CountryLife | 25 August 2017

CountryLife Friday August 25, 2017

CountryLife – 1

AUGUST 2017

A Cambridge News special publication

2 – CountryLife

Friday August 25, 2017

Chilled vibe breeds business boom

By Steph Bell-Jenkins After she has fed and checked the animals, after she has organised stallion collections to be delivered to the airport, after she has scanned the mares’ pregnant bellies, mucked out boxes and done the paperwork, Colette Hosking’s night shift begins.

Colette is the owner and manager of thriving Matangi horse breeding business SG Stud, established in 2013.

During September peak season, after she has put in a full day’s work, she is often awake half the night tending to foaling mares.

“It becomes really long hours,” she said.

“Sometimes you don’t sleep for two nights or you catch a couple of hours or something and then you’ve got to go and do another full-on day.”

But the hard yards are paying off big time for the dedicated stud owner.

In her first year Colette made just enough money to cover her costs but now, four years later,

SG Stud owner Colette Hosking with ther stallion Orlando.

she employs a full-time manager and one parttimer and business is booming.

“Turnover for 2016/2017 increased by almost 80 per cent from the previous season, which is incredible growth for a seasonal business,” she said.

Aside from running a stud, Colette is raising her five-year-old daughter Nicole with her partner Robert Gilchrist, who works off farm.

It’s a juggling act and it’s not easy.

“I struggle, I really struggle,” Colette admitted.

“I couldn’t do it without my mum who lives here with us. She’s pretty much cooking dinner at nights and she works in Hamilton full time. And it helps that Nicole is fairly independent, I probably had to bring her up like that.

“It’s also staff. I couldn’t be without my full-time manager, Raquel Stanley. She is incredible. She knows this place inside out, reads my mind, makes me feel like a third wheel. I know I don’t pay her enough for what she does, but she’s here for the bigger picture.

“We want to be the biggest and the best out there for doing what we do and that’s why it’s really important the staff members that we have work in well. They’ve got to learn our techniques for handling the horses and be able to quietly deal with stress when it comes up.”

Creating a calm, relaxed environment at the stud has always been a major focus for Colette.

“If horses are stressed they’re not focused on you, they’re focused on whatever they’re stressed about,” she said.

“So if you can keep them quiet and relaxed they can learn to be caught, to wear a halter, to lead, to be groomed, to be washed, to wear a cover – all those things.”

Maintaining a very low-stress environment also significantly boosted fertility for both mares and stallions, she said.

“We have an incredible success rate here of getting mares in foal. Of 60 mares last season, only two didn’t get in foal first cycle.”

Eliminating tension while coping with the intense demands of seasonal work can be a challenge.

“In my job as owner, if I have a stressful day I’ve got to keep it to myself,” she said.

“Because if I pass any stress I have on to my manager, or the horses, we end up with a stressful environment. So it’s all about trying to keep it as relaxed as possible.”

She tries to achieve that by laughing often, not sweating the small stuff, and treating her employees well.

“And the same goes with the horses. We will tell off the horses – we do get some horses here that are quite pushy and bossy and we have to tell them off to keep ourselves safe – but making them

Aspen Hills Shell Fire. feel relaxed is really important,” she said.

“And it shows. Our stallions are so quiet you would never know they’re breeding stallions. We keep that low stress environment and they seem to just thrive. It just works.”

Colette fell in love with horses as a six-year-old while living in England, when her aunt took her out riding for the first time. However, with her father serving in the British Army and her family constantly on the move, owning her own horse was out of the question.

Finally, at age 14, her dream came true when her parents moved to New Zealand and bought their own land.

“I’d always been very confident in myself when it came to handling horses and I wanted a young horse to bring on that was already broken in,” Colette said.

“It was my thing; it was the only thing I felt confident doing all the time.

“I can look back now and realise I was probably always geared up to do that handling of them. I used to start off by taking in horses and fixing other people’s issues and mistakes with them, and then moved into breeding my own and handling my own and decided to turn it into a business.”

When a chance to buy 20 acres in Matangi came up in 2013 and her mother Denise offered the deposit, Colette bit the bullet and launched SG Stud. The SG stands for Silence is Golden, one of the first stallions she ever owned.

