Hawke's Bay Farming Lifestyles, February 2021

February 2021 edition

Cadetship sparks interest Pages 4–5

Cultural app launched

The western challenge

P3

A lighter tread on soil

P6

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February 2021

HAWKE’S BAY FarMING LIFeSTyLeS

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Strengthen your farming business Dairy Women’s Network knows that putting people first drives a healthy business and will be running a series of workshops focussed on this.

Phone: 0800 466 793 Email: info@integrity.nz General Manager: Deb Wright | deb.wright@integrity.nz | 021 639 696 Editorial: Ann van Engelen, Paul Campbell, Andy Bryenton Advertising: Leanne Anania Accounts: accounts@integrity.nz Distribution: Laurie Willetts Website: www.farminglifestyles.co.nz

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The new workshops provide small steps employers and employees can take towards strengthening their farm environments and teams Photo Dairy Women’s Network

“Over the years of working with people in many different sized teams, we discovered that it mattered how we were behaving and acting with our team,” says Rebecca Miller of MilkIQ. DWN wants to ensure that farmers attract and retain talent and continue to grow the people in the industry.

“The free workshops are funded by New Zealand dairy farmers through the DairyNZ levy and align with Commitment #5 of the Dairy Tomorrow Strategy — building great workplaces for New Zealand’s most talented workforce.

“It does not always require big changes to build a great workplace, but small changes that make a difference.

The workshops will provide an overview of how to be a good employee or employer and the steps each can take.”

Representatives from No8HR and PaySauce will discuss the legalities of contracts, rosters and farm accommodation. Rebecca will provide insight into the concept of family and what both employers and employees can do in order to achieve increased staff engagement and retention.

“In our own experience, we wanted to provide an environment where we were consciously protecting each team member’s physical self and emotional or psychological self.

“Providing a safe environment for employees and strengthening those relationships has seen multiple benefits

for the Millers and their farm outputs.

Family is truly life-changing as we have a stable environment where we have built trust, low or no turnover of staff, low farm working expenses and highly performing farms.”

A series of webinars will follow each workshop and provide attendees with detailed resources for each topic.

Attendees can pick and choose what webinars to watch according to their interest or level of need. The aim is that the full series will provide employers and employees with the knowledge to achieve their business, team and farm goals.

“Connection, communication and engagement of people are three vital aspects for the growth of any business.

Building trust with your team is important not only for the people but also for the future and longevity of the industry,” agrees Dairy Women’s Network CEO Jules Benton.

“People are at the epicentre of any business, and communication remains an essential tool to develop strong working relations. We would love to see farm managers and owners attending the events with their teams, or utilising the flexibility of the webinars and watching them together.”

The first workshop will be held in Matamata on March 8, followed by events in Ashburton, Winton, Whangarei, Dannevirke and Stratford.

Cultural app launched

HAWKE’S BAY FarMING LIFeSTyLeS

MEADS

A new Maori cultural app called Te Kupenga was launched recently and is being described as an exciting step forward for Hawke’s Bay’s five councils.

Te Kupenga is the result of a collaboration between the Maori specialist teams in the councils. The information will improve understanding of Te Reo Maori and Tikanga, as well as local knowledge about Treaty settlement entities and tangata whenua of Te Matau a Maui.

The name Te Kupenga comes from Te Kupenga a Te Huki, a celebrated ancestor of Ngati Kahungunu, whose greatest achievement was to create unity through networking.

“Te Kupenga will be a valuable cultural tool for council staff and elected representatives across Te Matau a Maui, the Hawke’s Bay region,” says Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chief executive James Palmer.

“The aim of the app is to help staff and councillors be more responsive and proactive in regard to Treaty principles across our business. We want to support our staff to have absolute comfort and confidence in their engagement with tangata whenua.”

Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, chief executive Monique Davidson, says this tool is an exciting step forward in their commitment to building cultural capability, understanding, appreciation, respect and confidence in te reo, me

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Wairoa District Council acting chief executive, Kitea Tipuna, says the council is a partner organisation in the Te Wairoa Reorua strategy.

It aims to make Wairoa a bilingual community by 2040. The council’s te reo Maori policy is another way to demonstrate leadership in seeing te reo Maori flourish in the Wairoa community.

Hastings chief executive To’osavili Nigel Bickle says the app will support the actions Hastings District Council

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“It will also support the Heretaunga Ararau Te Reo Maori Policy and Action Plan we launched last year, which aims to raise cultural awareness and promote the use of te reo not only within our organisation but also throughout our wider community.”

