Wairoa water skiing event supports wellbeing of farmers

Fencer General at Parakanapa Station, Jess McConnachie, getting up on skis for the first time at the Wairoa 'Farmers on Skis' day. Photo / Supplied

Most of us take cell phone coverage for granted.

Just as we rarely think twice about where our food comes from and who grew it.

We know farmland exists, but how often do we spare a thought for those who work it?

That's increasingly where organisations such as the Wairoa Development Trust come in. They're acutely aware of the challenges that people face in rural areas and why they regard initiatives such as the upcoming "Farmers on Skis'' as integral to the wellbeing of the community.

Now in its second year, the water skiing event has quickly become a highlight on the local calendar.

"Farms are quite isolated,'' Wairoa Development Trust administrator Sue Wilson said.

"You can't just go and have a cup of coffee with your neighbour or your workmate in town and download, so this is an opportunity to do that type of thing.

"New people come to the district, like young shepherds, and they're working in isolated conditions and it's quite hard for them to meet other people.''

The trust has monthly events of varying types, but the water skiing has proved a real hit.

Tuition is provided, but it's not the skiing that's important.

This is about bringing the community together and building connections that can help sustain people during the long, occasionally lonely, periods on the farm.

"People don't necessarily have to ski,'' said Wilson.

"There's also wakeboard, they can have a biscuit. They might want to just sit on the boat and watch the skiers, which is called spotting, or help with the barbecue or just sit back and relax and have a yarn, which is what quite a few do.''

The beauty of the water skiing is its wide catchment. From teens, through to people in their last 50s, the event gets men and women off the farm and into a collegial environment.

The Hawke's Bay Foundation, along with various Wairoa businesses, have provided humbling levels of support to the trust in recent times, as people realise how important healthy social interaction is for farm workers.

Overall, the Hawke's Bay Foundation has supported 49 local charities and trusts to the tune of $246, 551 in 2022.