CAMERON HANDLEY has 130 "girls" but he still hasn't found the one he wants to settle down with.
The Rapanui dairy contractor is one of 22 New Zealand farmers chosen to feature in this month's Australian Women's Weekly (NZ Edition), as part of a nationwide "Find a farmer a wife" campaign.
Friendly and open, the 30-year-old read about the magazine's campaign on the internet and decided he would try what seemed a more fun approach to meeting the right woman.
"It's just going out of the square, really; just getting myself out there. I thought it was just a good way of meeting people, actually, being open-minded," he said.
Although he is no stranger to clubbing or socialising at the pub, early mornings and long hours spent on the farm have not made it easy for him to meet women.
"I just want to meet a kind person a kind, caring person who's loyal," he said.
"Most of my friends are married and having children now, and I want to move on from just going to the pub and socialising and getting drunk. I can promise the right woman a steady, happy, relationship with security."
Although he was born and brought up in Rapanui, it wasn't set in stone that Cameron would become a farmer.
Straight out of school, he did a foundation arts course in the hope of one day becoming a painter and sculptor. But Cameron soon realised he wanted a stable life and changed to farming.
"You do what you're good at. I was good at art, but then I studied farming and I'm a natural to it. I'm good with my hands. I'm practical," he said.
He spent three years overseas, snowboarding in Spain and France and travelling around Europe, before returning to Wanganui to manage his parents' farm in 2001.
He owns half of the herd's 260 cows and 100 calves and plans to go sharemilking in the next few years. Despite the fun approach, Cameron says he is serious about his nomination to the magazine.
"I'm not getting my hopes up too much or I'll be disappointed. This is not the end of the end, you know. It's just a different approach," he said.
"I just want to meet someone nice."
Anyone interested in writing to Cameron should send a letter and photo to the Australian Women's Weekly (NZ Edition), which will pass it on.
Farmer looking for love
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