it essentially as another holiday.

The significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi has been recognised with this holiday. And I know of no adult New Zealander who does not appreciate that significance in recognising the importance of Te Triti in our national consciousness.

For Māori Te Tiriti has long been a discussion point amongst us and other New Zealanders on marae and at Māori events.

I don’t envy the task of the Parliamentary Select Committee in their sifting through the thousands of submissions to them on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. I do suggest that this is merely a continuation of those conversations, unfortunately, in my opinion, a waste of parliamentary resources given that two of the coalition partners have indicated they will not support it through its second reading.

In our backyard here in the Waipā District more and wider conversations have been exploring the significance of the tragedy of Rangiaowhia where I and others assert that in the aftermath of the signing(s) of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the potential of principled prosperity for the signatories of Te Tiriti was being realised.

Rangiaowhia was an agricultural hub which sent produce not only to major townships like Auckland, New Plymouth and Wellington nationally, but also internationally to Sydney, England, and even to the goldfields of America. Indeed, the very first sacks of flour from the very first mill at Rangiaowhia were sent as a gift to Queen Victoria.

Pākehā tradespeople were welcomed by the Ngāti Apakura and Ngati Hinetū leadership in the later context of the second Māori King’s assertion that his friends came from all corners of the globe. They were the honest tradespeople, the shoemakers, the carpenters, the blacksmiths and the bakers of bread. Their contribution to the prosperity of Rangiaowhia was much celebrated by the hapū and iwi of the district as well as their visitors from other iwi who bore witness to the very important contribution of these people to the affluence enjoyed there by all. So much so that the newcomers took wives (and husbands!) from the local population and adopted their language and customs, partnering with Ngāti Apakura and Ngāti Hinetu to mutual benefit.

But then the empire-builders followed the norm of that time which was with the waging of war for building empire. Cooperation, collaboration with the people who were already in that space didn’t fit with that model.



 

Waitangi Day - and Rangiaowhia

Misinformation is not new. Sometimes confusion reigns and wrong information is innocently shared. Sometimes tabloids make clickbait headlines that are wildly misleading, so you visit their website, and they make money. Now we also have people on social media posting misinformation for likes in stressful and even dangerous situations. This situation is so urgent that I wrote about the topic online last week.

I am following the situation around Santorini, where there is real danger to people experiencing frequent earthquakes. This is a situation that is truly impacting communities and there is a risk that something worse may happen, like a larger, more damaging earthquake.

Now that we have AI and much more convincing fake videos to contend with, we must be even more cautious and sceptical, especially if we are viewing something on social media. So how can we tell?

Firstly, who is the source? Is it a trustworthy agency who checks facts? Is it an expert or trusted local - or someone who tends to post a lot of dramatic videos for likes with captions containing all caps and hyped-up language?

There seems to be a race to be the first to post about an eruption these days. The desperation to go viral might have something to do with it.

Does something seem off about the video? Is the colouring wrong? Does something about the physics, like water behaviour, seem a bit weird? Is the colouring saturated or a bit unrealistic? If there are people, is their behaviour odd? Are features blurred? AI generated images can get things wrong, like adding the wrong number of fingers. Are people responding as you would expect them to during an eruption?

There is a term ‘uncanny valley’ that refers to feeling ‘off’ when looking at something that isn’t quite real. Go with your gut and check again.

Looking at the landscape is important. Santorini is a very recognisable island with steep slopes and the classic white buildings. Some people have shared a video of Whakāri with a gas plume.

EuroNews used reverse image search to identify our backyard volcano was standing in as a fake.

I’ve even seen an old computer-generated simulation of an Auckland volcanic field eruption shared with claims of It depicting past eruptions at other volcanoes in very different landscapes. That was made back when it was obviously not real… if you take the time to look.

What else is in the image or video? Is everything to scale? Make sure there isn’t any strange blurring between objects, or any areas that look too smooth or air brushed.

Is there any text? There might be repetition of words or bad spelling if there is.

Sometimes it just takes slowing down and taking a few seconds before sharing something online, but it is getting trickier. We can point out when something isn’t right in the comments so that others can see it too.

In hazardous situations we all have a role to play in making sure we are sharing good information.

We might be all the way over here in Aotearoa, but people being impacted by these events can see what’s posted online and this can cause very real distress.

Volcanoes and fake views

Jon Rawlinson

News

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Rural

'Wrong' call on levies

It's not quite a water done-deal

DairyNZ board chair Tracy Brown says the organisation got it wrong when it asked farmers to choose one of two levy rises.

