Wired Magazine

It was late winter 2022 in the Northern Hemisphere when we had a visit from Stu Tyler from Strainrite Fencing Systems, and over what would turn out to be more than a few beers at our kitchen table, Stu started pressing for an answer as to why I hadn’t visited New Zealand for a bit of hands-on fencing education.

I didn’t have an answer for him. I suppose I did, but not an acceptable one, and it was a bit embarrassing. He called my bluff. So, as soon as we got him back on the plane headed home, I booked my tickets for a few weeks’ visit in New Zealand, including the full week of Mystery Creek Fieldays and the Golden Pliers® / Silver Spades™ NZ Fencing Championships. Simply put, I had no idea what treasures were ahead.

After a mostly uneventful journey and re-creation of the kitchen table scene previously mentioned, day two of my trip found me in the left seat of Hugh Morrison’s infamous Ram, where we made good time going to meet Jeff Joines on a security fencing project he was just wrapping up.

It was fantastic to finally meet the man behind all of the (nearly) viral YouTube videos. As anyone who knows him will attest, we spent plenty of time laughing on that journey!

The remainder of that trip was filled with the Mystery Creek Fieldays, with most of my time spent soaking up all of the knowledge I could from the best fencers in the world. Having the opportunity to meet legends like Wayne Newdick, Shane Bouskill, Paul Van Beers and Owen Peterson, as well as the current stable of young guns who are turning the fencing world on its ear, is something I never dreamed I’d experience. If you had told me how the next year would play out, I’d have called you a liar.

We were fortunate to have Hugh and Craig Wiggins (‘Wiggy’) over for our Fall Fence Forum in October 2023, and the reception was overwhelming with the attendees. They both did a fantastic job helping American fencers learn some new Kiwi fencing techniques, and they certainly made many new friends in the process.

In our fencing comps, we see great value in our international competitors. It is purely from a selfish standpoint, as we take way more than we give, but after some discussion with those fencers, I thought that it made good sense to try and enter a few competitions abroad and bring what I learn back to the fence line at home.

This led to another visit to New Zealand in February, and entries in the Taumarunui competition with Wayne Newdick and the Waimumu competition with Donald Cornwall. Boy, was I in for a learning experience!

Wayne did his best to prepare me for my first NZ fencing competition, and I think all he needed was a better student! I made the same mistake that we had spent the most time learning how NOT to make, and this cost us 20 points in the process. But that’s just the thing about fencing competitions that makes them so valuable, in my opinion.

It’s the place where you will never be under more pressure to do the job right and fast, but at the same time has very little in the way of real world consequences, and that translates to the perfect practice pitch. The South Island competition was something brand new for Donald and I.

Rabbit netting isn’t something either of us had ever done, so it was quite an entertaining challenge. I had to call Mark Evans in England for some advice on that one! It was really neat to see how many different styles there were across the field of competitors, and just how tidy some of them were with their netting terminations was amazing.

The time between those two comps is really where I got my first taste of Kiwi hospitality, where I was made welcome at every place we stopped…not only on fence lines, but in fencer’s homes as well. On that drive from Auckland to Waimumu, we called in on what seemed like every fencer in New Zealand.

Mack Rennie graciously set me up with a gearbox, Wayne and Kathy Newdick made me feel at home, Shane and Joelene Bouskill made sure I was never hungry or thirsty, Wiggy teed up a jet boat ride up the gorge, Donald and Christine Cornwall made me feel at home on their farm, and the list goes on. As I get a little older, it becomes more evident that I may occasionally use fencing as an excuse to visit my friends, and it’s because of the amazing hospitality in this community.

Our most recent visit was for the 2024 Golden Pliers/Silver Spades competitions, and that was a whole new level of learning curve! I was able to get in some training days with Jeff Joines, Shane Bouskill, and Jared Nicholson who was also kind enough to enter the heats with me.

Until you get in the mix yourself, you really have no idea what it takes to compete with these guys who make the finals. All of the fiddly little bits that add up to a pile of points, the tricks to do a faster job without giving up the quality, and having the endurance to do it at a sprint are things we can learn and train ourselves to do if we are willing to put in the time and effort. I can’t wait until the next opportunity to try it again and I surely will walk away with another bucket full of tips and tricks from the masters of the game.

I would like to give a special thank you to Hugh Morrison. Without his efforts, there would not be nearly as open a channel as there is for fencers to connect. If you need to know something, he always knows the person with the answer.
I would also like to thank my wife, Leslie, for all her hard work and for taking care of things at home when I’m away. Our last visit was extra special for me because my daughter was able to join me. I am always a little nervous to over promise and under deliver, but you did not disappoint! Thank you to everyone who took the time to make Kate’s visit very special. It was just awesome to be able to include her.

Finally, I would like to say how thankful I am for resources like FCANZ and NZFC. As a strictly agricultural fencer, I’ve always felt more at home as a member of FCANZ than any of our domestic associations. It takes a ton of work to run a quality organisation, and that doesn’t go without notice.

The effort it takes from the organisers and judges to run the fencing competitions far exceeds what it takes to compete; you are all legends. It was fantastic to see the fencers handle the teardown at Mystery Creek this year, and to have that money go right back into making a better future is just awesome.

I’d also like to say that it was nice to see three father/daughter duos on teardown day. I am looking forward to our next opportunity to visit, and I hope to see some familiar faces visiting us soon as well!

Article written by Luke Gibson

Overall, my experience in New Zealand was amazing. It was an unforgettable experience for sure, the country is beautiful, everyone I met was super nice and friendly.
I learned so many new things about fencing and about the country! Thank you to all the people who let me spend time with them, and for teaching me very valuable things. I hope to visit again next year. This was one of the best experiences of my life because of the people, thank you for giving me some of your time (especially Izzy Joines, Hugh Morrison and Shane Bouskill)!
Kate

Published in WIRED Issue 74 / September 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ

Fencing Solutions Waikato (FSW) often receives interesting and difficult projects to undertake. We were approached by a company who manages, supplies and installs racking in commercial buildings, to deliver a 14-metre high chainlink fence, which would extend from the floor to the ceiling apex.