Napier City Council chief executive Dr Steph Rotorangi also welcomes Te Kupenga.

“This is an important step for us. It will increase understanding and awareness and help with the existing relationships we have with mana whenua,” she says.

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February 2021

HAWKE’S BAY FarMING LIFeSTyLeS

CADETSHIP SPARKS INTEREST

by Ann van Engelen Block manager Kim Rorrison discovered the sport of dog trialling while a cadet at Smedley Station after meeting well-known sheepdog trainer Clark Crystal.

“I

have been working at Smedley for three years and managing Parks Peak, one of the blocks, for going on two years now,” says Kim. “I grew up in Haumoana and was always keen on farming but wasn’t from a farm. My school never had any agriculture subjects, so I went to Smedley in 2014.

“My cadetship was awesome as I like to learn hands-on and through trial and error rather than in a classroom.

From there, I went shepherding. My first job was at Tutira, and Clark was a neighbour. That is where I got roped into dog trialling.

“Clark is one of the top dog training guys in the North Island. My friends and I were always keen on dogs and could

control them, but not to a very high standard. He showed us how to work a dog properly.

“Dog trialling is an awesome sport.

Once we got a handle on how to work our dogs, we went to the local club. I went shepherding in the McKenzie Basin when I was two years out of Smedley, and my dogs were going well.

I would jump in a ute with friends and go to various trials. It is a good way to socialise, as well.

“Smedley is a big station with lots of horses and dogs. It is a good place for young people passionate about agriculture. The block I manage is run as part of the training farm. We have two cadets work with us each week from the main farm.

As a graduate cadet at Smedley Station, Kim Rorrison now helps train cadets on the block he manages

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Kim is thankful to dog trainers like Clark Crystal for passing on their knowledge to the younger generation

“With the cadets, we take more time to ensure they fully understand what we are doing. It is good to teach people the reasons behind everything that is going on, so they have a full understanding.

“We also do a lot of work on horseback.

In a truck, you often just drive to your destination. I believe horseback teaches better stockmanship. It is better for the dogs, the stock and the trainees as you pay more attention to what is going on around you.”

At present Parks Peak is home to 2,300 ewes plus replacements of 800 hoggets, 80 breeding cows plus weaner cattle.

“It is good lambing country and predominantly a breeding block. We finish most of our own lambs, or we

send them to our finishing farm. We keep the bulls into the second winter and sell them as service bulls in the autumn for the dairy industry.

“Working a dog is all on whistle commands such as go left, go right and walk up to the stock. The ones that do best are the ones you have broken in to work stock properly and to think for itself. You direct it, and they know the rules.

“Competing is very rewarding, and you meet some really good people that have common interests. The old boys and professionals place in most trials, and we young farmers are still catching up with them.

“I have had a little bit of success, but not consistent. I might not put the dog

February 2021

Kim prefers to complete stockwork on horseback as he believes it is better stockmanship and is easier on the sheep, cattle and the dogs

in the right place for rounding up the sheep. The dog knows what to do, but the man is learning the ropes.

“We encourage others to join us all the time. I dragged a friend to his first event recently. He thought everyone was going to be judging him, but he was amazed at how much people didn’t. We have all had a heading dog who doesn’t find its sheep. You send it 200 metres up a hill and try to steer them on to the sheep, and you have to call it back with none.

“The older guys help people out, and it is a great way to make contacts for sourcing dogs as well as make friends. I am part of the Tikokino Dog

Trial Club, and we have put a heap of beginner prizes in to attract people to our event on March 19 and 20. You can enter on the day if you have your dog dosing certificate.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without Clark’s input.

“He still comes up to Smedly and helps the cadets break in their first dog. There are lots of people willing to help. Getting taught to break a dog in properly makes all the difference to getting ahead, or you could be battling for 5–10 years to learn the hard way.

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February 2021

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The western challenge

BY ANN VAN ENGELEN ANNA DAWSON GREW UP IN CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY AND NOW LIVES ON A LIFESTYLE BLOCK THAT ENABLES HER TO CONTINUE HER PASSION FOR HORSES AND HORSE SPORT.

“I

came from a very non-horsey family, but at primary school, my friends had horses, and I got my first horse when I was 11 years old,” says Anna.

“I rode on a farm where we kept my pony at the time. When I was in my early 20s, I got my first Quarter Horse and discovered a couple of cousins were involved in western riding. I went along to an event with friends and brought my first young horse to participate and have been involved for 17 years now.