“It’s my dream job and I think that’s why it’s easy to do,” she said. “It’s my passion and it’s always been my passion.”

Continued next page

Friday August 25, 2017

Turnover up 80 per cent for Matangi stud Continued from previous page SG Stud offers a range of boutique breeding services.

“We do everything from training stallions to AI (artificial insemination) collections to mare inseminations onsite,” Colette said.

“We also organise for mares to be transported to studs where the stallions are, get them served and come back. We also foal them down here, which is quite intensive in itself.

“We also do all the foal handling and the weaning of them too, so we cover conception through to birth, and the initial handling at the birth to give the foal a really good experience and a great start to life.”

The business caters to all horse breeds including thoroughbreds, standardbreds, sport horses, riding ponies and miniature horses.

“I think we are fairly unique in that we offer a lot of services that thoroughbred or standardbred studs offer, but we offer it to everyone,” Colette said. “So it can be literally someone who has their favourite mare that they’ve put in foal and they’re only ever going to have that one foal – we can deal with that.

“We’re not just taking big clients, it’s anyone and everyone. We don’t care about the horse’s breeding or anything like that. If it’s loved by its owner and they want to give it a good start in life we’ll happily provide those services.”

Colette said if her business continued growing

CountryLife – 3

rapidly, her long-term goal would be to operate two facilities, with Raquel running one and a second manager employed to run the other.

Space is already at a premium.

“We have 20 acres here and it ends up being what’s classed as intensively farmed through the breeding season,” she said.

“But we put a lot of money back into the ground, like we have really good grass growth here and we’re really careful about how we manage the paddocks and things like that. So even now we have about 30 horses split between this place and the seven acres out on lease.”

The stud generally takes mares foaling from September onwards.

“At the peak last season we were hitting almost 55 on this 20-acre block,” Colette said.

“We get really busy. I do have a couple of lease blocks that we use in the off season and I have a huge wait list for people that want their mares to stay with us all year round, but I can only take so many.”

Eventually, Colette would like to spend less time on farm and more time in the office working on marketing, networking and business development.

“My goal is to be the place people from all over New Zealand go to get their mares in foal,” she said.

In the meantime, she will be feeding horses and Colette Hosking’s stallion Orlando, at SG Stud. mucking out boxes for a little while yet.

A day at the farm for Cambridge Playcentre Cambridge Playcentre visited Kaiawa farm in Roto-o-rangi on July 31, where children saw calves, the milking shed and tractor, walked down to the 'springer' (calving mob) cows and had a shared morning tea. For some children and parents this was their first time on a farm. It was also a great chance for children who had shown an interest in farm machinery while reading books and playing with sandpit toys to see them in real life. The Fonterra Grassroots Trust donated the children's high-vis vests, which are used on all trips.

Farm visits help the Playcentre make links between town and the rural community.

Photos – Kate Manion, Cambridge Playcentre.

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4 – CountryLife

Friday August 25, 2017

Farmers back new bobby calf rules

by Steph Bell-Jenkins Cambridge dairy farmer Paul Manion believes most farmers are happy with new bobby calf rules that have come in this season.

“I think a low percentage would be against them – I haven’t heard of anyone fighting them,” he said.

“Anything that improves our

public perception is good. You see Fonterra spending a lot of money on public perception, so I think it’s really important that as an industry we are seen to be doing the right thing and we are doing the right thing.”

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) announced seven new regulations last calving season. Four were introduced in 2016 and the final

Bobby calves must be kept warm and dry.

three came into force this year.

Young calves must now be slaughtered as soon as possible after arriving at the meat processing plant, and within 24 hours of their last feed.

They must also have shelter that keeps them warm and dry, and loading facilities so they can walk onto trucks by themselves.

“Ultimately, the regulations are about protecting the welfare of calves,” said MPI spokesman Paul Dansted.

“Last year we saw a significant reduction in problems with bobby calves, and we thank everyone across the supply chain who contributed to that.”

