NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Kiwi as bro! Couple arrive at Wairarapa College school ball in farm tractor

Heath Moore
By Heath Moore
NZ Herald·
28 Oct, 2020 02:01 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Tom Williams and his ball partner Olivia Horsbrugh made a splash after arriving to their Wairarapa College school ball in a tractor. Photo / Supplied

Tom Williams and his ball partner Olivia Horsbrugh made a splash after arriving to their Wairarapa College school ball in a tractor. Photo / Supplied

The school ball is usually one of the biggest moments in a Kiwi teen's life.

From dressing up to how they arrive, the big night is something to cherish forever.

But instead of following the trend of hiring a limo, two Wairarapa College students decided to go grassroots - putting a rural farming spin on their big night by pulling up to their red carpet event in a John Deere tractor.

With the school's ball having previously been postponed due to Covid-19, it was likely the last chance for the Year 13s to be able to partake in their cherished event.

After waiting months for the big day, Tom Williams, who lives on a farm outside of Masterton, wanted to pay tribute to his farming background.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

After dusting off the farm vehicle and giving it a good clean, he proposed the idea of arriving on a tractor to his ball partner Olivia Horsbrugh.

Weeks later, the worlds of farming and glam collided. Tom and Olivia were off the ball in the John Deere tractor.

Tom's mother Karen Williams told the Herald it was an amusing way to close off the schooling chapter in the pair's life.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There was a real mixture of cars, a lot of muscle vehicles and V8s coming in. Then there was my son and his ball date in their tractor.

"We live on a farm and my son was keen to take a tractor along as a bit of a shoutout to something he is passionate about. He asked his partner of the night Oliva and she was really keen.

"It was about a 90-minute round trip to drive it up on a Friday night. It needed a bit of a clean down as we've been busy putting our food crops in.

"Tom and Oliva were driven around the school grounds. She had a bit of a tough time exiting the tractor in high heels though," Williams joked.

Discover more

New Zealand|crime

Deportee back in jail after crime spree, sex with 15-year-old

28 Oct 05:03 PM
Tom Williams and his ball partner Olivia Horsbrugh made a splash after arriving to their Wairarapa College school ball in a tractor. Photo / Supplied
Tom Williams and his ball partner Olivia Horsbrugh made a splash after arriving to their Wairarapa College school ball in a tractor. Photo / Supplied

The pair's unique arrival attracted a lot of attention and has since been a hit on social media.

Williams said the big night and response was a fun way to close off 2020, which has been a struggle for millions of people across the world with Covid-19 disruptions.

"A lot of people seem to be amused, surprised and pleased. When people looked across the oval they could see these really bright lights and people were thinking 'what is that?'

"It's a bit of a novelty. It's something to remember. We're a bit of a food bowl around the Wairarapa so it fitted in reasonably well.

"They loved it. it's been a tough year for everyone but I think in Year 13 there's a lot of lasts, whether that be the last dinner dance, school ball. A lot of things have been postponed or cancelled.

"So it was really cool to have an event, dress up, arrive in style and be made to be special."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The moment has since been shared on social media, with viewers poking fun at the iconic moment.

"Awesome. Tom will owe Mick [his father] a day's fert work for that chauffeuring effort," one wrote.

Another said: "You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy. Great New Zealander!"

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
Editorial

Editorial: Not everyone is confident the energy sector is in good shape

Politics

Abuse in care: Extra $7m for redress pool after more people eligible than expected

New Zealand

Why experts predict butter prices will keep increasing


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
Premium
Editorial: Not everyone is confident the energy sector is in good shape
Editorial

Editorial: Not everyone is confident the energy sector is in good shape

OPINION: Prices have risen 6.2% since last year and consumers are going hungry or cold.

17 Jul 05:00 PM
Abuse in care: Extra $7m for redress pool after more people eligible than expected
Politics

Abuse in care: Extra $7m for redress pool after more people eligible than expected

17 Jul 05:00 PM
Why experts predict butter prices will keep increasing
New Zealand

Why experts predict butter prices will keep increasing

17 Jul 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP