On The Up: Te Puke's John Rohloff claims second at excavator competition
'I wasn't expecting anything like this.
'When I saw my name come up across a number of the events [during the awards night], I thought 'Jeez, I might be in with a shot here'.
'I owe it to my employers, Fulton Hogan, for supporting me in doing this, and to Civil Contractors NZ for putting this on.
'I'm just grateful.'
Rohloff said he thought the key was good time management, especially on the Saturday of the two-day event.
'That's what helped on the 135 13-tonne challenge; I set good times and I achieved what I wanted to.'
First-place winner
Northland's Steven George demonstrated his grit to rise above a historic field of competitors, outclassing 11 of the country's top operators to reign supreme.
The Whangārei owner-operator showcased nerves of steel and precision operating to clinch the victory.
He took the title over Bay of Plenty champion Rohloff, while last year's runner-up, Michael Brown, also of Fulton Hogan, took third place.
George's success in the competition, held on March 14-15 at Manfeild Park in Feilding during Central Districts Field Days, follows previous attempts in 2023, when he was runner-up, and 2024, when he took third.
He was supported at the competition by Julie Fraser.
Victory speech
George said winning the competition title was 'bloody awesome' and thanked everyone involved for their efforts in his victory speech.
'Thanks very much to everybody who put this on.
'All the organisers, sponsors, volunteers, it's just great
'Third nudge at this. I was second, dropped to third and managed to get there today. I wasn't too confident.
'I enjoyed watching all the other competitors. Everybody's pretty skilled. I don't usually get nervous, but this evening was a bit of that.'
This year's event marked the 31st anniversary of the excavator 'battle royale' and broke new ground with three female regional champions — Georgia Lyford, of Canterbury Westland, Lydia Hill, of Nelson Marlborough, and Tanya Claxton, of Hawke's Bay East Coast — competing in the national finals for the first time in the competition's history.
The 2025 winners:
Champion: Steven George, Steven George Contracting, Northland
Connexis One-day Job Challenge: Josh Keane, McEwan Haulage, Otago
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
14 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Whangārei hosts NZ Secondary Schools Cross Country Champs for first time
Whangārei is hosting the NZ Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships this weekend, with teenage middle-distance prodigy Sam Ruthe among the 700 athletes competing. This is the first time Whangārei has hosted the event, which is in its 51st year. Nigel Stewart from Athletics Whangārei said hosting such an event, and
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Scoop
Motueka High School Team To Tackle One NZ GODZONE With Mentorship By Nathan Fa'avae
Leo Easton (18), Nika Rayward (19), Louie Burger (17) and Tide Fa'avae (19) are one of the youngest teams to take on the 5 - 7-day expedition event. They will do so under the guidance of multiple adventure racing world champion and a respected leader in the sport Nathan Fa'avae. For these young adventurers, the journey to the prestigious event has been nothing short of an adventure racing fairytale, according to Fa'avae. 'In 2015, when our eldest daughter Jessie started at Motueka High, my wife Jodie launched an Adventure Club for Year 9 students to introduce them to outdoor activities and build a team capable of competing in secondary school adventure races, including the Hillary Challenge. What started as a group of 8 enthusiastic students quickly gained traction with the team participating in regional and national events.' 'Fast forward to 2019, the team earned a spot at the Hillary Challenge finals, where they finished a remarkable 3rd place. In 2020, Motueka High School returned with renewed confidence and clinched victory. The team won a second time in 2022, and in 2024, made history again by winning the Hillary Challenge with a perfect score - the highest possible achievement - with Leo, Louie, Tide and Nika making up half that team.' Fa'avae has had a remarkable adventure racing career spanning 40 expedition-length events around the globe and, as captain of Team Avaya, won most chapters of One NZ GODZONE since its inception. He says while tempted to return to racing at the event in Marlborough, a region he considers a second home, he's ready to turn his attention to mentoring a young team. 'I've accepted that my competitive days are behind me, but I still have the energy to contribute. This group includes current Motueka High School students and alumni - motivated 17 and 18-year-olds - eager to step into the GODZONE arena. Their commitment speaks volumes about the event's mana and its ability to inspire across generations.' 'My children grew up around GODZONE. I won the first one at age 40 and the final one at 50 - it bookended that decade of my life. My youngest daughter, Tide, was five when she attended the inaugural GODZONE and will be 19 at the event. GODZONE has always been on her bucket list and now that it's back, she finally gets to participate." 'The return of GODZONE reminds us of the strength and future of adventure racing in New Zealand. It's great to see a new generation stepping forward. When young athletes line up for GODZONE, they're not just doing a race—they're stepping into a tradition that challenges and defines people. It's the ultimate legacy event they want to be measured against.' AWS Legal is supporting the team by sponsoring their One NZ GODZONE entry, which AWS Legal Partner Damien Pine says is an exciting step for the firm. 'The sponsorship aligns with our commitment to positively impacting our communities, particularly through participation in sport. We have learned from our involvement with One NZ GODZONE athletes over the years that mental strength and resilience are the cornerstone of their success. There is something unique in the gruelling and rewarding challenge of the race that creates extraordinary growth in the individuals who compete.' He says by participating in the ultimate New Zealand adventure race, the young high school team will test themselves mentally and physically and, importantly, take learnings back to everyday life to set themselves up for success. 'In a time when we observe people struggling with the resilience to deal with everyday life, we wanted to help young people learn the valuable lessons that an event like One NZ GODZONE can provide firsthand. Partnering with the team and Nathan Fa'avae as a mentor is the perfect way. We are proud to support them on this journey.' Quick Facts
NZ Herald
28-05-2025
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Bay of Plenty squash players heading to Egypt for world championships
Six Bay of Plenty squash players are preparing to represent New Zealand in Egypt at the Junior World Championships. Ella Hill, Erin Wyllie and Brooke Valois of Devoy Squash, Vihan Chathury and Jack Lord of Te Puke Squash, and Aria Bannister from Mount Maunganui, will travel to Cairo in July