On the Roto-o-Rangi farm where Manion contract milks 485 cows, the owner had to spend $5000 on a new calf shelter and loading facility, but Manion saw it as “a good thing”.

“We’re just trying to make the process as humane and as ethical as possible,” he said.

The new rules also require farmers to fill out a form showing their calves are fit and healthy, and record when they were last fed, before the animals are collected.

Cambridge dairy farmer Paul Manion with his new loading facilities.

“I thought it was going to be a hassle but it only takes two minutes,” Manion said.

“We made a letterbox, so we sign the form and put it in the letterbox and the truck driver can just pick it up.”

Another Roto-o-Rangi farmer, Joshua Monks, said although there was initial reluctance

about the extra work and expense involved with the new regulations, he and his team had come around to the idea.

“For us loading the calves ourselves is making sure they are happy and healthy leaving the farm,” he said.

“Also the new rules allow truck drivers to leave any calves

they feel are unfit for transport.

“We are happy to say we have had a few calves turned away due to the navels not being completely dry, but for us it shows that even the truck drivers are taking this seriously and that the money that has been spent is not a waste.”

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CountryLife – 5

Friday August 25, 2017

Local students get a taste of farming

by Steph Bell-Jenkins When Paul and Kate Manion arrived back in New Zealand in 2009 after travelling the world, they had nothing but a suitcase each.

Paul, who has a Bachelor of Commerce and Agriculture from Lincoln University, was planning a career in finance prior to his OE but got a taste for farm life while driving tractors and milking cows in Australia and the UK. “When I came back from London I started working in Palmerston North and Kate was living in Cambridge, so I decided

to go dairy farming,” he said.

“I got my first job and loved it. It was just the lifestyle, being outside on the land and working.

And I could really see you could just power up the career ladder.”

He secured a manager’s job just a year later, and a contract milking job the year after that.

Just six years after entering the industry, Paul and Kate – neither of whom grew up on a farm – were voted dairy farm managers of the year at the 2015 Waikato Dairy Industry Awards.

Now, they are hoping their success might inspire other

Cambridge dairy farmer Paul Manion takes Cambridge High School students through his high-tech cowshed.

young people to consider a dairy industry career.

“I think sometimes farming doesn’t cross your radar as a possible career if you’re from town,” Kate said.

“You probably don’t know about all the behind the scenes services, like vets and bank managers, research scientists and things that feed into the industry.”

So when local Fonterra councillor Kevin Monks approached Paul asking if he wanted to get involved in the Smart Waikato Secondary School-Employer Partnerships programme, he was keen.

The SSEP programme supports contextualised learning and introduces students to a range of careers, with the aim of encouraging them to stay longer at school, boost achievement, and smooth the transition from education to employment.

“I think there’s a real shortage of skilled people entering dairy farming and also related industries,” Paul said.

Fellow Roto-o-Rangi dairy farmer Markus Woutersen also signed up, and the two friends were engaged to work with year 10 science classes at Cambridge High School.

“For us it was a way to

personally develop public speaking skills and get in front of some kids and hopefully put across a good news story about dairy farming,” Paul said.

He and Markus talked to the students, many of whom had never visited a farm, about how science concepts could relate to real world situations.

“We talked about genetics, grass quality, milk quality, cow health, technology down at the cowshed and how we apply science to what we do in areas like plant breeding, grass biology, soil chemistry and embryo transfers,” Paul said.

The pair also hosted a field day at the Roto-o-Rangi farm where Paul contract milks 485 cows, organising workshops with local vet Bill Hancock, Westpac agri-business manager Tom Wouterson and Fonterra compliances programme manager Chris Aitchison. Chris brought a milk tanker and demonstrated milk testing and safety procedures.

“The students also got to walk through our shed and have a look at how we milk the cows,” Paul said.

“A lot of them had no idea it was so high-tech.”

Paul said he and Markus got a lot out of the experience.

“We heard from the teachers later on that one kid was thinking about leaving school but he’s decided to stay on,” Paul said.

“That feedback was really good, knowing we might have changed someone’s life path.

Who knows, in 10 years’ time someone might come up to me and be like oh, I went dairy farming because I went out to your farm.