Asking farmers whether they wished to maintain current science and research, at between 4.4 cents and 4.6 cents per kg of milk solids, or expand investment in science and research, at 4.7 cents to 5 cents, had created some confusion and angst, Brown said.

“In hindsight we should have had a third option to make that clearer,” Brown said.

Brown, who is also a Waikato dairy farmer, told The News the organisation had not raised its levy from 3.6 cents per kg of milk solids since 2009.

The options consulted on will increase the milksolids levy payment by at least $800 per 100,000 kilograms of milk solids and be as much as $1400 per 100,000 kilograms of milksolids.

“If they were to choose 3.6 cents, they are choosing to further downsize DairyNZ, and stop doing a lot more work,” Brown said.

DairyNZ budgeted for $67,790 of levy income in 2025, and a total revenue of $81,773. Expenditure is budgeted at $85,252.

Government funding had decreased from about $14 million to about $4 million in the last decade, Brown said.

Te Awamutu dairy farmer and DairyNZ board member Chris Lewis said dairy farmers were able to comment on the options as they voted.

“We have had 10 or 12 consultation meetings on this, and I have been to about half, and it was not a very good turnout,” he said.

He had reviewed around 1500 pieces of feedback.

Waikato Federated Farmers president Keith Holmes said DairyNZ had made “a bad assumption” that dairy farmers accepted that DairyNZ needs an increase in levy.

There was no “no increase option” nand suggested the decision makers were “dancing with the fairies”.

Ōhaupō dairy farmer and Waikato Federated Farmers vice president Andrew Reymer agreed.

“While they have lots of justification for putting the levy up, they have a declining milk pool, and it makes sense. But if the farmers are not feeling the love on the ground, then it’s a hard sell. People are saying Dairy who? I don’t think there’s a lot of support to put the levy up.”

Dairy farming in drought conditions is a fine balance between making the most of a good milk price and setting up for next season, says Share farming Consultants founder Louise Gibson.

“Don’t be embarrassed if you don’t know what to do or if it feels a bit overwhelming,” Gibson said.

The secret is dispensing with emotions and making data-led decisions.

Gibson recommended starting by getting a herd body condition score done by an accredited scorer listed on the DairyNZ website.

“This will give you the information to determine milking regime, cow intake, and start your feed budget,” she said.

Then work out how much feed you have on hand and create a feed budget.

“Most farmers will need to put a hard line in the sand around not losing any further condition and start looking at how to preserve lactation,” Gibson said.

This may lead to a change in milking regime, introducing other products to the herd’s diet and sending away cull cows.

“There are a lot of areas who are looking for in milk cows so you may get a good price for them still,” Gibson said.

Farmers should then calculate the financial balance between extending lactation and banking some autumn milk production.

“If you do think you have a good case for making this work, do your budgets and cashflows and sit down with your bank as soon as possible to discuss this,” Gibson said.

Farmers should keep reviewing their plan.

“A plan made now may not be a suitable plan in a months’ time,” Gibson cautioned.

“We have no idea when it might start raining so be flexible and don’t be afraid to ask for expert help.

Fellow consultant Ashlea Kowalski said on-hand feed became a real concern as the drought tightened its grip and farmers, sharemilkers and contract milkers needed to be having conversations about feed.

“As we fast approach the new dairy season, is there going to be the feed on-hand you put in the agreements for current but also if you have new sharemilkers or contract milkers coming onboard for the new season?”

“The conversations need to happen now, and allow input from both parties, which needs to address how you are going to remedy the shortfall of feed, and outlining who is responsible for this,” Kowalski said.

“Is it financially beneficial for both parties to purchase extra feed in now, and lock in additional feed for the upcoming season?

“It all comes down to having those conversations.”

Farming through a drought

Natasha Cave is encouraging drought-stricken King Country sheep and beef farmers to take a mental health day and join the Beef and Lamb New Zealand Farmer Council at the Out of the Gate event in Rotorua.

Cave, a member of the council and co-manager of the 396ha Rotowai Farms at Mokauiti near Aria with her husband Alan, said the free March 26 event was a great opportunity to get off the farm and focus on people and productivity.

“Given the last 18 months we have been through financially, and we are now in a really dry period that’s not that great, it’s a good opportunity to get out and talk to some other farmers,” Cave said.

The scorching weather is bound to be a topic of conversation.

