Waterwheel Historic Trust Gearing Up for Farming Like Grandad Country Fair

Vintage vehicles, axemen and century old sheep shearing tools will be on display at the Te Teko Racecourse on April 18th.

Organiser Doug Bull said the event has grown from being a place for vintage tractor enthusiasts to meet up, into a full blown family affair. 

"If you're a vintage tractor expert or crank, you like to come and have a look and lean on the fence and talk about, 'Well, I've got one that's better than that"."

Petting areas, produce competitions and cart rides draw in the younger people, he said. 

"The creme de la creme is Mr Fowler from out towards Tāneatua who will bring along his two Clydesdale horses and cart."

Three tractors will also be pulling various sized carts. 

"The kids just love them, they finish one ride and they're back around to the front to queue up for the next one."

"People go away just saying, we've really enjoyed it, we'll be back next year."

The event has grown in popularity in recent years, with people coming from as far away as Auckland and Katikati to onnect over exciting entertainment. 

Competitive axemen will participate in twelve events at the Farming Like Grandad Fair   IMAGE:Suplied

The event also provides opportunity for axemen to compete Bull said. 

"A lot of the old A&P shows have now become defunct and so the axemen are finding it quite hard to find events that they can go and compete in."

"The events lead up to run-offs for axemen to represent New Zealand overseas at an international competition."

The axemen will compete in twelve different events across the day. 

Bull said the grand parade will show how farming technology has developed. 

"So all these old machines that will start - because some of them don't - get cranked up and they go around the ring."

"Some of them are a bit temperamental, so they have a bit of trouble with them."

Bull said the change in technology is drastic. 

"I can remember buying my first siderator in the 1960s and I could do two rows of maize at a time, load them into a tray, and it used to take me about a week to do a paddock."

"Then the contractors came along with their big machines and I thought, I'm going to put my machine in the shed."

Bull said he enjoys seeing the skill owners of the vintage machines have, as many are self taught. 

"It's all come from their interest and their knowledge of, 'I want to know how it works'."

With preperation now well underway, Bull said he is looking forward to "seeing the enthusiasm of the people who come to enjoy," the event.