Resting up while loading their ‘Hay to Hawkes Bay’ vehicles are Brian Scott, Noel Yearbury and Denis Beech, with BB the dog.
A motley convoy of vehicles completed a journey of around 600km last week when they delivered tonnes of hay and sileage to Napier for distribution to cyclone-ravaged farmers in Hawke’s Bay.
The round trip was deemed a success by one of their organisers, Te Miro’s Denis Beech. The eight vehicles hit heavy weather and a few bumps along the way, which were later explained by the 5.9 and 5.3 magnitude earthquakes that rocked the Hawkes Bay area as they drove from Cambridge to Napier on April 26.
Denis’ partner and co-organiser, Bronwyn Cameron – who was also one of the drivers – said she wondered what was happening when she heard the ‘loud buzzing noise’ on her phone.
“It was the earthquake alert. It certainly explained the bumps I noticed as I was driving … at the time, I thought it might just be road damage or my tyres,” she said.
The convoy came about after one of Denis’ mates found he had too much cut grass for his own needs and suggested donating it to farmers struggling after February’s Cyclone Gabrielle. They were aware that while the need for assistance remained, the impetus to do anything had faded a little.
“It grew from there,” said Denis. Friends joined him, and others approached by Denis and the boys quickly came on board. One of them, Noel Yearbury, was among the first. He and Denis have known each other for 63 years and agreed that it was a no-brainer to get the surplus hay to where it was needed the most.
Bronwyn, who has contacts through her job teaching agri-business, acted as a liaison with recipient organisers in Napier. A team of volunteers in Napier was on standby to help unload when they arrived at the other end.
The convoy of trucks and utes included Denis’ 1928 Essex truck, a vehicle he has lovingly built a couple of years ago. They drove to the speedway grounds in Napier, which has been made available to receive donated hay and other items for the farmers in the wake of the cyclone. The dozen large hay bales, 18 sileage bales and some 250 smaller hay bales were well received at the other end.
“They were very appreciative,” said Denis.
Bronwyn said many Hawke’s Bay farmers were still desperate for help.
“Some of them lost huge areas of pasture in the cyclone and floods … their land just collapsed. There are people there who are still without power, without access, who are still struggling to get stock out. It is going to take years to recover.”
Driving down the feed donated by a raft of locals, the convoy drivers included Cambridge’s Bronwyn Cameron, Denis Beech, Brian Scott, Noel Yearbury, David Civil, Wallace Hall and Paul Gordon, and Te Awamutu’s Don Wise.
- Any Waikato farmers wanting to donate feed for Hawkes Bay farmers could get information through the RDA Napier Facebook page, or via Dion on 021 258 9898.