The posts were galvanised 50mm Nominal Bore (NB). Joining two lengths of 6.5m provided us with 13m, and this enabled us to get within 1 metre of the apex. The mesh also needed to be secured to the steel rafters to create an impenetrable barrier. This new warehouse is where Soudal manufactures and stores product. The containment area is where pressurised aerosol cans will be stored. If they exploded, they would not turn into a missile that could cause further damage or injury.

There was a requirement to complete an Elevated Work Platform (EWP) course for health and safety, as all working at height needed to be compliant. It did take a bit of getting used to working at this height on a scissor lift and being that far off the ground. Even so, the EWP swayed.

The pipes were wound together on the ground and the foots secured – a special tool was made to secure these tight. The framework was clamped in place. Brackets were adapted to attach to the posts and the racking, which eliminated the need for any onsite welding.

A cradle was made to manage the heavy rolls of 3.15mm x 2.7m wide x 14m long rolls of galvanised netting so they could be unrolled from the ground up, like hanging wallpaper. Those hanging in place were stitched together with 2mm lacing wire. Each line was 38 metres. Two lines of fence overlapped with a return, which meant that gates were not needed.

In the meantime, the perimeter of the building was fenced with 2.1m high spear top fence, supplied by Modern Fence Supplies. Gates were manufactured in the FSW workshop and transported to site in one piece. There is a Key Automation gate system fitted. The site is secured 24/7 and access is controlled with exit loops fitted for gates to automatically open when leaving the site.

Written by Todd Sherburd – Fencing Solutions Waikato

Published in WIRED issue 74/September 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ

Building a one-kilometre, all-steel fenceline in a steep gully without vehicle access was a challenging but ultimately rewarding job for Canterbury-based Ward Fencing.

In early February, they took on the job located near Fairlie, putting up a one-kilometre steel fence starting on top of a main ridge line and heading down a very steep gully, towards the main creek.

The line was cut by a “very ballsy” dozer operator who had managed to get up around the top of another basin to get onto the line, owner Simon Ward told WIRED.

The fence used Number 8 on the bottom wire and 2.5mm for the other six wires.

Five-foot steel waratahs were used as the run posts and steel Waratah MaxYs for the angles and terminations.
The job had limited four-wheel drive access to the bottom of the line, and foot-only access to the top of the line, which was 1.8km along the main ridge.

“Our good mate Ben Smith, and his son Mac, went out onto the line and packed the gear into three bundles to be lifted on to the line with a helicopter,” Simon explained.

The pair spent a couple of days spreading the gear out down the line for the Ward Fencing team to start building the fence, saving valuable time.

Accommodation was provided on the station, which was about a 40 to 45-minute drive up onto the top of the ridge. Each day, the team of Simon, Ben Smith, and Reece Valois would be dropped off by the client at the end of the station track and walk in to the line with the gear needed for the day.

Being a good walk into the line, and with no easy way back to base, extra caution was placed on making sure they had everything they needed, Simon said, as well as spare gear in case of breakdowns, fuel generators, a rock drill, and plenty of water for the hot conditions.

The line had six corners, done in four strains.

“We reckon we sunk about 300 Waratahs in, including all tie-downs and tie-backs for angles/terminations, and we reckoned of the 300 there would have only been 30 to 40 that didn’t have to be drilled. It was chewy going.”

Nathan Monk of Monk Fencing in Tekapo lent his rock drill and generator for the job, which was hugely appreciated.
The line took roughly 45 hours to build and was charged out on a per hour basis to factor in drilling and other machine work.

“The line took a massive effort from everyone. A lot of gear had to be carried on to the line and the steep grade, loose terrain, and heat played a factor, but it was bloody good fun and we loved it.

The client had been hugely helpful in providing accommodation, dropping the team on the line and providing a vehicle at the bottom, Simon said.

“(It) was a massive time-saver.”

Time had also been saved with Ben and Mac starting the line earlier, laying out
the bundles.

Simon said it was crucial to be organised with a good plan in place for materials, tools, a checklist in place, and being proactive with batteries, fuel and other items.

“We had bloody good fun on this line and we were stoked with how it came up.

“It was tough going and a bloody tough challenge, a lot of blood and sweat was lost, and some character was built.

“What a wicked spot to work and not a bad spot to appreciate over the lunch hour.”

While it was very different from most fence lines, the actual building of the fence and the ideology was the same, Simon said.

“The steepness of the line, the heat, and the logistics of getting gear organised and out onto such a remote line added another element that made it quite different.”

He said efficiency on the line was vital with no vehicle to drive up and down the line.

“Being so steep, we couldn’t afford to be walking up and down it all day to check something, grab some gear or tools, or head back to the top for so much as a drink bottle. So, we did our best to have it mainly built in one pass.”

Written by Rosa Watson

Published in WIRED issue 74/September 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ

Fencing Contractor Joe Corlett has seen a lot over his 83 years. Coming from the school of hard knocks, Joe is a tough bugger who has seen more than his fair share of challenges. He shares his life story with Alice Scott.

Despite some major hurdles in his life, Taranaki fencing contractor Joe Corlett’s philosophy has always been about giving people a second chance, and he has had a lasting impact on the lives of many. Generous, effervescent and extremely hard working, Joe maintains that a job should be done once and should be done well.

Joe was born in 1941. One of 10 children, he was the oldest boy and recalls working as a youngster on his father’s large sheep and beef farm in the Taranaki.

“Dad was a very cruel man. For some reason, he took issue with me and would beat me. I came home from school one day when I was 14, and he told me I was finishing school and staying home to work on the farm, so that’s what I did.”

