It’s amazing the people you meet in this job, says Iron Test writer, Tim Benseman. Arriving too early at the log port operation in Picton, he goes to the tourist lookout area above the yard to see if there are any good photo opportunities. Sure enough the view there is an impressive display of a large-scale, well-ordered logging industry workplace.

He continues: “It’s only a few minutes before several tourists drive up and are wowed by the spectacular scenery of the C3 log marshalling site below us. One of the tourists, a Texan, comes over and asks me if I know anything about this industry. Well now, have I got a story for you…

“C3 Picton has a vessel in loading today, the African Pelican, so they are busy first thing this morning but once we get in there,  we get a thorough Health and Safety induction. It’s the first time I’ve been shown where defibrillators are.

“We throw the doors open on the Volvo L260H wheel loader and new Iron Tester, Brady Clements, points out the two sub doors below the bonnet that allow us to check the water and oil from the ground without lifting the main bonnet. Very handy and it saves a lot of time.

“We lift that main bonnet anyway and the first thing that sticks out is the massive muffler. It’s almost as big as the engine. No wonder it’s so quiet. And grunty. She’s packing 416 horsepower (310KW).”

To read more, get your copy of the May 2025 edition of NZ Logger magazine, on sale from 5 May. Check the link on this page to subscribe to either a printed or digital copy (or both).