Cave’s farm has had a fraction of the rain it usually receives this year.

In January only 37.5 mm of rain fell, compared to 185 millimetres in 2024, followed by 23.5 millimetres in February, compared to 52 millimetres in 2024, and March doesn’t look like it will deliver the 131 millimetres It received last year.

“It’s the lowest we have seen it in a long time,” Cave said.

February’s thunderstorms skirted the farm.

“Water is probably tighter than feed, although if we don’t get rain soon, feed will become a big issue,” she said.

Cave said there was not any feed suitable left for finishing animals.

“We have just off loaded as much noncapital stock as possible. We are acutely aware it is getting late, and we are running out of days to get our pasture covers where they need to be for winter and want to protect next year’s production as much as possible.

“It becomes very hard to cart water in if you have got a lot of cattle. We need to be more aware of how our climate is changing.

“The King Country traditionally used to be summer safe with fairly reliable rainfall over the summer, not having that super dry period, so now we are having to make sure we have got good water systems in place. That’s going to come into play more.”

Cave, who received the inaugural 2025 Beef and Lamb New Zealand Leadership Advancement Scholarship in November as part of the organisation’s people and capability workstream, is planning to increase the farm’s head of cattle and add more water tanks to support that plan in increasingly dry summers.

Beef and Lamb New Zealand general manager of extension Justine Kidd said Out of the Gate would provide the information, tools, and fresh perspectives on navigating challenges and opportunities.

It will feature interactive workshops, diving into topics like on-farm productivity, leadership, team building, and diversification

Speakers include meat market expert Simon Quilty, economist Shamubeel Eaqub and motivator David Letele.

Time to get out the gate

When constructing anything, a little Leveridge seldom goes amiss. However, with little margin for error, both speed and skill are also required when making a play for competitive fencing’s highest honours.

“You need a bit of both,” Te Kūiti’s Martin Leveridge says.

“If you’re really quick, you can get away with doing a slightly rougher job, but the guys competing now are just so damn good that they can finish first and have the best work as well.”

He was hardly fenced in by his previous career path, but since taking on a new trade with fellow King Country countryman, Troy Brooky, Leveridge has made every post a winner, or near enough.

“I was in engineering for 10 years, doing a lot of structural stuff, cowsheds and whatnot, but I needed a bit of a break. It was supposed to be a bit of a holiday but once I started fencing, I never stopped.”

Taking up with Brooky, an old school friend, Leveridge served an apprenticeship before starting his own business. He has also competed in the Golden Pliers and, in partnership with Brooky, the pairs event, Silver Spades.

While there are other fencing competitions, including a speed fencing event at the annual Rural Games, Fieldays at Mystery Creek hosts the best in the business.

This year, both men will be going for gold, individually, and seeking silver as a duo. Both have appeared in finals for the Bill Schuler Award, intended for up-and-comers and competitors still relatively new to fencing.

Brooky, who has a few more years on the line under his belt, finished fifth in 2022, second in 2023 and fourth in the Bill Schuler competition last year. But Leveridge holds bragging rights in this respect.

“I made the Golden Pliers final once, finishing eighth in 2022, but before that I won the Bill Schuler two years in a row. As far as winning Golden Pliers this year, I wouldn’t say I have a good chance, but I do have a good chance of making the final.”

The pair were sixth last year in the Silver Spades event.

“We’ve definitely got a good shot of winning or at least being right up there in the doubles as we’ve had some good results in the past couple of years,” Leveridge says. “We have a good system together – I do my job, he does his and we both work instinctively.”

Competitive fencing has produced many legends. Martin Leveridge and Troy Brooky have a very long row to hoe if they’re ever to eclipse the record of King Country great, Wayne Newdick.

“Wayne, he’s a bloody good bugger,” Martin says. “He’s into judging now but he had an awesome record.”

In addition to a Golden Pliers win, the Taumarunui titan dominated the Silver Spades with 10 wins from 2001-2011, mostly in partnership with Hawke’s Bay’s Paul Van Beers. Newdick’s achievements were recognised with a Lifetime Legacy Award at last year’s Rural Sports Awards.

Even though some of the old guard has stepped aside, Leveridge and Brooky still have highly skilled father and son duo, Shane and Tony Bouskill (Hawke’s Bay), and Jeff Joines (Kāpiti) to compete with.

In addition, Gisborne’s Cory Twigley and Tim Garrick finished first and third in last year’s Golden Pliers while teaming up to secure the Silver Spades.

