A beach carnival with an emphasis on farming history is being planned in the run-up to the World Shearing Championships to be held in tandem with the Golden Shears.
Kopuaranga farmer Roddy McKenzie has gathered a small team around him to plan a day of fun and frolic at Castlepoint on February 26, to have its sequel four days later in Masterton's main street where it is hoped to take a mob of sheep right through town.
Mr McKenzie said the plan arose when he got to thinking just what a huge event the World Shearing Championships would be for Wairarapa.
"Where else in the world would a town the size of Masterton ever host representatives from 25 countries?" he said.
With that thought in mind he put out feelers to see if planning a special day at Castlepoint, from where much of the district's wool and other produce was shipped from in pioneering times, would have any support.
Mr McKenzie said Emily Crofoot of Castlepoint Station immediately picked up the idea and will host an open day at the historic station.
From there a Dargaville working bullock team was traced and the owner has agreed to bring two shorthorn bullocks and two red devon bullocks to Wairarapa for a week.
People will be able to see how a bullock team works and a load of wool will be loaded onto a Lighter - or flat-bottomed barge - and taken out to a larger vessel at sea.
"I want the overseas shearers and visitors to the shears to go back home saying what a wonderful time they had in Wairarapa," Mr McKenzie said.
"I am also well aware that retailers have had a pretty tough time in the last few years and this is a way of getting lots of people in town, and spending."
Mr McKenzie said he wanted the help of the rural community to stage the event and needed to raise about $3000 to make the plan work.
Castlepoint was a natural attraction with its famous lighthouse just a year off celebrating its 100th birthday.
It is planned to have Peter Vallance's mobile shearing unit at the beach and to stage a celebrity shearing challenge, judged by Sir Brian Lochore and to have a shearing personality talking about sheep shearing technique.
On the first day of the shearing competitions the focus will shift into Masterton itself.
The bullock team will be on hand and taking part in a small parade that will include draught horses, Gleesons 1912 vintage truck and old farming machinery.
Mr McKenzie said Masterton District Council permission has been sought to allow a mob of sheep to be taken through the middle of town, and a top shepherd was already involved in training a mob.
"This is to get the sheep used to traffic and to town noises."
Nick Rodgers, of Tui brewery, and Jerry Crump, general manager of Copthorne Solway Park, have joined the team of organisers.