NZ Logger Magazine | December 2025
December 2025 Shaws Iron Test

Shaws Iron Test; An Army of Dream Machines

     Story & photos: Tim Benseman

Gavin Wilson of Havard Logging in Masterton was so impressed when he bought the first-in-the-world Hitachi ZX400L-7G that he got busy and bought the second one in the world as well.

He says at the top of his list of favourite things about the Hitachis are reliability, cost-effectiveness and performance.

Gavin started out at Havard Logging straight from school in 1985 and along with his wife, Donna, bought the company in 2021. With a fleet of 18 Hitachis (23 if including subcontractors) it’s fair to say ...

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December 2025 Women in Forestry

Women in Forestry; On hard work and connection

Cherie Rangiahua’s forestry history dates back to her great-grandfather, Hamuera Rangiahua. He worked for the Fletcher Timber Company, which would later become Fletche...

December 2025 Special Feature: Disaster Response

Special Feature: Disaster Response; From disaster response to recovery and resilience

It’s no secret that in early 2023, New Zealand was hit by two separate extreme weather events: the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. These ext...

Forest Talk

 
  • A monster of a machine

    A monster of a machine

    Rounding a corner in the sand dunes to see a new 350 horsepower Timberpro forwarder certainly makes an 11 hour drive to the Far North worthwhile, says Iron T...

  • Boosting inclusion of disabled workers

    Boosting inclusion of disabled workers

    The launch of a new government multimedia platform is set to help New Zealand businesses address chronic workforce shortages by enabling greater participatio...

  • Branching into softwood harvesting

    Branching into softwood harvesting

    The delivery of the latest Komatsu 951XC harvester to Rodwell Logging of Bomballa New South Wales (NSW), last June marked the 40th anniversary of purpose-bui...

  • Final cyclone recovery work underway

    Final cyclone recovery work underway

    With nearly 600,000 cubic metres of large woody debris removed from river catchments and beaches across the Gisborne region since Cyclone Gabrielle, signific...

  • Forestry still under pressure as Taranaki sees the light

    Forestry still under pressure as Taranaki sees the light

    Economic conditions have been challenging in Taranaki, and not just for forestry, but the downturn may be starting to ease for some.This according to Te Puna...

  • NZ sites chosen for global forest research

    NZ sites chosen for global forest research

    New Zealand sites will be used as part of an upcoming European Space Agency (ESA) mission to better understand the role forests play in the carbon and water ...

  • Positive signal for wood processing growth

    Positive signal for wood processing growth

    “The prospectus for wood processing being selected as one of the three focus areas for InvestNZ is demonstrating to the world’s investors, we are open for bu...

  • NZ Logger Magazine
    Positive signal for wood processing growth | Read Now