Those years are not fond ones for Joe as he endured harsh treatment by his father. “I had a lot of siblings, but he directed most of his abuse at me. I know he was violent towards my mother sometimes too.” After a harsh beating from a stock whip at the age of 17, Joe decided he had had enough. His father had disappeared after the whipping only to return with a knife announcing he would kill him.

“I had to get out of there. I left on foot and walked about eight miles to my uncle and aunt’s house. They took me in, and we became very close. I don’t know why my father was so cruel. He went to his grave as a horrible, nasty man,” he said.

During his time at home, Joe had learnt to shear and spent his early twenties working for shearing contractors while also working for his uncle who was a dairy farmer.

Joe then worked for a contractor called Monty Simons and was looking to purchase some machinery from Monty and go into contracting himself. “My father got wind of it and said to Monty if he ever sold any gear to me, then Monty would never get another contract on my father’s property again. He really had it in for me, even when I was an adult.”

Joe’s mother was a very kind and loving woman, but powerless against his father. “She died at the age of 53 from a blood clot. I think it came from a bad injury she got when Dad kicked her in the leg one time.

“It was very sad when mum died, she didn’t get to see us all grow up and enjoy our adult lives or meet any of our boyfriends and girlfriends. She made all our clothes when we were little, how she did it all I have no idea.”

After working for Monty, Joe moved on to a dairy farm in Lepperton. The skills he had picked up from his time with Monty were invaluable, and he did a bit of everything from cultivating, drain laying and fencing. “I did a lot of fencing work there, there were always fences to pull down and new fence lines to build.”

1976 was a challenging year for Joe – the boss’s son had returned home and was making life harder for him, and his first wife had also had an affair and left him. “I had to pick myself up and move on”.

He started a fencing contracting business in Lepperton. “I went along to a fencing workshop day organised by the Young Farmers Club and that was where I met a man called Bill Schuler. He was a master fencer, and we got on well. I worked with him a lot after that.”

Joe had been fencing a couple of years when drought hit and the fencing work dried up. “There was a gas pipeline being installed from New Plymouth to Te Kuiti, and I got a good name for myself doing that work. I picked up a lot of knowledge about drain laying and earth movement.”

Joe recollects with ease the many jobs he has been on over the years; some were decades ago and he recalls them and the people he worked alongside like it was yesterday. Several interesting and highly specialised fencing jobs stand out, such as fencing the perimeter of a golf driving range in Papakura. The posts were 14 metres high with conventional three metre stay blocks. “That was a very enjoyable and interesting job.”

Another contract was installing an electrified fence for a snail farm. “There were 12 electric wires threaded through cloth and netting on an angle with aluminium springs to keep the rats out.”

Another job was assembling a Kiwifruit block. “Once we had built the vine structure, we flew the protective cloth across with a helicopter to avoid catching it on things. It hadn’t been done before and it worked well. Often, it’s been about thinking outside the square and not being afraid to try new things,” he said.

Joe also likes to draft his own fencing designs; he has an eye for seeing what will work and what won’t. “I recall a job I was asked to do, building a specialised fence for a flower bulb farm. We got to the site, and I looked at the drawings they had an engineer design, and I knew the fence wouldn’t work. We could’ve just got on with it, built it anyway and sent them the bill, but I knew I couldn’t stand by it as it wouldn’t have lasted. So, we turned around and went home. Two years later the landowner came back and asked me to come up with something that would last the distance, so I drafted up a design and away we went.”

The fence was 75 metres long and 45 metres wide; more than 3000 square metres of area, suspended with no internal poles. “It was a challenging and satisfying build which has gone the distance.”

While it is the workmanship of a fence line that Joe gets great satisfaction from, working with good people and finding quality staff has also been a highlight for what is almost 50 years of contracting. One of the first employees he took on was Paul Van Beers. “I recall getting a call from this young fella who was looking for a job. He had been working for a farmer called Bob Whiteside. Bob told Paul to call me. I knew anyone that had been working for Bob was worth giving a chance.”

These days Paul is a household name in the fencing industry, having won the Golden Pliers 13 times and the Fieldays Silver Spades 14 times. “Paul was a natural from the start. Everything he did was impeccable.” Joe stops short of crediting his own training skills for how Paul turned out, but it’s clear Joe has a high standard of workmanship and finish for everything he does.

“It’s in the detail; keeping it tidy, keeping the fence out of the water. If that means you need to dig a bit of a ditch to make sure the water runs away from the fence line, then so be it.”

In the 1980s, Joe became known to many as ‘Railway Joe’. He was infuriated one day when he saw the state of the wire coils that had been delivered to a retailer via rail, and he took it upon himself to do something about it. “The rail company wasn’t taking any care when they were loading it into the carriages, they were just throwing it all in and then loading other stuff on top. It would get all buggered up on the journey and would be a prick of a thing to pull out when doing a line. The big boss wasn’t interested in a call from me, so I thought ‘bugger you, I will make it your problem alright’.”

Joe found out when the next delivery was due to be delivered to the retailer. “When it arrived, sure enough, it was more of the same and we just loaded it all back up on a truck and sent it back to the rail yard where it had come from. They had all these buggered coils of wire that no one wanted. He was keen to talk to me after that.” Joe’s efforts changed the way fencing gear is now packaged and transported around New Zealand.

Coming from a tough upbringing, Joe agrees he may have grit and sheer bloody mindedness in the face of adversity, but he is also a very sensitive person and feels empathy for others. Treating others with care and respect is important and he was heavily involved in the build of the Taranaki Retreat; a place where those going through a hard time can go to find peace and support. Ten years prior, Joe’s second wife had taken her own life, “it took me a very long time to understand why. Helping build the retreat gave me a deeper appreciation, life is just so precious,” he said.