“You get a sense of belonging to the community and trying to help out,” he said.

Local veterinarian Bill Hancock talks to Cambridge High School students.

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6 – CountryLife

Friday August 25, 2017

Annual All Breeds Wallabies are pests not pets Stallion Parade Horse breeders and enthusiasts are being encouraged to mark the 2017 Annual All Breeds Stallion Parade on their calendars.

Held locally for the past nine years, the parade showcases stallions from around New Zealand and will be held at Cambridge Thoroughbred Lodge on September 10.

The event attracts a diversity of breeds such as Arabians, miniature horses, Clydesdales, Morgans, pony stallions, imported European stallions, sport horses and station cross-bred stallions.

Organiser Kevin Cholmondeley-Smith said it would be “a great day out for the whole family and for horse lovers from any discipline”.

“The aim is to give mare owners the opportunity to see a variety of stallions all in one place instead of having to travel all over New Zealand to look, or to rely on photos,” he said.

Owners are also encouraged to parade two progeny to illustrate the genetic achievements of each stallion.

“Only the very best youngsters should be selected to properly promote your stallion and stud; to achieve the desired result they should be in top class order,” Mr Cholmondeley-Smith advised.

He said viewing progeny allowed future buyers of the resulting foals to get an idea of what a mating, or a cross with their

own mare, might produce.

“Further, it gives non breeding buyers an idea of which stallions’ progeny they should chase.”

Matangi stud owner Colette Hosking will be showing three stallions at the parade: Aspen Hill Shell Fire (purebred Arabian), Orlando (part-bred Arabian) and King Horsey (thoroughbred stallion).

“I think it’s going to be quite a big event this year,” she said.

“There are a lot of new stallions that have been imported into the country or that people have bred that are now standing as stallions, so it’s a good opportunity for people to go see them in the flesh.

“People are always very clever with photos and marketing, so it’s nice to be able to look at them up close and decide which horse actually best suits your mare.”

Mr Cholmondeley-Smith urged stallion owners to forward their entries as soon as practical to help with stabling requirements, timetabling and catalogue printing.

The order of parading would be drawn, and entries received after the closing date (if accepted) would parade first, he said.

Gates open at 9am and the parades begin at 11am.

For more information contact sthpacifichorses@xtra.co.nz.

Waikato Regional Council staff are concerned some residents may be treating dama wallabies as pets instead of pests.

Wallabies are like possums – they destroy native bush by feeding on seedlings, ferns and grasses which ultimately means native birds and animals lose out on food and shelter. In large numbers they can also cause problems for forestry and farming by feeding on pine and eucalyptus seedlings and competing with stock for pasture.

Many Kiwis may not be aware that dama wallabies live in New Zealand. They managed to hop-ship in the 1800s from Australia to our shores, residing mostly in the Bay of Plenty. The small numbers in the Waikato region have started to grow in the last few years as more wallabies migrate over the Kaimai/Mamaku ranges.

Biosecurity pest animals team leader Brett Bailey said the council had recently received a report of a wallaby being kept as a pet at a Hamilton residence.

“This report is still being investigated, but it is simply irresponsible to keep pest animals as pets. These animals are hard to contain and the damage they cause is costly, both environmentally and financially,” said Mr Bailey.

Wallabies are classified as an unwanted organism in the Biosecurity Act and possession of any live wallaby is an offence, unless people have an exemption. Generally, exemptions will only be considered for petting zoos or wildlife parks that meet certain criteria.

“Under no circumstances will Waikato Regional Council grant an exemption to the rules for people wanting to keep wallabies as pets.

“Furthermore, if people are caught knowingly flouting these rules, they could face hefty fines or imprisonment,” said Mr Bailey.

Breaching the Biosecurity Act can result in fines ranging from $5000 to $100,000, and in some cases imprisonment not exceeding five years.

“They can be difficult to control, so we’ve been working closely with Bay of Plenty Regional Council

and the Department of Conservation on a long-term management plan to prevent their spread. This project will be ramping up in the coming months,” Mr Bailey said.

