Tim Garrick: Installing a Section of Rails

Tim Garrick has been contracting in the Gisborne region for the past six and a half years. With a total of eight years of fencing under his belt, he mostly works on hill country jobs that require a lot of post and batten fencing.

Luckily for Tim, this is his preferred type of fencing, with it being a rewarding experience once complete.

When Tim left school, he started out shepherding. After working on farms and doing a little bit of tractor driving, he started fencing as a means to get on the path to farm ownership. He also enjoys building fences, so it was a win-win situation.

We visited Tim whilst he and Cory Twigley were working on a project to re-fence flood banks on the Waipaoa River. Even though the pair have their own fencing contractor businesses, they still help each other when they need to, jumping in on certain jobs. They have also competed in numerous fencing competitions together, so they know each other’s skillset and workmanship well.

“Cory and I have been participating in fencing competitions for about five years now, as a way to better ourselves. Anything to do with competitions is good. We like being able to network and meet new people. As for the actual competition, there’s nothing like putting yourself up against someone else who’s better than you and trying to beat them. We’ve been relatively successful, I suppose, so we’ve stuck at it. We both love it, and we chase it pretty hard now,” Tim said.

Other than fencing, Tim is in the process of building his own home, and he also finds time to tinker away in the workshop, building and making things.

The main job that Tim is working on for two to three months of this year is using all Goldpine gear, which he finds good to work with. “It’s awesome getting gear that’s dry; it’s a big plus for us as it’s a lot easier on your men. Timber doesn’t shrink when it’s dry, and it’s just easier and more user-friendly.”