“Western riding originates from the USA and is the working horsemen style of riding on the ranch. It has progressed to the showing side, where we have a few different classes, such

as showmanship with the halter. This is classed on the person with the best precision and safety of handling the horse from the ground.

“We have to show our ability to control the horse at a walk, jog, stop, back up, and turn around. We perform to a pattern that is set by the judges, and you are not meant to touch the horse.

“Western pleasure is another class that is judged on performance, manners, confirmation and how they perform at the walk, jog and lope. They have to be smooth and comfortable to ride.

“Western trail is another pattern class that you ride in individually, and it is on negotiating various obstacles such as gates, side passes, poles

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HAWKE’S BAY FarMING LIFeSTyLeS

and other things. The emphasis is on the manners, response of the rider, the horse’s attitude and how well they perform over the obstacles.

“I really enjoy training horses. When you get involved in events like this, they say you should buy a seasoned horse that can teach you, but I do it backwards. I get a young horse, train it myself and work through the levels. That came from not being able to afford the schoolmasters, so I had to learn to do it myself.

“Although you have your ups and downs, training your own horse is very rewarding. Through the Hawke’s Bay Western Riding Club, we have had various clinicians visit from overseas.

Learning from them has been fun, too.

Our club is situated at the Hawke’s Bay Equestrian Park Grounds in Bridge Pa, and we run club days once a month.

“I have been involved in cutting for the last six years. I travel around Waikato and the Hawke’s Bay region for cutting and western shows on a regular basis.

There are other classes like reining and cattle classes.”

The levels of rider are youth, rookie, novice amateur and amateur, and then professional.

“Cutting is having a herd of cattle in the arena, and you need to go and cut one cow out and keep it from going back into the herd. It is also very American.

It is how they cut the stock out of the herds for branding on a ranch. It is very exhilarating.

“I got involved by purchasing an experienced Quarter Horse. A friend of mine was also very interested, so we

February 2021

7

ANNA SAYS COMPETING IN CUTTING IS A GOOD CHALLENGE FOR THE HORSE AND RIDER’S BRAIN

went to an event in Taupo together. I trained my western horse to do cutting.

My friend purchased an already-trained cutting horse, and we travel to various events to compete.

“No animals get hurt. Each cutting run is only two and a half minutes. We cut two to three cattle from the herd in each run. Herds can be anything from 20–30 cattle in them, depending on the number of competitors in each class.

The cows are only out of the herd for a very short time.

“The pressure is on our brains. Most horses love the challenge of cutting. You can tell a horse that is really into it as it knuckles down and gets on with the job. Horses that aren’t interested are best taken into a different discipline like western riding.

“I have five horses and am considering another. Anyone can get

involved in these sports, and all clubs encourage riders from all disciplines to come along.

“Western riding clubs have fun days, have-a-go days and training clinics.

Generally, people of all ages and levels of horse and rider enjoy the challenge.

Most clubs, including the New Zealand Western Riding Federation and New Zealand Cutting Horse Association, have Facebook pages.

“It is great watching beginners achieve and get more confident with their horses. Most older riders are always there to help if you need it. I love everything about horses.

“Horses generally have a willingness and trainability, and they are always there for you.

“They are good company, similar to a dog being man’s best friend, horses for me are my best friend.”

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Cool season Captain wins in winter

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Less than six months before pastoral farmers must comply with strict limits on nitrogen use, plantain is back in the spotlight for autumn sowing this year.

One plantain, in particular, is providing great cool-season growth. That means it mops up more soil nitrogen at the riskiest time of the year for leaching, plus it provides extra feed when it is most needed on-farm.

Pasture systems specialist, Blair Cotching, says Captain CSP (cool season plantain) has been specifically bred to keep growing during the cooler months of the year.

That is very important for reducing soil nitrogen (N) losses, particularly in the current regulatory environment.

“Many farmers are looking for ways to mitigate the risk of soil N loss from their systems while maintaining sustainable levels of production.

“Industry research has shown plantain has real potential here, to the point where it is now included in Overseer.”

Captain’s value to both red meat and dairy producers extends beyond a strong environmental profile, says Blair, who heads the pasture systems team at Barenbrug.

Captain also grows strongly in other seasons and performs particularly well in the summer despite being bred for cool-season performance.

“In terms of stock performance, it’s palatable, easily digested and rich in essential minerals and trace elements. So there are distinct animal

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nutrition benefits, on top of its use as an N-mitigation tool.”