He urged the community to contact the council if they saw pest animals like dama wallabies so populations could be controlled and native bush protected.

“Pest management is a priority for the regional council. There is support and advice available to landowners, occupiers and the community about pest plants and animals – everyone has a part to play.”

For pest control advice please call the regional council on 0800 800 401 and ask to speak to a biosecurity officer or visit the website for more information: www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/wallaby.

Though they may be cute, Waikato Regional Council is warning residents that wallabies are classed as pests, and for good reason. Breaching the Biosecurity Act can result in helfty fines and even imprisonment.

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The All Breeds Stallion Parade is a unique opportunity to see a range of quality stallions, both in-hand and under saddle, as well as view their progeny.

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y 10th September 201 a d n 7 Su Gates open 9am e commences 11am Parad For enquiries contact: Kevin Chalmondeley-Smith Email: sthpacifichorses@xtra.co.nz Phone 021 839 010 / Annual-All-Breeds-Stallion-Parades A $5 on site parking fee and a $5 per person applies Catalogues are free

Friday August 25, 2017

Council tackles dirty job

Stand on Fergusson Bridge after sustained heavy rain, and a stark contrast in water quality is obvious where the muddy brown Karapiro Stream flows into the markedly cleaner Waikato River.

But Waikato Regional Council, local farmers, iwi and other stakeholders are working together to tackle soil pollution problems and clean up Cambridge waterways.

WRC catchment management officer Melinda Dresser said the headwater catchments of the Karapiro Stream (Te Miro) and the Mangaonua Stream (Maungakawa) were the council’s top priorities in the Cambridge area, “due to erosion and sediment issues and downstream effects on the Waikato River”.

“Soil erosion within our headwater catchments can not only cause significant loss of productive

farm land, but can also create issues such as smothering aquatic life, reducing water clarity and contributing to flooding downstream,” she said.

Over the 2016/2017 financial year, WRC teamed up with farmers on 12 properties to reduce sediment problems in the Karapiro and Mangaonua streams.

This included building nearly 9km of fencing to stop stock trampling soil into the waterways, and planting more than 10,000 native trees and shrubs.

“As well as stabilising areas of loose soil, these plants will provide habitat for native wildlife and help filter out harmful nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which can harm water quality,” Dresser said.

The council also part-funded another 560m of fencing and nearly 6200 native plants for Owl Farm at St Peter’s School.

“More recently we have been actively working in the Karapiro catchment again planting poplar poles to help stabilise some steep hillslopes in response to some of the storm damage and slips that occurred during March and April rainfall events,” Melinda said.

The council has also partnered with Ngati Haua Mahi Trust, Waikato River Authority, Waipa District Council and the local community to enhance the Karapiro Stream gully.

The Cambridge work was part of Waikato Regional Council’s $40 million-plus spend over 2016/2017 to protect the environment and productive land.

CountryLife – 7

WRC catchment management officer Melinda Dresser

Waikato Stallion Parades this weekend The 2017 Waikato Stallion Parades take place this weekend, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 August, at sites throughout the region, including several here in Cambridge. Hosted by the Waikato branch of the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (NZTBA), the event offers the chance for locals to view some of Cambridge’s and the Waikato’s legendary race horses.

It all kicks off at 10am on Saturday at Waikato Stud, 521 Tower Rd, Matamata, where prized stallions: Parading Tivaci, Rock ‘N’ Pop, Sacred Falls, Ocean Park, Savabeel and Pins & Rios, will be paraded. Viewers are advised to leave the site at 11.10am, to arrive at Mapperley Stud at 11.25am for the next round, at 107 Matai Rd,

Matamata. Featuring parading stallions: Parading Puccini, Contributer, Complacent, and He’s Remarkable.

The tour then heads toward Richmond Downs, leaving Mapperley at 12.10pm to arrive at Rich Hill Stud at 12.30pm (570 Landsdowne Rd, Walton). There parading stallions will include Vadamos, Pentire, Proisir, Jimmy Choux and Shocking. During this stop, lunch will be provided by the NZTBA Waikato Branch.

