Chopper service helping
Bradbury is a contract milker on a 200-hectare farm with 515 cows near Kawakawa has placed fifth and second in past regional finals, but is hoping to take the title especially given it will be held in Kerikeri. Young farmers competitions include a business exam, eight different practical modules, head to head challenges and an evening quiz show.
Part of the challenge is not knowing exactly what you will be faced with, Bradbury says. In the past he has had to complete everything from sheep shearing, digger driving, tractor and chainsaw modules. In preparation Bradbury says he undertakes lots of reading and revision as well as talking to and visiting other farmers and people in the industry.
‘‘It pushes you outside your comfort zone, you learn a lot and it helps you to benchmark yourself against others,’’ Bradbury says.
Bradbury, 28, first came to New Zealand from England when he was 18 on his OE. He had lived in a town but found himself on a 1400-cow dairy farm on the West Coast of the South Island. He met his partner there, and after a stint back in Europe, the pair returned in 2014.
He says he enjoys the variety in his work, being outside and working with stock as well as the opportunity to progress towards farm ownership - which he says is not possible in England.
The Bay of Islands Young Farmers Club will host this year’s event on the Kerikeri Domain on March 17 from 8am. Teen Ag and AgriKids events will also run alongside the main event. The Northland Rescue Helicopter is building stronger links with local iwi to help it service remote rural areas more effectively and to grow awareness about what it does among Ma¯ ori.
The rescue service’s Ma¯ori ambassador Richard Shepherd says it will ensure the needs of local Ma¯ ori are being met by the rescue chopper, especially in isolated communities such as Matauri Bay and the Karikari Peninsula.
According to St John ambulance statistics from last year, around a quarter of the almost 1000 people transported by the chopper service were Ma¯ ori.
‘‘With hospital facilities being down-graded over a number of years it means specialist medical help is only available in the major city and town centres,’’ he says. ‘‘During an emergency, time is critical, and for these communities it’s the Northland Rescue Chopper that provides that link.’’
Kaitaia doctor, Lance O’Sullivan says the rescue chopper service has an impressive track record of caring for Ma¯ ori communities all over Northland. ‘‘It’s like the cavalry arriving. When you’ve got a person sitting in there injured the noise of the rotors coming in is music to our ears.’’