NZ Logger Magazine | May 2026
May 2026 Shaws Iron Test

Shaws Iron Test; Smooth Operator

     Story & photos: Tim Benseman

As usual, Kaingaroa puts on the good weather and the great ground conditions.

There is no mud, and hardly a speck of dust to be seen, as we venture into the smoothly operating Thomassen crew, just off the Million Dollar Highway between Murupara and Kawerau. Our target today is the robust and powerful looking John Deere 953M, coupled with a New Zealand-made Quadco QB4400 fixed felling head. 

The 9 litre, 330HP, John Deere is running three hydraulic pumps, 532 litres per minute (l/min), 114 l/min and 135 l/min. It impres...

Read More  

May 2026 Women in Forestry

Woman in Forestry; Her heart's in the Forest

The forest has always been a special place for Kiana Sayer-White. And with her father, Aaron, and older brother, Kasey, being in the industry, you could say forestry i...

May 2026 Looking Back

Looking Back; A colourful Career in Forestry

Chris Nelson wanted to be a farmer, but in the 1960s, farming opportunities were scant. His love of the outdoors led him to forestry and a fulfilling, exciting, lifelo...

Forest Talk

 
  • Doors thrown open at dealers and manufacturers

    Doors thrown open at dealers and manufacturers

    Autumn has been open day season for dealers and manufacturers across the central North Island.First cab off the rank was Warataha’s Tokoroa factory. The open...

  • Environmental Forestry Conference

    Environmental Forestry Conference

    The recent Innovatek Environmental Forestry Conference highlighted both old and new environmental challenges faced by the forestry industry, from pest contro...

  • Hands-on forestry learning for Canterbury students

    Hands-on forestry learning for Canterbury students

    Hundreds of Canterbury students and teachers recently explored the world of forestry through Discover Forestry’s  Wood is Good days and Grow Me bus trip...

  • Kiana goes straight into forestry from school

    Kiana goes straight into forestry from school

    The forest has always been a special place for Kiana Sayer-White. And with her father, Aaron, and older brother, Kasey, being in the industry, you could say ...

  • Last chance to nominate forest champion

    Last chance to nominate forest champion

    There is still time to nominate outstanding native forest initiatives for the 2026 Growing Native Forest Champions Awards, but only just, with nominations cl...

  • New naming rights sponsors for South Island awards

    New naming rights sponsors for South Island awards

    OneFortyOne and Port Nelson are the new naming sponsors for the 2026 Top of the South Wood Council Forestry Awards.Taking place on 31 July at the Trafalgar C...

  • Penske’s new New Zealand GM

    Penske’s new New Zealand GM

    Penske Australia & New Zealand has appointed Stephen Kelly as the General Manager of its Penske New Zealand business.Having joined Penske in November, Mr Kel...

  • NZ Logger Magazine
    Penske’s new New Zealand GM | Read Now