“I’d say Tim and Tony would be my top two picks for the Golden Pliers. Those guys will be tough so it’s going to be a hard push,” Leveridge says. “But we’ve had some bloody good results in the doubles in competitions over the last couple of years, so there’s no reason why we can’t reach the top spots.”

While a farmer won’t thank a fencer if his cows are in the corn, for example, Leveridge says the judges at Fieldays are much harsher critics when getting down to brass tacks. And yet, the judges’ pedantry has helped him develop his skills professionally.

“As long as a fence looks good and it’s doing its job, most farmers aren’t going to go start picking that you’re out by millimetres and that kind of thing,” he adds.

“Competing has been a huge help. We know what judges are looking for and then we put those skills into our everyday work.”

Martin's an ace of spades

Farmer confidence has flipped to its highest level in a decade, according to the latest Federated Farmer survey, having flopped from the worst it has ever been.

But the results of the latest national farm confidence survey had the feeling of a false summer, to Waikato Federated Farmers president Keith Holmes.

“While I agree with the general survey results, there is nothing internationally to suggest that we are in a period of prolonged economic and political stability,” he said.

“Nor are farmers making a profit. Many more will be able to pay their bills but in actual fact they are still mining their balance sheets, which is a very serious non sustainable predicament for New Zealand.”

Farmer confidence in economic conditions surged from -66 per cent in July 2024 to a net positive score of two per cent in January 2025. It was the largest one-off improvement since the question was introduced to the survey in 2016.

A net 23 per cent of farmers expect better economic conditions over the next year - the highest confidence level since January 2014.

There has also been a sharp lift in profitability, with 54 per cent of farmers now reporting making a profit – equating to double the number in the last survey six months ago.

Federated Farmers national president Wayne Langford, who only last year led the Restoring Farmer Confidence tour with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, said he had noticed a significant shift in the mood of rural New Zealand.

“The last few years have been bloody tough for a lot of our farming families, with falling incomes, rising interest rates and unpaid bills starting to pile up on the kitchen bench.

“At the same time, we’ve also been struggling with an incredibly challenging regulatory environment and farming rules that haven’t always been practical, affordable or fair.

“These survey results paint a clear picture of a sector finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as some of that weight is lifted.”

The survey results show regulation and compliance costs remains the greatest concern for farmers, followed by interest rates and banks, and input costs.

The survey shows farmers’ highest priorities for the government are the economy and business environment, fiscal policy, and reducing regulatory burdens.

“If the government are serious about their ambitious growth agenda and doubling exports over the next decade, this is where they need to be focusing their energy,” Langford said.

“For farmers to have the confidence to invest in our businesses, employ more staff, and grow our economy, we need to have confidence in our direction of travel as a nation too.

“As a country, we’re never going be able to regulate our way to prosperity, but with the right policy settings, we might just be able to farm our way there.”

A question of farmer confidence

Zac van Dorsten is the 2025 Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year.

Van Dorsten, 27, manages Tony and Louise Collingwood’s 455-cow 165ha farm at Scown Road, Ōtorohanga.

Van Dorsten, who is from Te Awamutu and attended Hamilton Boys’ High School, won $10,523 in prizes at last week’s Dairy Industry Awards after coming third in last year’s competition.

The Collingwoods encouraged Van Dorsten to enter the awards and take courses to continue his professional development.

“There’s also an emphasis on innovation and technology which makes our day-to-day operations easier and minimises work hours,” he said.

He is thrilled to be moving to a contract milking position next season that aligns with his financial, personal and farming goals.

“The New Zealand dairy industry has unique progression opportunities and I’m excited to continue my journey to farm ownership,” says van Dorsten.

“The industry is evolving, and I want to be part of that as we expand and become more innovative to suit the overseas market.”

Ōtorohanga farm manager Oliver Vincent was runner-up in the dairy manager category, bringing home $6,299 in prizes.

Vincent, who attended Te Awamutu College, works on his parents Garry and Angela Vincent’s Haurua Road 260-cow 100ha farm, is passionate about the dairy industry.

“My life is farming. It’s all I really do, or think about,” said the 26-year-old.

They’ve had a tough season, thanks to the drought.

“It’s really not good out here,” he said.

Many had become complacent after two wet summers.

But supplements is the answer.

“With a $10 payout we can chuck a bit more feed in and make it work, but not for too long,” he said. “We are not going to be able to grow any grass for another five or six weeks.”