“The retreat never got a bill from me. When it came to the opening, they thanked me and made a big deal out of me. I went home and burst into tears, I had never had that kind of praise growing up and it absolutely knocked me for six,” he said. Telling someone they matter is important to Joe, and he makes a point of doing that with the good young employees he hires, some of them have come from a rough background, and Joe has been happy to take them on and give them a second chance at life. “Most of the time it has worked out, and they move on a better person after learning a thing or two from this old bugger,” he said.

Banter and enjoyment in his work is an important element to the day. “You’ve got to be able to have a laugh and enjoy each other’s company. It’s about teamwork, looking out for each other,” he said.

When WIRED magazine caught up with Joe, he was busy supervising a technical job next door to the Taranaki Airport. “I will see this job out and then after that I will call it a day.” Just what is next he isn’t quite sure exactly, he is due to get shoulder surgery, but he knows he won’t be hanging up his boots completely. “I will help train young people, and I will go annoy the odd bugger or two and have a cup of tea with them. There’s always something to do, isn’t there?”

Written by Alice Scott

Published in WIRED issue 74/September 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ

Bloody Marvellous! And so begins the planning conversation with Nick Terry (Custom Fencing) for the inaugural FCANZ NZ Secondary Schools Fencing Competition. It takes a village to enter a fencing competition, and we feel it takes a city to actually run one.

The eyelashes get a workout as Team Leader (Sarah Foley-Smith, of Geraldine High School’s (GHS) Primary Industry Academy (PIA)) begins the quest for materials. It’s a stroke of luck that on visiting Andy Gillespie at Point Lumber to show him a copy of the last WIRED edition, he offers all the posts for this competition; and an unsuspecting contractor, who was fortunate enough to be at Point Lumber at the time of our visit, found himself at Geraldine excavating our competition lines for us the next day! High five Jamie Wratt Fencing!

Where it all began

Back in the day, watching the 2023 Golden Pliers™ competition at Mystery Creek and the Bouskill Royalty in action, Team Leader had a light bulb moment: “Let’s do a school kids competition!” Now, PIA is universally known for being very, very good at making *&#@ happen, and 2023 started a storm. We found another gear, forcefully made a few friends and hit the ground running.

The end result was a bit of a stitch up, with Team Leader promoting the competition to her class as a great way to get experience, to trial our competition in front of all the posh contractors and industry representatives, to troubleshoot and change as needed. Kind of a final run through before launch, no stress. Students clambered for a spot and seven teams were duly entered. A bright spark noticed that our competition was called the ‘NZ Secondary Schools Competition’ on the FCANZ page. Hmmm… a bit more posh than we anticipated. We all enjoyed some team bonding in a kind of ‘caught in the headlights’ moment.

A fortnight of fencing fundamentals

“We’ve got this,” Team Leader declares. She has worked long and hard to instil an appropriate amount of fear in her students and no one is brave enough to speak up! Five of the seven teams now have ten days to learn how to competition fence. We have a joyous fortnight of lunchtime, class time and after school fencing. Fortunately it is no longer dark at 5pm. The mighty Ranger gets a workout dropping students home, and it has rained, so last year’s class G.O.A.T (in the form of Quinn Foley-Smith) is able to help with valuable coaching.

We have 14 teams from GHS, MacKenzie College, Rangiora High School and Akaroa Area School entered. Specifications have been checked by our posh people at FCANZ, and materials sorted. A massive thank you to Point Lumber, Strainrite, Bayonet, Gallagher, Stockade, Farmlands, and Terrain Northland.

Nick Terry enjoys being on standby for a raft of questions from Team Leader (which could be interpreted as casting doubt on a male’s organisational ability!) He upgrades his mobile plan.

And now for logistics…

How to fit gear for seven teams on the trailer? Including seven wheelbarrows, ten Jennys, the intermediate posts and extra sets of everything for the other schools. Every strop in Geraldine has been used, and the end result produces the feeling that if fencing doesn’t work out, we could venture into transport. It’s good to have options.

There is a lot of pressure for this competition to run smoothly and for the GHS students to see how they go up against their peers. We have been entering the Adult U31 Young Farmer and Silver Staples U21 cadet competitions for a wee while, and this is a defining moment. Is what we’ve been teaching any good?

It’s a cracking day at the Rangiora Showgrounds, and we finalise the materials on each line and set up. Team PIA spots Tim Garrick & Phil Cornelius in the distance and skips over to re-acquaint themselves – nothing quite like being on first name basis with the FCANZ President and the current Golden Pliers champion!

Our teams have two hours to erect a three-wire electric fence with two Y posts either side of a 1/4 round, plus figure eight, crimp, inline tensioners attached three different ways and parallel electrics. The ‘have a go’ category is the same, excluding digging in the intermediate post. Our First Off The Line team comes in at 1h:35m, with Akaroa one minute behind and most teams finishing within the allotted time. Phil and Tim work up a sweat judging, although they have to be reminded to “crack on” and that they have “one job”!

All of our competitors have done themselves proud, putting themselves far outside their comfort zone and in front of industry experts. In particular, our first time schools have been super awesome and we are so appreciative of their support in entering and helping to make the day a success.

We are so pumped that FCANZ trusted us to get this competition off the ground, and are so grateful for their support and expertise – particularly Nick Terry for all his technical expertise and in setting up the day; Jeanette Miller, Donna Upton and Jaime Bigwood for keeping us on track and providing fantastic support. To our Judges Tim Garrick & Phil Cornelius: a job well done. Thank you to John Noakes (Noksee) and Struan Moore, for all your mentoring over the years; and Wiggy, for taking every chance to promote us.

To my students: bloody well done! I am super proud of what we have achieved. While the results were nice, it is the fact that we have made something big happen and the sense of achievement in a job well done. “We’ve got this” has become “we did this”.