Then at 1.45pm it’s off to Brighthill Farm, 7/1352 Tauwhare Rd, Eureka, for a parade of: Preferment, Dalghar and Perfectly Ready.

Leaving at 3pm, the tour moves to Cambridge, at Sir Patrick Hogan’s Cambridge Stud, 128

Discombe Road, starting from 3.15pm. Wellknown Cambridge stallions on show will include Tavistock, Power, Burgendy and Keeper. Afternoon tea will be provided.

The Sunday tour will kick off at 10am at Highview Stud, 1544 Kakaramea Rd, Temple View, Hamilton, featuring Parading Wrote and Bullbars. Leaving at 10.30am, the tour moves back to Cambridge at Windsor Park Stud, parading legendary stallions: Rageese, Turn Me Loose, Vanbrugh, Mongolian Kahn, Charm Spirit, Shamexpress, Rip Van Winkle and Falkirk.

Leaving at 10.30am, the tour stays in Cambridge for the day, first moving to Leamingon’s The Oaks Stud, 3 Roto O Rangi Rd, parading: Niagara, Roc

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De Cambes and Darci Brahma. Lunch will be provided. Then at 1.50pm it’s off to Chequers Stud, also in Leamington at 222 Maungatautari Rd, to parade the stallion Battle Paint. Leaving at 2.20pm, the final stop will be at Novara Park Stud in Karapiro, at 35 Gorton Road, parading Sweynesse and Jakkaberry. Afternoon refreshments provided.

Organisers would love to see you there. All that is required is your own personal transport. For more information contact Lisa Dunbar on 021 404 680, email nztbawaikatob@gmail.com, or visit www.nzthoroughbred.co.nz.

8 – CountryLife

Sentinel Homes Waikato shines at awards

Sentinel Homes Waikato shone at the recent 2017 Registered Master Builders House of the Year awards at the Claudelands Event Centre.

Vying against some fierce

competition, the first-time entrant picked up a clutch of awards. Owners Del Hart and Nate Alley were over the moon with their company’s achievements, which included a gold and then overall category winner for their Flagstaff Showhome, as well as a silver and the Lifestyle Award for Outdoor Living for a client’s home in Cambridge Park.

These awards, based on quality workmanship and design, reflect the high standard of their work.

“We’re incredibly proud of our showhome” said Del. “But we never expected it to take out the category winner,

particularly as we were up against well-respected and established builders.”

The icing on the cake was winning the Lifestyle Award for Outdoor Living in the open category where they were judged against some amazing high value homes. A stand-out feature of the Cambridge home is a stunning outdoor precinct with a louvre system crafted by Cambridge-based business NZ Louvres.

Sentinel Homes Waikato is fast becoming renowned for its quality work and excellent communication. Business is booming. “We get a lot of referrals,” said Del. “And we’re

The award winning Sentinel Homes team.

also starting to get repeat business.”

Since the regional awards, Sentinel Homes has been selected to go to the National House of the Year awards. Only the top 100 gold medal winners

nationally are invited. “It can’t really get any better for us,” said Nate.

The award-winning showhome at 2 Helen June Place is located in Hamilton’s burgeoning northern suburbs.

Friday August 25, 2017

A new Sentinel Homes showhome is due to open next spring at 43 St Kilda Road, Cambridge, where an enclave of quality sections will be coming on to the market in the next couple of months.

Possum control success

By Stu Kneebone, Waikato Regional Councillor, Waipa/King Country Waikato Regional Council (WRC) contractors recently concluded possum control work in the Whitehall/Te Miro area. Possum control on a landscape scale basis was originally instigated in Whitehall in 1998 by a group of local farmers, for biodiversity enhancement reasons and to minimise the chances of a potential Bovine TB outbreak spreading through the feral possum population.

The scheme started as a self-help type operation, whereby WRC provided brodifacoum possum bait at cost, along with bait stations, and this was distributed by the steering committee to landowners throughout for them to undertake the control work themselves. WRC also engaged professional contractors to undertake control work on small areas deemed to have high possum numbers, to help with getting the originally high pest population under control.