Vincent is expecting to dry off his herd about three weeks early, as he prepares to go sharemilking on his parents’ farm next season.

He’s looking to enter the share milker category in a few years.

Vincent is thankful the awards introduced him to a wide range of people who he would never have previously met.

“This is how I like to live, and the awards process allowed me to do this with other entrants, judges and sponsors. It also challenged my understanding of my role, the business I work in and our industry and is a great platform for me to learn more in these areas.”

Pirongia farm manager Benjamin Schilt placed third and won $4,554 in prizes. He works on Chris, Emma, John and Anne Poole’s 180ha, 401-cow farm at Pirongia.

It's top prize for Zac

Rotomate sheep and beef farmer Mat Sherriff says pond levels have dropped about one metre on his farm.

When you can see the mountains it’s going to rain, when you can’t see the mountains, it’s raining.

“It’s going to rain,” says Mat Sherriff hopefully.

From high on his wife’s family’s drought stricken Rotomate sheep and beef farm, a short drive from Piopio town, Sherriff can see across the Central Plateau to the mountains at Tongariro National Park and down the coast to Mount Taranaki.

It’s a crystal-clear day, without a cloud in the sky.

The sun is shining, the temperatures are in the mid-twenties, and Rotomate hasn’t had any rain to speak off since before Christmas.

“This is excessively dry,” Sherriff said. “My biggest problem is water.”

One of Sherriff’s principal water sources on the 350ha block he leases across the road is drying up.

All up, Sherriff and his dentist wife Kim Tatham, runs an 1150ha farm, 870ha of it effective with the test as retired bush.

“It’s not looking too good,” he said. “Last week I was panicking quite a bit about the water, but we have made a few plans since then,” he said.

“We have dug a new hole, created a new stock water pond, and got new pumps and pipe to fill another pond who’s level has dropped about one metre.”

It’s cost the farm about $15,000, but it has given Sherriff more certainty in less certain times.

“We feel like we are pretty lucky when we drive around the country.”

He’s a regular visitor to the Waipā district, where he has family and Hamilton city, where his children attend school. Max, 15, is at St Paull’s Collegiate, while Zoe, 13, is at Waikato Diocesan School for Girls. He has seen far drier conditions to the north.

“We are getting a share of grass, we are pretty good at managing that,” he said.

Sherriff, who has been farming Rotomate since 2012, having moved  from Taupō, is planning to introduce break-feeding with silage, allowing livestock a small area to graze each day.

Other farmers used to describe the King Country as summer safe, farming parlance for guaranteed enough rain in the summer to grow good crops and livestock, but this sentiment is a thing of the past.

“We have had more dry summers than we have had wet summers,” he said. “Last year was the second driest summer in 30 years.”

In 2024 the farm received 1733 millimetres of rain compared to 1650 millimetres in 2005 – it usually receives about two metres.

“Stock manager Darren McNabb came up from Cheviot so is used to the dry,” Sherriff said. “He spent all last year telling me how wet it was.”

Regardless of McNabb’s views, it’s all about pivoting to being better prepared for ongoing dry conditions in the summers.

“We feel like we are getting the hang of managing them. Our stock is in really good condition,” Sherriff said.

Instead of finishing cattle at 550kg, they are being finished about one month early at 500kg.

Sherriff and Tatham also run a corporate retreat on the farm, and up to 12 guests stay at a time in quarters once used to home Sir Peter Jackson’s cast and crew filming The Hobbit. Parts of the farm appear in a few seconds long sequence about three quarters of an hour into the first film: An Unexpected Journey.

High...and dry

These youngsters riding on home turf had their families celebrating at the North King Country Motorcycle club’s King of the Schools event on Mangarino Rd recently. Ben Gaylor, Deklan Burton, Evan Gray, Mason Fordham and Sam Gray came home second overall in an event which attracted entries from 85 primary and intermediate schools in their section – and 127 school in total. Results: Primary-intermediate, St Joseph’s, Stratford 1, Ōtorohanga South 2, Whakamaru 3, Te Awamutu Primary 4. Secondary, Tauranga Boys College 1, New Plymouth Boys High 2, Hamilton Boys High 3.

Silver lining

Jesse Wood

Hautapu alumni Dylan Eti and James Thompson have been floating around the Chiefs rugby squad in 2025.