Grazing utilisation is good because Captain remains obviously upright in the pasture year-round.

Captain has shown good persistence in mixed-sward trials. Well-managed, it will thrive for up to three years.

Blair says a key benefit is the ability to use the new plantain in different ways, depending on farmers’ individual priorities. In red meat systems, for example, mixed with red and white clovers, Captain offers a high live weight gain finishing crop. Alternatively, it can be part of a perennial pasture mix. Dairy farmers can sow it as a specialist three to four-year pasture, mixed with hybrid ryegrass and white clover or include

it with new autumn-sown perennial ryegrass pastures.

“It’s also well-suited to over-sowing into thin pastures in spring.”

Barenbrug is working to develop new plantain cultivars, with both environmental and animal nutrition benefits in mind, he says.

“We have two goals with our plantain research, both revolving around N mitigation. The first is breeding improved plantains, with even more cool-season growth to utilise more N in winter. The second is to increase the levels of the secondary metabolites that help reduce N leaching.”

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February 2021 HAWKE’S BAY FARMING LIFESTYLES

ADVERTORIAL

Monitoring technology encourages work-life balance Allflex New Zealand is well-known for animal identification and cow collar technology that monitors individual cow health and heat status.

Rhonda and Steven Bamford use the Allflex cow collar monitoring system on their 920 cow Jersey herd. That helps relieve time pressure on Rhonda and the team during mating.

“The decision to use the Allflex monitoring system and invest in collar technology was an easy one,” says Steven.

“We knew Allflex was a trusted brand with experienced people. Our rep knew we were early adopters to tech and that we were looking for ways to take the pressure off me and not be so reliant on me during mating.

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“I no longer spend hours in the shed visually eyeballing each cow and selecting those that are showing signs of bulling.

“I now can spend that time focussing on other farm jobs.

“The real-time health reports inform us when a cow is in distress, around 30 hours earlier than when she would show visual signs of distress.

What Keeps You Awake?

• • • •

Staff rosters?

Milk production?

Breeding performance?

Cow health?

Allflex cow monitoring is the smart solution for NZ farmers.

Come and talk to the team at site E28 at Central District Field Days to find out more about this leading technology, or visit thegamechanger.farm

Rhonda and Steven Bamford use the Allflex Monitoring System on their herd

“That has been of equal value. We now confidently transition cows from the colostrum mob to the milking mob and back again, not just after they

have calved but during the season too.” To find out more about Allflex monitoring technology visit thegamechanger.farm.

HAWKE’S BAY FarMING LIFeSTyLeS

February 2021

RURAL CONTRACTORS

11

A lighter tread on soil

by Andy Bryenton

It’s a well-known fact that soil health is affected by compaction, both from animal pugging and the action of today’s large, heavy agricultural machines. Now tyre manufacturers and engineers are working to turn this around.

Soil is a complex mixture of solid minerals and organic components, interspersed with water, air and living organisms. When a tractor or implement weighs down on this structure, the gaps close up, expelling the life-giving water and oxygen, which help good bacteria and soil microbes thrive. There’s even the chance that the roots of plants will have to divert around compacted clumps, expending the energy of the plant that you’d rather went into saleable crops.

On modern farms around the world, yield losses due to compaction are roughly 20%. It can even reach 50% in certain cases, such as areas with damp loam or a clay-based soil structure.

That’s a significant financial setback, so tyre and tractor manufacturers have been hard at work to rectify the issue and provide smart solutions. One example comes from a recent British initiative on soil health and compaction.

Richard Hutchins, an agricultural tyre specialist at Continental, David Purdy, from John Deere, and soil scientist, John Williams, joined forces to highlight how farming practices must change to protect productivity. Mr Williams suggested that up to 30% of soils in the

UK are severely degraded. “Where soils have been placed in this category, there is very little porosity, and the soil has become grey and compacted, making it difficult for crops to root and for the land to drain,” he explained.

Continental Tyres has found a way to offset compaction damage through tyre technology. Their new, very high flexion (VF) tyres with a single bead wire are more flexible and can be run

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at lower pressures. VF tyres carry 40% more load than a standard tyre at the same pressure.

Alternatively, in the field, the pressure of VF tyres can be lowered by 40% compared to standard tyres, even when carrying the same load. That

spreads the weight of the vehicle over a larger surface area and reduces soil compaction. Meanwhile, manufacturers of tractors and implements are experimenting with materials technology to craft lighter, more soil friendly implements and tractors.

Agpower Shelter Trimming We are excited and proud to be taking over Agpower Shelter Trimming. We will continue to provide the same great service and high standard of work that Rex has given over the last 35 years. Feel free to contact me to discuss your requirements

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February 2021

HAWKE’S BAY FarMING LIFeSTyLeS

RURAL CONTRACTORS

Health and safety online

by Andy Bryenton

WE SPECIALISE IN:

Pile and Post Driving for: ∙ Orchards ∙ Fences ∙ Lifestyle Blocks ∙ Retaining Walls ∙ House Pile driving ∙ Drilling for Shed Poles

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027 436 1525

STAY AFLOAT

THIS SUMMER

Think water safety

It can be one of the biggest headaches for the modern farmer; the Byzantine world of health and safety management presents new rules on a regular basis, with some that seem to defy the concept of common sense.

It can seem like a herculean task to keep visitors to your property safe enough to meet the strict modern standards. When there’s a partnership between agricultural contractors and landowners involving heavy machinery on the land, the issues can multiply.

Efficient management of this paperwork storm is available through many popular apps to prevent a total overload, but with so many on the market, which one is best for you?

Aside from cost, or lack thereof, (one local health and safety app for rural environments, Zero Harm Farm, went out free to rural not-for-profits back in 2018), the prime check-boxes to tick involve ease of use, customer support, compatibility with your other information technology systems, and that good old standard — word of mouth feedback from farming friends and neighbours.

In a market with many options, some even carried by major rural supply companies you may already be partnered up with, it pays to be integrated.

For example, talk to your agricultural contractors and see if you can get on the same app platform for better collaboration.

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL

Health and Safety have gone mobile, reducing paperwork and stress.

However, which app to choose for greatest ease and peace of mind?

Otherwise, the rules for picking the right app boil down to the same simple considerations which underlie regular health and safety thinking.

Does the app let you clearly identify all significant hazards on your farm, and then offer options to either eliminate or isolate them, while tracking these actions for the benefit of potential visitors and co-workers? Does the app provide an easier way to monitor hazards, thus minimising their potential to cause harm, and if it does so, is it in real-time with pertinent alerts about

changing circumstances or specific jobs? Perhaps most importantly, is the method the app used to help you record data easy to use, uncluttered and streamlined?

If you’re new to making the change, it pays to look at several options, and have a good look at the in-depth and long-term data management available from each product. No doubt, apps like these are the way of the future. It’s all about picking one you are comfortable with to manage an important part of your business.

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HAWKE’S BAY FarMING LIFeSTyLeS

February 2021

RURAL CONTRACTORS

13

Case sweep engineering awards

by Andy Bryenton

Case IH Agriculture has come out on top at 2021’s prestigious American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers AE50 awards.

The awards are conferred not by judges testing machines in the style of a ‘car of the year’ contest but decided by a panel of international engineering experts. Winners are chosen on the basis of their impact on advanced engineering for the food and agricultural industries.

True to the name, the 50 best products from around the world are named on the final list. This year the awards ceremony went virtual, as the ASABE Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference took precautions to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Case IH fielded five-award winning innovations this time around. Their own engineers cite the brand’s successful Customer Driven Product Design programme, which reshapes the Case range according to feedback from the thousands of farmers and contractors out there using their tractors in the field.

“The process has proven to be key in helping farmers increase productivity, profitability, and safety while at the same time reducing cost and labour,” says the company’s valedictory address following news of the win.

The AFS Connect™ Steiger series of tractors took out one award and represents the brand’s largest and most

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Case IH has scored a swag of engineering-based awards at the first of 2021’s big international agricultural competitions, the AE50

powerful tractor range. Cutting edge data management, a redesigned, ergonomic cab and built-in 4G connectivity sealed the deal for judges.

The LB436 HD large square baler was awarded for its use of a bale chamber that is 16% longer and provides up to 55% more plunger force than other models.

As such, the bales produced are denser and more consistent. The AxialFlow® 250 series was awarded for making it easier to make adjustments

for better harvesting, while the new Category 3/4n three-point hitch quick coupler from Case’s Magnum tractors took a trophy home for adding durability and longevity.

Even the company’s new MultiControl armrest received positive attention, as it helps pack more fingertip controls into an ergonomic space, and was developed with the use of VR and 3D printing technology.