This approach wasn’t hugely successful, due to a number of reasons. Following a number of meetings looking at different ideas, the steering committee, with the support of local landowners, made the decision to utilise professional possum control contractors to do the control work. WRC took on the role of managing the tendering

process, and employing the contractors.

The scheme now includes the Te Miro district, and covers some 14,000 ha of mostly farmland, and native bush areas, mostly private land.

Control work is typically undertaken every 3-4 years, based on the results of monitoring of possum numbers. The contractors are engaged on performance-based targets, based on reducing possum numbers to a predetermined level, with contractors required to rework areas that do not achieve the performance targets. Final payment is not made until the work has been completed to contract specification. Measurement of both pre and post control possum numbers is by Residual Trap Catch (RTC) monitoring. This is done by an independent contractor. In simple terms, this consists of putting traps out over several nights on randomly selected lines throughout a block, and the number of possums caught is used to calculate the RTC. The target for ground control work is typically 5 per cent RTC. The recent control work undertaken by Central Trappers was a combination of trapping and toxins, and resulted in RTCs of 3.18 per cent and 4.11 per cent for the Whitehall and Te Miro blocks. WRC does this type of possum control work over 373,000ha throughout the Waikato, with an approximate spend of $2.5million.

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CountryLife – 9

Friday August 25, 2017

Jacque Patterson – 2017 Narellan Pools Woman of the Year Awarded for her outstanding skills, Waikato business owner Jacque Patterson has been named the 2017 Narellan Pools Woman of the Year.

The Trans-Tasman awards recognise the positive contribution women make within the Narellan franchise community across Australia and New Zealand. Jacque’s contribution to the company, in particular her ability to provide positive support, encouragement and leadership to those around her, were highlighted at the annual Narellan Pools conference held in Fiji. The conference brought together leaders from 43 franchise territories within the global swimming pool brand.

Judges looked to award a woman who demonstrated belief in the Narellan Pools brand and system.“Jacque has been the driving force behind building the Narellan Pools brand in the New Zealand market,” said Narellan Pools managing director, Chris Meyer. “Not only is she a fantastic business person within the business community, her contribution to the community more broadly includes charity work.” Jacque’s

Views To Die For 1138 ARAPUNI ROAD, ARAPUNI

chosen charity, Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust, breeds and trains assistance dogs for people with a range of intellectual and physical disabilities.

Together with husband John, Jacque was also recognised as the Narellan Pools New Zealand Dealer of the Year. Her hat trick included winning gold in the Narellan Pools Photographic Awards.

“It has been an amazing experience to help build the Narellan Pools brand here in New Zealand. I was delighted to receive the prestigious Woman of the Year award,” said Jacque, who was humbled by the experience. “The Narellan Pools franchise network is an extremely passionate, committed and supportive group, and to be recognised among this community is a true honour.”

The couple are proud to align themselves with the iconic Australian swimming pool brand.

Established over 40 years ago, Narellan Pools has become a sought after global company spanning multiple industries, including manufacturing, franchising and construction.

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10 – CountryLife

Friday August 25, 2017

Chasing the big three - the hunt is on Cambridge man Dale Rapata is keen to make local hunters aware of the annual Opotiki Big 3 hunting and fishing competition, which he recently took part in.

Dale, Cambridge born and bred, said the competition was open to everyone and there were big prizes up for grabs, including Polaris four-wheel drive vehicles.

Teams have three days to bag a stag or boar, pheasant and snapper and deliver them to a weigh station by 3.30pm on Sunday.

A similar event, the Polaris Huntech Big Four, is run in Tauranga every year, attracting hunters from around New Zealand as they aim to capture a stag, boar, trout and pheasant over four days.

While the valuable prizes are an attraction for some, others simply love the chance to hang out with mates, get out of the city and see new countryside.

The Opotiki Big 3 was the first hunting competition Dale had entered and he said it was “absolutely awesome” to go bush in the rugged hill country of Te Urewera in the eastern North Island.

Dale isn’t a shooter himself, but has relatives in the area who know the terrain well, and joined whanau in a team called the Waimana Magic Slayers.