Hautapu lock Dylan Eti has been with the Chiefs and is now at the Super Rugby Under 20 tournament in Taupō. Photo: Matt Gould[/caption]

The pair of former St Peter’s School Cambridge students join a large cohort of Hautapu associated players who are involved in 2025 Super Rugby Pacific squads and wider training groups.

Luke Jacobson, Jacob Norris (replacement player), Ollie Norris, Simon Parker and Bradley Slater are others to be with the Chiefs this year.

Ryan Coxon (Western Force), Laghlan McWhannell (Blues) and Waisake Salabiau (Highlanders wider squad) are participating elsewhere.

Coming from the King Country and Bay of Plenty respectively, Eti is a fresh face to Hautapu, while Thompson has moved to Patumahoe (Counties Manukau) after several years at the club.

Eti was training with the Chiefs in pre-season and is now in the Chiefs Under 20 squad competing in the annual Super Rugby Under 20 tournament at Owen Delany Park in Taupō.

Pool matches were played on Saturday and Tuesday – and the finals will take place this Saturday.

Eti moved to St Peter’s for his final two years of secondary schooling after attending Ōtorohanga College.

“I’ve loved training with the Chiefs. It was definitely a step up. This time last year I was with the first XV, so it’s definitely a big change and an eye opener,” Eti says.

“It’s an insight into where I want to be fulltime in the future. It was a surprise to get invited to train.

“There are a lot of boys in my position that have played NPC, but I ended up getting a call up. I loved it.”

Eti says he enjoys being part of the under 20 squad too, giving him opportunities to develop his game.

He hasn’t forgotten his King Country roots and frequently visits his parents who still reside in Ōtorohanga.

“[My King Country upbringing is what] made me. I’m down there every other weekend. It’s always good to catch up with my mates from primary school there. I love it,” he says.

“Last year when Ōtorohanga played against Hautapu, it was down there. I spent the night back down there and it was amazing. There’s nothing like home.”

The young lock will return to play for Hautapu this year and has a bright future.

“By the end of this year, I’m hoping to make the New Zealand Under 20 squad and hopefully get an NPC contract or game time at least.”

Eti may follow in the footsteps of recent Ōtorohanga connected Super Rugby representatives Toby Arnold (2024 Crusaders injury cover), Haereiti Hetet (Fijian Drua) and Cortez Ratima (Chiefs).

Fellow second-rower Thompson is still at Chiefs training fulltime after joining as injury cover for Fiti Sa.

He’s no stranger to the Chiefs environment, having spent several years there previously.

Thompson is still waiting to make his franchise debut but got a taste of Super Rugby, in 2024 donning the Blues jersey.

He appeared three times for the Auckland-based side before reconnecting with the Chiefs this year.

“To be back with the team I grew up supporting is pretty special,” Whakatāne-born Thompson says.

“First and foremost, I’m keen to get out and debut for the Chiefs. Then get some time in the saddle and have a bit of involvement in important games.

“The biggest learning I took away from playing Super Rugby was the importance of being physical all the time, along with knowing your detail and nailing the little things.”

Thompson was a boarder at St Peter’s from Year 7-13, a school his father also attended.

After leaving St Peter’s he transitioned to Hautapu, playing several seasons there.

He tries to stay in touch with the club as regularly as possible.

“Hautapu is a special place to me. I’m sitting on 48 or 49 games, so I’m itching to get a couple more and tick over to that 50. If I can do that, it would be a proud moment for me,” Thompson says.

Eti gets the Chiefs view

Although the dust (and wool!) kicked up by many sets of clippers at the Golden Shears has now settled, there’s been little rest for New Zealand’s top guns competing across the country.

Despite the recent installation of improved air conditioning at Te Kūiti’s Les Munro Centre, the heat will be on during the NZ Shearing Championships, starting on Saturday week.

“As its run in conjunction with the New Zealand Shears running of Sheep, with the muster, we’re always guaranteed of a good crowd,” NZ Shears committee chair, Sir David Fagan, says.

After claiming the Golden Shears Open title recently, followed by wins at the Rural Games (speed shearing) and Kumeu Show, Northland’s Toa Henderson, is on hot form and will be tough to beat.

“The favourite would have to be Toa but he has a lot of competition. Very close behind him will be the likes of Rowland Smith (Hawke’s Bay) and David Buick (Wairarapa) as well as the usual candidates including Brett Roberts (Southland), Jack Fagan and Mark Grainger (both Te Kūiti).”

