Pearl and her digger: Hawke's Bay woman one of first in NZ to achieve Civil Trade Certificate

Pearl Jury is currently working on Hastings District Council's new Te Pōhue water treatment site. Photo / Supplied

Hawke's Bay woman Pearl Jury and her digger have helped build airstrips, dams, subdivisions - you name it.

The Hastings-Napier expressway - been there, done that. The region's newest major road, Te Ara Kahikatea - another tick.

Now Jury has another fillip for her CV. She's become the one of the first women in the country to achieve her Civil Trade Certificate.

In her 17 years working as a heavy machinery driver she's worked on an impressive number of projects.

Pearl Jury is currently working on Hastings District Council's new Te Pōhue water treatment site. Photo / Supplied

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Right now, she is working on Hastings District Council's new Te Pōhue water treatment site.

The project is part of the council's Drinking Water Strategy, which includes upgrading all small community water supplies across the district.

Her dad worked at timber mills in the Tarawera, so bulldozers and motor scrapers were part of the fabric of early life for Pearl.

But she didn't head straight towards the diggers when she left school.

Stints in retail and in a joinery factory, where she was offered an apprenticeship, didn't appeal, and after having her family heavy machinery called.

"I loved the motor scrapers especially, but all of it is a challenge."

The biggest change over the years has been the introduction of technology, "but you still need an eye for it. You build up experience, knowledge and intuition."

And those talents and 17 years in the industry helped her fly through the Civil Trade certification process.

Her advice to young women who love being outdoors and are deciding on their career options is to think about heavy machinery operation.

"It is fantastic; I love every minute of it.

"And there's something special about driving over or looking at projects you've been involved in and feeling a real level of satisfaction."