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14

February 2021

HAWKE’S BAY FarMING LIFeSTyLeS

RURAL CONTRACTORS

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Mark Turton and his wife Megan have been operating Clean Sweep Woolsheds for the past six years. It runs in conjunction with Mark Turton Fencing, a business the couple has operated for more than 30 years, employing five staff members.

“We became interested in starting this business by realising there was a need

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for someone to design a machine to get under low woolsheds,” said Mark.

The machine, designed by Mark, is hydraulically driven and crawls underneath low sheds, hauling manure out. It has a reach of more than 25 metres, is not as labour-intensive, and the majority of the work is done automatically from outside the shed.

Mark said designing a machine that met the requirements and was mobile so it could fit on a tandem trailer was challenging.

“It also needed to be fast and efficient.”

Overcoming these engineering difficulties to produce a machine that ticked all the boxes has been one of the business highlights.

Clean Sweep Woolsheds covers Masterton, the East Coast, Taihape, Napier, Hastings, Manawatu and the Tararua districts. “We provide a service where we look at the shed, evaluate the

time needed to clean out and provide a free quote.”

The team delivers a fast, cost-effective service and can clean out the lowest of woolsheds.

“We pride ourselves in doing a great job and doing what we say we will do, keeping to a budget or below the quoted price, and turning up when we say we will.”

Mark said their short-term goal is to provide a service where Clean Sweep Woolsheds is the first point of contact.

The couple also has plans to provide their under woolshed cleaning services to other areas. Building more machines is on the agenda too.

Clean Sweep Woolsheds will be at site numbers B25–B28 at this year’s Central Districts Field Days.

“We will have our machine there running to display how it works, along with video footage.”

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HAWKE’S BAY FarMING LIFeSTyLeS

February 2021

Delivering the goods

15

by Andy Bryenton

There are plenty of small SUVs out there which look great on paper and even better in front of your favourite cafe. But some might struggle with the primary job of a proper sports utility. The Suzuki S-Cross provides an answer.

Take the basic purpose of the original off-road machine and unpack it. If we wind the clock back to the dawn of the offroader, when the idea of a car that didn’t need tarmac had just been crossed off the army’s list of top-secret concepts, we find beasts like the Range Rover, the early Land Cruiser and the Waggoneer.

Their brief was simple. ‘Contain a whole lot of people and materials, then deliver them safely to anywhere on the map that was flat enough to sustain fourwheeled traction’.

In the rush for everything to become an SUV, some manufacturers have lost sight of that.

Sloping rear rooflines, luxury interiors, tons of gadgets and trick front-wheeldrive differentials have diluted the oldfashioned plan. That’s fine if what you really want is a bigger, beefier estate car.

But right in the middle of Suzuki’s new S-Cross range sits a machine that just clicks into the right parameters.

Suzuki can do small and off-road like nearly no one else; check out the Jimny, or the old Escudo two-door.

The S-Cross, however, is that rare thing, a small SUV that’s tidy, well appointed, and can fit a vast, cavernous amount of stuff while actually handling surfaces that aren’t council maintained.

First up, space. Even packed with 5

AWD S-Cross features proper four-wheel drive, tons of space and safety features the big, expensive SUVs of the not too distant past would be envious of

adults, there are 440 litres of boot space to play with. Double it up to close to a solid cubic metre by folding the seats flat.

That’s versatile. Then there’s the AWD system fitted to the 4X4 S-Cross variant.

A dial with different modes for different surfaces used to be Range Rover level luxury and tech.

Now it’s standard on this sub-$34k machine that, coincidentally, gets along on only 6.3 litres per 100km. Electronic stability, advanced antilock brakes and seven airbags add to its 5-star safety rating, too.

Suzuki might not make the biggest and most powerful off-roaders, but it does make some very cool, very well

specced machines for a very nice price.

The S-Cross AWD loses the cute and chunky appeal of the Ignis or the Jimny, but replaces it with a more accessible, smooth design and a ton of practicality.

In a world of crossovers that are effectively a replacement for the people mover or station wagon, it has both sport and utility credentials.

IS THE TOUGHEST YET. BOOK YOUR TEST DRIVE

Bayswater Isuzu Napier 115 Carlyle St, Napier Clint Hogan - 027 254 6867 clint@bayswatervehicles.co.nz www.bayswatervehicles.co.nz

Bayswater Isuzu Hastings 1112 Heretaunga St West, Hastings Paul Kerr - 021 226 8218 pkerr@bayswatervehicles.co.nz www.bayswatervehicles.co.nz

16

February 2021 HAWKE’S BAY FARMING LIFESTYLES