In 1969 the local A and P (Agriculture and Produce) Show was held at the Te Rapa Showgrounds, Hamilton. The organisers expected around 3,000 people. Instead, some 10,000 people attended causing wide spread traffic delays and a serious run on the hot dogs and candy floss. It was such a huge success that in a couple of short years the show was included in a Royal Tour.
Apart from the traffic problems, there has been a massive amount of change in the ensuing 57 years. The A and P show has morphed into the National Fieldays held annually in June at Mystery Creek in the heart of the mighty Waikato.
Over 100,000 visitors now attend with over 1,100 stall holders catering to every agricultural, pastoral, horticultural and shopping passion known to humans.
Last week after years of prevarication, I headed into Hamilton to attend. Sure, enough it was a cool grey morning and the famous fog had kindly lifted. On the Expressway there seemed to be some 5 kilometres of traffic queue all heading to Fieldays. The enterprising Camjet Company was advertising transport to the Fieldays by jetboat and 30 minutes later I was on a jetboat with 6 young students from St Peters at 70 kmh along the river right to the back doorstep of Mystery Creek.
On arrival there appeared to be a continuous stream of helicopters arriving and departing. Just as I was thinking that farmers were making way too much money, I spotted a nearby sign, ‘Helicopter Rides $95’. It never pays to jump to conclusions too early.
Once inside the sprawling metropolis of Mystery Creek, the true scale of what is billed as the largest event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, became apparent.
It was fascinating wondering around and checking out what was on offer. Every conceivable product that could be remotely connected to our rural and farming communities was on display and for sale. Every lifestyle product that any self-respecting rural person and a heap of townies might desire to enhance their working and leisure activities was available. From head gear to clothing, to heavy and light vehicles and machinery to technological advances in animal welfare, to horticulture, to pest and weed control, to immigration stands for foreign workers and so it went. Please don’t get me started on the food stalls!
It was great to a see a very large number of family groups and children involved. New Zealand brands of out door clothing Macpac, Ridgeline, Stazi, Bushbuck, Earth Sea Sky, Swanndri, Cactus, Icebreaker, Norsewear, Stoney Creek etc. were all being proudly worn by people who reflected our wider rural demographic. Just for the record I wore my Redbands purely for ceremonial reasons as the ground underfoot was firm and dry.
It was great to see the huge involvement of Waikato University and Waikato Polytechnic in all manner of research and development. Local high schools and colleges were there in force showing their agricultural credentials. There were significant numbers of international displays which clearly show that New Zealand products hold their own on the world stage.
With the current prices for Beef and Dairy at near record levels and with a slow but sure resurgence in wool prices, our rural sector is once again proving it is one of the economic power houses of the country. Fieldays alone is estimated to contribute over half a billion dollars to our economy. Fieldays is highly recommended to everyone as a highly professional, highly entertaining and educational event.
