The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • 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

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 / The Country

Whanganui locals escape Auckland lockdown after tractor trek for mental health

Ethan Griffiths
By Ethan Griffiths
Multimedia journalist·Whanganui Chronicle·
3 Mar, 2021 04:00 PM3 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

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

A group of Whanganui tractor drivers joined mental health advocate Cat Levine on a tour across Northland, dubbed the Big Feelings Tractor Trek. Photo / Supplied

A group of Whanganui tractor drivers joined mental health advocate Cat Levine on a tour across Northland, dubbed the Big Feelings Tractor Trek. Photo / Supplied

After a 4am wake-up, a lockdown border and a three-day 450km journey, a group of Whanganui's most dedicated tractor drivers rolled into the city on Tuesday afternoon.

They'd had a wild two-and-a-half weeks travelling Northland in aid of mental health.

The group was part of a campaign dubbed the Big Feelings Tractor Trek, which was originally involved in a Bluff to Cape Reinga journey with Mike King's I am Hope charity last year.

The group made it to New Plymouth before Covid-19 lockdown hit, and put the journey on hold.

Instead of finishing the original route, they decided to travel to Northland on Valentine's Day, led by mental health advocate Cat Levine who presents her Big Feelings mental health talk to schools.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We visited rural schools - 40 kids up to 500 kids," Levine said.

"They were just blown away that despite being out in the wop wops, they got a visit."

The talk centres around mental health, and focuses on giving children the tools and strategies to manage their emotions, develop empathy and build resilience.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Cat Levine presented her Big Feelings talk to thousands of students across Northland. Photo / Supplied
Cat Levine presented her Big Feelings talk to thousands of students across Northland. Photo / Supplied

"Some of these kids have a lot of struggles, so to have someone from outside come in with the added attraction of tractors is pretty cool."

At its peak, the convoy reached a total of 12 tractors, including a Ferguson skippered by Whanganui man Warrick Huthnance who said that being involved in the trip was a rewarding experience.

"It's very rewarding. We went to some quite hard schools, and it's great to put a smile on the kids' faces."

During the trip, the convoy travelled up the east coast of Northland, travelling back through the middle, stopping in at multiple schools along the way.

"We went all over the place."

But it wasn't all smooth sailing.

Huthnance said the Whanganui-based members of the group got quite a shock after the Prime Minister's Covid-19 alert levels announcement on Saturday night, and quickly hatched a plan to get back home before the beginning of the seven-day lockdown.

"This last Saturday we got back to Auckland and one of the family members rang up and said 'you better look at the TV'.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We had to get up at quarter to four so we could get south of the Bombay Hills before they shut the border."

With most of the tractors travelling at around 30km/h with open tops, Huthnance said it can get cold, but the trip was always enjoyable.

"In the mornings it can be quite cool. You've got to vary your clothing as you go.

"It can actually be quite peaceful. You certainly see the countryside. You do see a lot of other things around you don't see when you're driving a car."

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from The Country

The Country

'Huge shock': Community mourns beloved postie killed on final delivery

07 Jul 05:59 AM
The Country

'Amazing achievements': Hawke's Bay Export Awards finalists announced

07 Jul 04:25 AM
The Country

Seabed mining project sparks alarm over impact on South Taranaki fisheries

07 Jul 03:57 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'Huge shock': Community mourns beloved postie killed on final delivery

'Huge shock': Community mourns beloved postie killed on final delivery

07 Jul 05:59 AM

David Bullock, 78, was killed on his last delivery before retiring.

'Amazing achievements': Hawke's Bay Export Awards finalists announced

'Amazing achievements': Hawke's Bay Export Awards finalists announced

07 Jul 04:25 AM
Seabed mining project sparks alarm over impact on South Taranaki fisheries

Seabed mining project sparks alarm over impact on South Taranaki fisheries

07 Jul 03:57 AM
'Dearly loved' 21yo killed in Stewart Island hunting incident

'Dearly loved' 21yo killed in Stewart Island hunting incident

07 Jul 01:41 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

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