NZ Secondary Schools Fencing Competition Results

1st Tom Batty & Lachie O’Connell
2nd Cayden Howell & Cullen Bolt
3rd Lachaidh Shannon & Mason
4th Jackson Marriott & Cullen Gordon-Wilson

Best Quality:
Tom Batty & Lachie O’Connell

First Off The Line:
Tom Batty & Lachie O’Connell

Have a go category
Best Quality:
Althea Smith & Isabelle Atkinson

Best Termination Knot:
Althea Smith & Isabelle Atkinson

Best Posting:
Althea Smith & Isabelle Atkinson

Best Breast Block:
Innes McKay & Alex Holmes

Highlights

• Tim Garrick is fencing royalty – he knows us!
• We can fit nine strainer posts inside a minivan. Our posts at school have certainly seen better days, and despite requests, Team Leader was too tight to buy any. All our dreams came true as we watched the Point Lumber truck exit the showgrounds leaving all their posts behind. Luckily, we knew someone who wanted them. It was one of those “no post shall be left behind” moments.
• Team Leader is not a hugger – ever!
• Team Batty & O’Connell breathe a sigh of disappointment on discovering the above.
• A brilliant response to being asked to explain the driving force behind wanting to enter this competition: “Sarah made me.”
• “It was good” does not a speech make! Our winning team has some points to work on.
• “The sense of achievement in doing a good job, and being proud of what I have accomplished makes it all worthwhile”.

Finally, from the lads: “We would like to thank FCANZ and all the contractors in general who are all so generous in giving time and resources to a bunch of school kids. When we started school, we never would have dreamed of achieving what we have. We have been lucky to get some amazing opportunities and our advice to other students is to never give up, and ask for help – there is heaps of it out there. Learn how to bat your eyelashes and smile nicely!”

 

Written by Sarah Foley-Smith

Published in WIRED issue 74/September 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ

You may also like: Showcasing teenage fencing talent

 

Name: Peter Magon
Course: Certificate in Fencing (Level 3)

“I’m self-employed and run a fencing business; this will be my third year out on my own,” says Peter Magon. “I found out that the Fencing Contractors Association has been promoting courses to become a certified fencer. Doing this course is the first step to getting fully certified.”

Peter, who runs PM Farm Services, is just finishing up the NZ Certificate in Fencing (Level 3) through NorthTec, with plans to enrol in the Certificate in Fencing (Level 4) in the future.

“I’ve been fencing for a while, but the course was still helpful,” Peter explains. “There’s always something to learn from others. I actually just changed the way I do stays. Instead of using a chisel and hammering it like always, I’ve switched to a power tool. It seems to be working; it’s still neat and looks the same. It’s just easier. You pick up different ideas and liaise between each other, so you always learn something.

“There’s a huge range of experience on the course. It’s nice, you chat with the others, you see the crews and can liaise with everyone. You can build connections that way. You can see what everyone is doing, discuss ideas and opinions and see their style of fencing.

“Even for someone who’s been fencing for a long time, [the course] is still helpful. You get the NZQA qualification behind you and your skills on paper. It’s coming to the point where you need to be accredited, as people will start looking for that. You can show you have the skills and stand out from the rest.

“If people are interested in enrolling, then I’d say fencing is a great career. Doing the course, having Level 3 under your belt, is going to really help you with any fencing project you plan and will put you a cut above the rest when you’re looking for a job. If you’re new to fencing, you can come and do the course and you’ll learn a lot.”

 

Published in the Training & Events Section in WIRED Issue 74 / September 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ

You may also like: NorthTec Student Profile: Caleb Eady

At the AGM held during Conference24 in Christchurch, we introduced the 2024/25
FCANZ Board. Explore the perspectives and vision of both our newly appointed and reappointed Board members.

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PHIL CORNELIUS
PRESIDENT
CPC Fencing, Whangārei

What is your involvement in the fencing industry?
I am the Director of CPC Fencing Limited and manage – alongside my wife – crews ranging from 10 to 20 staff, depending on work programmes, although we have been trying to restructure this to be less. I have been fencing for 30 years and completed alongside many others, the original Level 3 and 4 fencing qualifications. Before I started fencing I was in the USA working on and managing a couple of ranches, breaking in cutting horses and worked as a farrier.

Why did you volunteer to be on the FCANZ Board?
I joined the Executive Committee 5 years ago, to give back to an industry that
has been good to me, and to see the endorsement of Certified and Accredited be executed and to support our Association Partners in their endeavours alongside
the members. Being on the Association’s Executive Board has created new friendships and lifelong connections with people that live similarly to myself.
What skills do you bring to the Association?
I like to think I represent the Association and industry in a positive way and put my best foot forward. I stick to my decisions and feel I have a clear direction in supporting the strategic goals of the industry body.

What do you do for fun?
When I am not working and organising crews or doing the work for the Association, I like spending time at home with the family, riding our motorbikes, helping my wife with her horses as I no longer compete, hunting, and working towards getting away in our offroad caravan more.

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JANINE SWANSSON
VICE-PRESIDENT
Bang It Fencing, Pahiatua

What is your involvement in the fencing industry?
Along with my husband David, we run Bang It Fencing. I have enjoyed taking part in opportunities with FCANZ and NZFC since starting our fencing contracting business and love the industry and networking opportunities.

I take every opportunity to catchup with fencers and take an interest in where they are at and where they are heading, considering what will help to benefit them most.
It was a real privilege to recently host a successful FCANZ Best Practice Day
on our property with 88 in attendance. I have been involved with the Rural Games, Central Districts Field days and several High School events. I was heavily involved in the response & recovery of Cyclone Gabrielle and a highlight was attending the Wairoa Expo, Great Gate Giveaway fencing working bee and linking farmers with fencers.