Another hometown competitor looking to pull the (wool) rug from beneath her opponents’ feet is North Island Woolhandling Circuit winner, Te Kūiti’s Keryn Herbert.

“Keryn’s performed really well. She’ll be a major threat in the woolhandling, I’m sure,” David Fagan said.

In addition, the third New Zealand v Wales Shearing Test, which sees Jack Fagan and David Buick take on Gethin Lewis and Llyr Jones, will be a major drawcard.

The chance to represent New Zealand in the United Kingdom and France is also on the line.

“The New Zealand Shears is part of the circuit for selection for the New Zealand team for the World Championships at Golden Shears next March,” David Fagan said. “Whoever wins will be in a good position with two places in the team up for grabs, for the Open winner and the Open circuit winner.”

The lower grades will also feature plenty of talent.

“There are some good juniors coming through. We went through the list for the parent-child whānau event the other day and there are some really competitive teams.”

He did joke that was “even though some of the fathers are getting a bit old”.

Among them will be David’s great niece, Sonya Fagan, and her father Craig.

Although there may be one or two dark horses in the mix, if not black sheep, this year’s event will feature numerous fiercely contested titles. In the meantime, activity at the Les Munro Centre is already due to start.

“A large contingent of volunteers will begin work on the 24th,” David adds. “It’s a huge job for them, with all the sheep pens and staging, but their efforts are always appreciated.”

Shear delight awaits

Norris Woodbine

With the commencement of the King Country club premiership season just three weeks away, clubs are gearing up with annual preseason fixtures.

While there is still some conjecture as to the final makeup of the competition both Waitomo and Waitete are hosting formidable opponents at home venues on Saturday.

Waitomo have been training for some time and had their first hit out against Waikato First Division club Ōhaupō last weekend at the picturesque Ōhaupō Domain and face a bit of a step up this weekend against a Hamilton City opponent in Te Rapa.

Due to a clash with Waitomo Sports day, they will be hosting the Charlie Ngatai coached Te Rapa side at Ōtorohanga’s Island Reserve at 1pm.

Ngatai was a star mid field back for the Chiefs and NZ Māori before enjoying an overseas career and has returned looking to see Te Rapa promoted to premiership grade.

Waitomo coach Steve Edwards, in his second season in charge, was very happy with his side’s performance in Ōhaupō and while conceding Te Rapa will offer a huge challenge is confident his side will build on their performance.

“Several of our boys were unavailable last week and will return on Saturday and we will train twice this week so we are well prepared.”

With seasoned forwards such as Rangi Mulligan-Green, Kenneth Perawiti, Dylan Coull anchoring a solid pack and former King Country rep and Waikato league star Sam Trangmar joined by youngsters Brooky Pye and Kees Muller their forwards will be a hard nut to crack.

The wily Eden Kawhena will lead an exciting looking young back line where Hurimai Turner, Freemin Te Whare and Brock Kawhena will be joined by the electric Hemi Keefe-Edwards who was great against Ōhaupō.

Of interest is the inclusion of former Waitomo star Thomas (Maui) Hayes at first five for Te Rapa. He is sure to have a target on his back.

In Te Kuiti on their home patch Waitete will host the Cobra’s Club from Te Aroha in the Thames Valley in what has become something of a traditional match.

Valley sides tend to be very well organised and although not too much is known of their strength this year the Cobra’s will provide a strong opposition for the men in blue.

Waitete continue to develop younger players, but Ryan Joyce will return to anchor a very solid pack with exciting loosies like Rico Bell and Liam Knight looking to continue their development.

Michael Lea and Livai To’ofohe have returned to strengthen the scrums.

The backs will be strong with Athol Snedden, Callum Hedley and Phayzen Marshall all now seasoned campaigners while they have a real star in King Country rep Baven Brown Junior who is sure to light up the paddock once again.

With the game in Otorohanga kicking off at 1pm and Te Kuiti at 2.30pm rugby followers will have the opportunity to take in both games this Saturday.

Let's go...bring on the rugby

Waipā and King Country interest in football’s Southern Conference men’s league has evaporated.

The league – one step down from the Northern League which takes in Auckland clubs - last season saw Cambridge crowned champions and win promotion.

Ōtorohanga, which had hoped to move up into the Southern Conference having won League One couldn’t because it doesn’t have an Under-23 team.

Te Awamutu finished bottom of the table and elected to drop down a division. But the competition that may have provided a clash between neighbours, League One, is likely to disappear.

Three clubs – Claudelands, Papamoa and Ōtorohanga pulled out of the league – in Ōtorohanga’s case because it did not have a qualified coach, a requirement of participation.

The next step is likely to be a confirmation that the remaining League One clubs return to their own Waikato and Bay of Plenty competitions – something of a backward step.

The restrictive rulings around participation are not popular with Waikato club administrators who say they might work in Auckland, but do not achieve their goal of improving the game in smaller communities like Tokoroa and Ōtorohanga. In fact, as Ōtorohanga can testify, the opposite happens – having lost players it is not in contention to enter a new look top Waikato league.

It’s expected the clubs in the top Waikato league will come from a pool of Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Claudelands, Tokoroa, Wanderers, Unicol, Huntly, Melville, Northern and Morrinsville.

Otorohanga ruled out

A trio of shearing tests is set to confirm whether a Welsh dragon or a silver fern will top the podium.

Two of New Zealand’s top gun shearers, Jack Fagan (Te Kūiti) and David Buick (Wairarapa) will take on Gethin Lewis and Llyr Jones in a three match series.

Following the first test, on Saturday at the Waimarino Shears in Raetihi, the second instalment will be at the Waitomo Sports Day the following weekend. The final encounter will take place at the New Zealand Shears in Te Kūiti on March 28.

"It's always good to host the Welsh here,” shearing legend Sir David Fagan told The News.

“The Welsh are great at looking after the Kiwis when they're over there, so it's nice to be able to return the favour and great to have them back in Te Kūiti.”

When touring the UK and France last year, Jack Fagan and David Buick were defeated 2-1 by the Welsh pair.

Masterton’s Paerata Abraham and David Gordon headed to the New Zealand Shears 2024 with a series over Wales already under their belts, but Lewis and Jones avoided a whitewash.

“The series will be very interesting as Wales got their first ever win on New Zealand soil in Te Kūiti last year,” David Fagan adds. “The New Zealand team will be out trying to stop that happening again.”

Close cuts expected in Welsh tests

One who climbs trees, another who cuts them down and a carter named Carter all secured plaudits at the Rural Sports Awards at the weekend.

Held in Palmerston North, the awards evening featured as part of the overall Rural Games programme.

In addition to common country pastimes, including timbersports, fencing, shearing, rodeo, sheep dog trials and harness racing, the games also included some less orthodox contests such as gumboot and cowpat throwing, tree climbing, egg roulette and many more.

Games founder Steve Hollander said more than 37,500 of people came along to watch and “have a go at the sports that built our nation”.

Among those securing awards was Taumarunui’s Jack Jordan, who secured the Sportsman of the Year title for the third year in a row.

The top chopper also claimed the Rural Games’ Timbersports NZ Men’s Championship for the fourth time with his brother, Shane Jordon (Stratford) second.

“I was really happy as a lot of work went into training,” Jordan said. “It’s a qualifier to get us overseas to represent New Zealand, so to come out on top again was really pleasing.”

The high standard across all categories made selections especially difficult this year, awards judge Te Kūiti’s Sir David Fagan told The News.

“Overall, there was an incredible line up of people with nominations coming in from many rural sports,” he said. “It is tough for the judges [to choose winners] when we get to that top three in each category.”

Another sportsperson with King Country connections, shearing’s Catherine Mullooly, was pipped at the post and Fagan, a 16 time Golden Shears winner, said she was a worthy finalist in the Sportswoman of the Year category.

“Catherine spent a lot of time shearing in Piopio and she set a world shearing record at Nukuhakari Station on the coast earlier this year,” he added. “It’s nice to see shearing sports represented at this level.”

Winners were: Sportsman of the Year: Jack Jordan, timbersports (Taumarunui), Sportswoman: Steph Dryfhout tree climbing, (Tauranga), Young Sportsperson: Carter Dalgety, harness racing (Canterbury), Sportsperson with a Disability: Adam Hall, skiing (Wānaka). Lifetime Legacy awards: Alan Wallace, ploughing (Te Awamutu), Jack Davis, sheepdog trials (Cromwell), Sir Mervyn Tutuiri Church, rodeo (Bay of Plenty). Outstanding Contribution to rural sports: Ken and Karen Breckon, harness racing (Ōhaupō), Lyn Baigent, shearing (Wakefield). Sir Brian Lochore Memorial Award for Outstanding Sportsperson from a Rural Background: Tim Southee, cricket (Northland)

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