The search for the Perfect Woman: Smelly possums out, texting in

Perfect Woman contestant Shaz Brookland (29) takes the cap off a bottle with a chainsaw. Photos: Kerrie Waterworth

To be the ''Perfect Woman'' you not only have to operate a digger, design the best home and make the best whitebait patties - you also have to be the fastest texter.

Perfect Woman competition founder and organiser Stew Burt said this year a few changes were made to the competition and being able to text fast was one of the new challenges.

He said they added a bit of ''femininity'' and removed the ''skinning smelly possums'' event.

Other events this year included a jet-ski challenge, clay bird shooting and knife-throwing.

Emily Menzies (29) drives a digger for the first time, one of the Perfect Woman challenges.

Mr Burt said the idea for the Perfect Woman competition originally came from his two sisters, who many years ago worked in a Scottish castle owned by an American.

''This American told them he only hired New Zealanders because we were the only ones who got down and scrubbed the floors in the morning and dressed up and entertained the guests in the evening.''

''In other words, New Zealand women were able to do everything,'' he said.

The Perfect Woman competition was established by Mr Burt and his late wife Liz in 2002 at the Wanaka Bullock Bar to raise money for the CanLive Cancer Trust.

This year, for the first time, it was held at the Luggate Hotel, 14km southeast of Wanaka.

The 2017 winner was Jasmine Simpson (24), a shepherd from Mandeville, Southland.
-By Kerrie Waterworth