Why did you volunteer to be on the FCANZ Board?
I sought re-election this year to continue contributing to the Association for the benefit of the fencers and partners with special interests on Board productivity, efficiency, HR, and importantly Board culture for a positive progressive future. I am extremely passionate about people, business growth and the future of the fencing industry, creating opportunities for all those involved.

What skills do you bring to the Association?
With 30 years of experience in the Primary Industries, I bring a robust blend of strategic vision, operational expertise, and a true passion for people, business, and innovation.

My diverse background spans farm ownership, banking, sales, and consulting, equipping me with a unique perspective and a deep understanding of the industry’s multifaceted nature.
Known for leading with empathy and fostering growth through constructive and progressive methods, I am dedicated to driving positive productivity and achieving sustainable results.

What do you do for fun?
I enjoy spending time with our kids and grandkids, getting outdoors on the farm, enjoying local walks, swimming and kayaking! We enjoy holidays to Castlepoint and more recently Motuopa, just south of Taupō.

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DONNA UPTON
TREASURER
CPC Fencing, Whangārei

What is your involvement in the fencing industry?
I am married to a Fencing Contractor and run a fencing business with staff ranging from, (depending on the scale of jobs)

10 to 20 staff units. We have a presence in the Forestry industry – our business was the first to be recognised in Forestry excellence from an industry outside of forestry. I manage the health and safety and operational side of the business.

Why did you volunteer to be on the FCANZ Board?
My background is in Rural Banking for the past 20 years, where I worked for Rabobank for 16 of those. I resigned from that career during COVID times, to manage our business and I was also helping FCANZ navigate the COVID mechanism as it hit. In the banking industry, I would visit clients, and their disregard for the fencing profession got me thinking we could do things better. That’s when I joined the Board to help with the process of recognising Fencing as a profession.

I am the training liaison for FCANZ and the National Training Coordinator for NorthTec. I sought re-election this year because I want to continue supporting the training and upskilling of our members and their staff, and see the Certified and Accredited endorsements embedded. I want to help our members be recognised for the effort they continually put into themselves and their businesses.

What skills do you bring to the Association?
I am efficient and have a can-do attitude, which I believe is the best attribute for people to have. I have a passion to see the industry be recognised as a valued trade. I believe I have good business sense and strive for business and fiscal excellence. I am an approachable and honest people person. Growing up and working in a predominantly male sector, I have learnt how to communicate with a wide range of people.

What do you do for fun?
For fun I love spending time with all the blue people in my life (husband and three boys aged 8 to 17). We all get out on the motorbikes and often go hunting together in my favourite place up the Ohuka. I have always ridden horses and have several, competing in A&Ps and hunting in the winter in Northland and further afield. I play squash when I need to hit something really hard.

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DEBBIE WHITE
White Fencing, Clevedon

What is your involvement in the fencing industry?

I have extensive experience within the fencing industry, having been a FCANZ Board member on two occasions, the first being when FCANZ was relatively newly formed. The second occasion over the past 4 years. I am active in the wider fencing industry, including New Zealand Fencing Competitions.

I have formulated member benefits to the Association over the past 4 years including:

• the concept and formatting of the member industry survey
• the webinar business development series
• the concept and need for sector as built drawings and developing sector portfolios
• developing the Accredited Fencing Contractor auditing procedure and forms
• sourcing demonstrators for FCANZ BPDs
• organising alongside the FCANZ Admin and ED the Kerikeri, Dunedin and New Plymouth National Fencing Field Days, and formulating the layout
• Conceptualised the FCANZ 4WD trip in November last year, with another one being planned for the Wairarapa near

Why did you volunteer to be on the FCANZ Board?
I stood for re-election this year to continue the work I’ve started/undertaken and ensure that the polices and procedures that are being developed are adhered to, with a collective Board approach towards the desired objectives.

What skills do you bring to the Association?
My skills include conceptualisation and strategic thinking, with the ability to see the wider picture and how strategies and different undertakings fit together. I always consider wider implications, pros and cons, and incorporating other viewpoints into the end result.

I have the ability to draw up processes and document them into workable formats. Other strengths include event organising, having organised industry specific events over the years, and marketing. Thinking outside the box and always on the outlook for new avenues comes easily.

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NICK TERRY
Custom Fencing, Otago

What is your involvement in the fencing industry?
I’m the managing director of Custom Fencing Ltd. I’ve been running my own fencing business since 2011.

Why did you volunteer to be on the FCANZ Board?
I was planning on stepping down from my local rugby club as President and was looking for a new challenge in life. Still the President so life is still a challenge!

What skills do you bring to the Association?
Good knowledge of what it takes to put up a good fence, industry knowledge and plenty of Dad jokes.

What do you do for fun?
Rugby, fishing, scuba diving and 2 children.

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CRAIG SINCLAIR
Craig Sinclair Fencing, South Otago

What is your involvement in the fencing industry?
I operate Craig Sinclair Fencing based just south of Balclutha in South Otago. I started out on my own after working for another contractor since the day I left school.

Why did you volunteer to be on the FCANZ Board?
I enjoy being a part of the Board for the physical and practical aspects of Board commitments; I’m proud to see the milestones the team is achieving; and laughing at Nick’s dad jokes.

What do you do for fun?
For fun I’m usually hunting, fishing, diving, or jet boating, but our young one has made free time much more family orientated.

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BEN FISHER
Fisher Fencing, Gisborne

What is your involvement in the fencing industry?
Growing up, fencing was part of farming and something you just learnt and knew how to do, and as time went on the skills and scope grew.

In the shearing off seasons it was back out for a bit of casual fencing, until 2008, when fencing became the main focus. From there it has just grown; knowledge, skills, tools, gear, and more gear. Completing Level 3 and 4 in fencing which took our operation up another level.