The Slayers spent three days camping and hunting in the bush, where recent storms had

CountryLife contacts News/Editorial Sophie Iremonger 027 287 0004 sophie@cambridgenews.nz Viv Posselt Phone 027 233 7686 viv@cambridgenews.nz Steph Bell -Jenkins Phone 021 142 7536 steph@cambridgenews.nz

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wreaked havoc with the landscape.

“We had two campsites and then we went up to the heart of the Tuhoe nation,” Dale said.

“We were still two hours from Maungapohatu – like I mean six hours’ trekking. It was just walking, we didn’t have any horses. There’s a lot of wild horses up there but we just didn’t have time to go and catch any.

“We arrived at the first base camp about 10.

It was dark and there was no access in there.

Everything had been closed off because of the storms; the rivers had carved new courses. No other human being had been in there because there was no access in, so the place was full of wild game. It was just after the roar.”

The group split, with Dale’s team heading up to a remote marae in search of pigs and the other heading off to find deer.

“That night the bros said youse keep the campfire going ‘cause we’ll need to have some dinner when we get back, so they went away for a couple of hours. And before long we heard this big yeah, we’ve got one!

“Next minute the bro’s carrying this 130-pound boar on his back, dumps it outside the marae.”

After watching hunting clips on YouTube, along with television shows such as Hunting Aotearoa, hosted by Howie Morrison, Dale said it was “awesome” to be doing it himself.

“That was just my inspiration, watching those guys doing it for real. And to actually do it for real, you just don’t know the feeling. It was brilliant.”

The boar was the only animal the Slayers managed to get during their three-day bush adventure, so they missed out on prizes, but Dale had an absolute blast.

He is now aiming to get his own firearms

Dale Rapata licence and has his sights set on shooting a deer.

Dale is encouraging other local hunters to check out the Opotiki and Tauranga competitions.

“Do outdoor adventures – anything outdoors,” he said.

“This is the real outdoors. You can’t get anything more real than hunting and fishing.”

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Order Now to swim this summer Simply visit www.narellanpools.co.nz or email waikato@narellanpools.co.nz or contact John and Jacque Patterson on 0508 476 657 or 07 850 1662 to speak to your local Narellan Pool Builder today.

CountryLife – 11

Friday August 25, 2017

Good progress on Pirongia kokako project A project to restore kokako to Mt Pirongia is making solid progress with Waikato Regional Council reporting that 20 bird relocations, which were due by the end of this year, have already been carried out.

As of early this month, there were now 12 male and eight female kokako on the maunga, the Regional Council project reports.

The council’s finance committee, which approved a $110,000 contribution to the project’s overall costs from the natural heritage fund earlier this year, signed off a formal

funding deed this month.

Committee chair Jane Hennebry said it was good to hear of the project’s successes: “The natural heritage fund is designed to help other organisations undertake just this sort of environmental initiative and it’s great to see the grant being successfully utilised as planned.”

The project is being carried out by the Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society which says it’s had excellent volunteer support on top of agency funding.

The society’s ultimate goal is to re-

establish a 500-strong, self-sustaining, genetically diverse population of North Island kokako on Mt Pirongia by translocating birds into an existing 1000 hectare predator control zone on the mountain maintained by the society.

Transfer of a total of 40 birds is due to take place over three years in conjunction with the Department of Conservation’s kokako specialist group.

The council’s funding has been helping with the costs of kokako capture, post-release management and pest control. The birds are

Pureora senior ranger Tertia Thurley and ecologist Dave Bryden prepare a kokako for translocation, pictured at the first release in June.

Photo – Amanda Rogers.

being sourced from Pureora forest and discussions are underway to also return Pirongia-lineage kokako currently on Tiritiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

Kokako – a once common species now officially at risk - were present on Mt Pirongia till the 1990s when they were removed in the hope they would

breed more successfully elsewhere.

The committee has been told that achieving the project’s goals will provide an opportunity for the regional community and the 35,000 visitors to Pirongia Forest Park each year to encounter kokako in their natural environment.

In June the Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society released the first kokako on Mt Pirongia, since they were removed in the 1990s.

Photo – Amanda Rogers.

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12 – CountryLife

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