Why did you volunteer to be on the FCANZ Board?
After the last few years having more dealings with FCANZ, through getting advice and support on a range of issues, from employment, training, contracts and the support to our clients and community after Cyclone Gabby. This has really opened my eyes to how important it is to have the Association there. To be a part of it further will be great, and to add what I can and grow it further.

What skills do you bring to the Association?
Born and bred in the rural game, I’ve seen a lot of the country and understand the diversity throughout. 16 years contracting. I’ll give anything a go and keep my mind open, and be willing to change and adapt. I am keen to see the training in the industry grow, I want to see young fullas look at it as a career not just a job.

What do you do for fun?
The best part of life is with the family. Hunting, camping, fishing, out on the farm for adventures. If the kids are loving it, I’m sold. Sneaking in the pub on the way home is not too bad either.

The South Island turned on two spectacular days for the Best Practice Days held in late April, early May. Here’s what went down and why you should come to the next one!

Ikamatua (West Coast) 30 April 2024

Our Ikamatua Best Practice Day focused on the best practice techniques involved in rural fencing by installing sheep netting fencing around two boundaries of a section. Using Waratah Stockgrip® Longlife Blue 8/90/15 netting and PermaPine posts, commentator John Noakes, aka Noksee, talked through what demonstrator (and FCANZ Board Member) Nick Terry was doing – and why.

Nick demonstrated and talked about installing stays on corner strainers and using Jio Star posts (‘waratahs’) to tie down line posts, and there were some great discussions about the different ways of doing this.

Attendees took a break for a fantastic lunch thanks to the local Farmlands team and got to hear from FCANZ Partners Gallagher, Beattie Insulators, Waratah, Strainrite, Summit, RD Petroleum and Milwaukee about how their products are used for the best quality rural fencing.

After lunch the team moved on to the technical (but incredibly important) details of how to secure tension netting around a corner and how to tie off the netting at the end post. By the end of the afternoon, the road frontage and side boundary had a shiny new fence ready to keep in stock (or kids).

Thanks to Cameron Lawton for helping with the pre-event post-ramming and helping with the hard yakka on the day, and Ethan Kidd for giving us his paddock to work in.

Hawea Flats (Wanaka) 2 May 2024

It was a stunning but chilly start in Hawea Flats for our Best Practice Day, which focused on Lifestyle fencing. This event was a little different from many other Best Practice Days in that it looked at a number of different types of fence, many of which are often used in a lifestyle block situation. MC for the day, Nick Terry kept attendees across what work was being done and helped direct the many questions that came up.

There certainly was a lot of fencing being installed. Brendon from Waratah demonstrated how their Flex Rail Electric equine fencing is installed and how it works in conjunction with other, more traditional types of stock fencing. Rodney and the team from Pankhurst Sawmilling, with help from demonstrator Craig Sinclair, installed a beautiful entrance way using macrocarpa interlocking three-rail fencing, before a break for lunch.

Lunch was supplied by the team from PGG and it was fantastic timing, as the stock truck delivering lambs to the farm arrived and would have put a halt to any fencing work. Instead, they provided entertainment while everyone enjoyed their lunch.

Following the meal and show, the fencing continued. A short span of Waratah Stockgrip® Longlife Blue netting was installed, with Waratah Black Star posts as the intermediate posts. An angle stay was installed to support a corner post, which made for interesting times as Waratah rabbit netting was then attached to the Stockgrip® Longlife Blue fence.
Thanks to Andy Tindall for setting up the location and the hard work beforehand; Lucia for saving our bacon with coffee, and Bubs for jumping in wherever needed – including the back of the sheep truck!

Benefits of Best Practice Days

If you haven’t yet been to a Best Practice Day, we highly recommend you do. It’s a great opportunity to discuss different fencing techniques and try Partner products before committing to buy. It also gives you the chance to network with other fencing contractors and build some great connections.

One recent attendee, who has been fencing for more than 50 years, learnt a new way to strip stay wires from netting that will save him a lot of time. It just goes to show that you’re never too old to learn!

Article written by Jaime Bigwood

Published in WIRED issue 73/JUNE 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ

Ralph, the family dog – a massive Leonberger, was the inspiration behind Andrew and Ingrid McCracken’s Upper Hutt-based Big Dog Fencing.

“Ralph was awesome but had no respect for gardens. He was one of these big dogs that liked to make his mark on fences everywhere – so we called ourselves Big Dog Fencing. Our byline is ‘Leaving our mark on New Zealand’.”

Andrew started off erecting deer fencing in the 1980s with Frank Map in the Bay of Plenty.

“An amazing fencer, about 5 foot 2 and like a little bulldog. He was 65, and I couldn’t keep up with him as a 20-year-old.”
When Frank retired, the demand for deer fencing was still going and Andrew’s work grew. Set up with a Kinghitter bulldozer and a rammer on the back – he was in his element for a time until he drifted into a music and broadcasting career. Five years ago, he returned.

“Just before Covid, I went back to fencing. I just needed to get back to the land, and I am happy as hell.”

Andrew has a tight crew: Sean, Graeme, and Ingrid. They chug through an ever-changing list of projects: farms, lifestyle properties, forestry, and the odd job for companies across the greater Wellington region. They are currently completing the Level 4 Certificate in Fencing course, working toward becoming an Accredited Fencing Contractor with FCANZ.

HUHA, an animal rescue and shelter on Haywards Hill in rural Wellington, is a regular feature on the whiteboard.

What kind of deer fencing do you want?

Andrew says a year into Big Dog, he got a phone call from Jim, HUHA Operations Manager. “Jim asked if I did deer fencing. I said, ‘What kind of deer fencing do you want?”

“It wasn’t deer fencing that they needed, but it was deer fencing in height. They wanted dog-proof paddocks, down to a dog the size of a terrier. We ended up fencing with X Fence, top-to-bottom solid security fencing made by Summit Steel.”

X Fence is usually designed to go on flat land but parts of the HUHA block up off Transmission Gully are incredibly steep. The slope varies up and down 30-degrees.

“We cut the netting out, strain it back up and crimp it up tight. We might go 10m, then we have to do it again. Then another 30m and have to do it again. It is a bit like being a seamstress.”

Something that has made work at Big Dog Fencing a bit easier is a SoloNet dispenser. It’s a digger-mounted wire dispenser that lets the crew pick up and run big coils of wire and run it through a grab.

“You wire it off your first strainer and you can lift it over a strainer off the edge of a track and then pull it and clamp it tight with a digger, put tension meters on it and then staple it off. Then you can run it down the next bit of fence line. Imagine pulling a piece of cellotape. We wired up six-days of fencing, 600m, in a day and a half. I came home and said to Ingrid – ‘That thing’s not leaving!’”

The whole menagerie: deer, pigs, birds, dogs, lizards, turtles, guinea pigs

Since then, Big Dog Fencing has done three kilometres of X Fence and have turned their hands at all sorts: Post and rail fence for a small horse area for a mare with a blind foal, a fenced turtle and lizard enclosure and a current project building three barracks for 300 rescued guinea pigs.

“They asked the other day if we could turn the gully into an aviary. You just don’t know what will be next. As long as it’s a little bit like fencing, we will give it a go.”

Quite a lot of research and design work goes into delivering some of the unusual requests, looking at different products and pricing up jobs. And some jobs come up in winter that really should be tackled in summer. Because HUHA rescues animals or they have animals dumped on them, like after the Port Hill fires or when the cyclone hit in the Hawke’s Bay, jobs happen when they are needed.

Land, water, people and animals meet at the fence line

Andrew says the hardest thing is putting up something that animals will not destroy.

“HUHA are not interested in running electric outriggers on fences. So, that is a challenge.”

Instead, the crew avoids fencing across hillsides, where the animals can undermine the integrity of a fence very quickly. The work-around is to carve out a wide track, put the fence down the middle with a good flat space either side.

“If animals do track the fence line, they tend to wear holes where water runs down. You need to create drainage under the fence line and fence those off or put grills to cross the pipes. If you put a decent sized pipe in, it is just an escape route. If animals are undermining the fence, we come back with the digger, heap the soil, pack it and hope that it doesn’t happen again. It’s a lot like trying to beat the ocean.”

Another challenge is when animals get up close and personal. Most rescue animals have been raised by humans at some point and can be quite interested in people.

“They have a donkey, Franklin, he’s an orphan. He’ll steal the drills off your belt and run across the paddock. Then, their ostrich, who is not quite so friendly, he’ll stick his head in the ute door and steal the keys out of the four-wheel drive and stalk up behind you.”

The animals always have the right of way. That’s who HUHA are. They are all about the animals. So, it is a fine line between getting frustrated with the animals and trying to fence them in.”

They are also thinking about access ways into enclosures — that health and safety separation element.

The fifteen or so great big old sows and Kunekune are a good example. They’re quite fond of the sloppy hops donated from the local Panhead Brewery. While hay and other dry feed could be delivered over the fence, the slop needs to be carted and tipped from wheelbarrows – but if the volunteers open the paddock gate, there’s a good chance that some pigs “half the size of a small cow” could make an escape. So Big Dog Fencing are building walkways through the pig paddocks.

“Sometimes Sean will say, ‘I like seven wire and batten fence’— and I say, ‘This is good experience, you might never get asked to do this again’.”

HUHA Helping you help animals

Carolyn Press McKenzie, CEO of HUHA says, when it comes to fencing on the 157 acre sanctuary on the Haywards Hill property, they have a clean slate.

“We have an opportunity to do it once and do it right. We are lucky to have Andrew. We know he’ll build something that will last the distance.”

HUHA’s mission is all about protecting animals, many different species, but it is also about protecting the people who are working around them, or even just visiting them.

“We have to bring all those components together to build something that is going to work for the visitors, the workers and the animals as well – and then there’s the environment too.”

Carolyn says rescued animals are not always well socialised, some feel vulnerable and prone to panic and the X Fence predator fencing “tiny wee squares” provides a level of confidence.

“Having something that contains the animals well is very important, but you also don’t want people poking their fingers in or climbing in. We rescue deer and other animals that can be unpredictable, so we need to keep people out as much as we keep animals in.”

Andrew and his crew have just built an internal fence inside paddock fencing at HUHA so that the workers have something to leap over and stand behind if something becomes a little edgy.

Carolyn says HUHA had a big pig problem recently. “We had 30 free-range pigs come our way, we didn’t want to euthanise them, but we didn’t have the facilities. Andrew fenced off two acres of scrappy bush. It was quite a mission.

Today, Andrew is fencing around a great big turtle pond. “Turtles can compromise the environment, and they are great climbers. Andrew is building a stacked three-tier retaining wall and then a fence on top with a cap going inward. It is really important when you take in animals, that you make sure that they don’t get back out.”

Next week, Andrew will be coming back to build dog enrichment areas. He will be doing four large fenced off sections with a retaining wall so that the dogs in HUHA’s care can go out and play in small social groups.

Carolyn says enclosure design is all about experience, Kiwi ingenuity, good common sense and amazing problem solving strategies – but another layer for HUHA is speed.

“We do disaster response. We go all over the country when there is an emergency, so we have to build containment facililities that are temporary to get animals safely contained quickly. That’s our job. Coming home, it is the same mindset. We have to achieve safety for people and animals, we just have to unpack it and work it out.”

There’s extra touches that Big Dog Fencing adds, from helping design structural builds that are a little tangent to traditional fencing, to making sure the camber of the road is right. Carolyn says it is holistic approach. “Everything is considered.”

Article written by Megan Fowlie

Published in WIRED issue 73/JUNE 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