October 7, 2024 • 6 mins
The chief executive of Steelfort is also a Waitomo sheep and beef farmer. And his farm has certainly been in the news with the sighting of the Marakopa fugitive Tom Phillips and his three children.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, our next guest on the Country, John mcavinnie, sent
me a video just before the end of yesterday's show.
I didn't get time to deal with it. I wished
I had because I would have had an exclusive John
mcavinnie in the intervening day or less than a day.
You have been literally a media star. You've sold yourself
to everybody. I'll be battling the Woman's Weekly just to
(00:22):
get you on this show.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Well, Jamie, I've never hit so many calls from media
in my life. I've had TV in z I've had
news Talk zed BE and I've had Radio New Zealand,
and you know it's yeah, it's quite unusual. I never
hit so much prominence in my life.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, John, I feel a bit like a jelted bride.
You're a regular here on the Country. I thought you
would have chatted to me first. I realized the time
frames around it. Now. The reason you are in the media,
of course, because on your Waitomo Sheep and Bee Farm,
your grandson out pig hunting, spotted Tom Phillips, the fugitive
from Maracopa, and there's three kids.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, well that's exactly right. They were. They're out there
docking this week all week docking. I've got two grandkids
and two of their mates out there and that's what
they're doing this week, and that's the reason they're there.
But they went out for a hunt on Thursday night
and it was right up by the trick there's a
trig station up there and you can see Mark Copa
(01:23):
from that area. And he rang me and he said, oh,
he said, there's a guy here with a great big
beard and there's three kids. He said, wasn't there somebody
went missing? And I said no. I immediately recalled Tom
Phillips and I said it'll be him right, And of
course you know what happens. Of course, these kids, you know,
they well they're not kids, they're sort of young adults now.
(01:44):
They immediately pull out their phone as you and I,
Jamie would you know, we'd ring one on one or whatever.
But they immediately video these guys. And you've seen those
videos and pretty pretty defining, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Well, i'd bear wee but wary video and Tom Phillips
is carrying a gun.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, exactly. So they were a bit circumspect about that.
So he rang me and said what should I do?
And I said, well, bring one one one, which he did,
and he rang Brent, the far manager, and he knows
one of the police because they've been around on varying
occasions over the last two or three years. So he
rang that guy and they unfortunately, you know, it was
(02:22):
getting towards the end of the day. It was about
seven o'clock when he rang me, and of course by
the time the police got out there the following morning,
they were well gone. But they did. You know, Andre,
my grandson. He talked to one of the kids and
you know, had not a conversation but a very short conversation,
so he had good presence of mine to get a
(02:46):
video in Those videos, as I say, are pretty defining,
aren't they.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Well, absolutely, and the video shows Tom Phillips clearly walking
away in military precision, almost whistling at the kids, come on,
hurry up. You know what sort of jurists they're under.
Oh it's a bit freaky. He could have been living
on your farm for years.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Well, it's very possible. But there's a lot of bushes there,
and of course it carries on what will pass our place.
You know, there's a big, big area there, I don't know,
for three four thousand years there that he could have
been hiding in. But you know, looking after those kids,
you know all the time like that, he must be
getting some help. And you know, I'm not sure where
(03:27):
that comes from, but it's pretty hard to live off
the bush, especially in one of those children at one stage.
I think they're only about three and a half six
and a half now, so they've you know, it's nearly
three years since they've had any major sightings of them.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Oh well, that'll make docking a bit more exciting. On
the sheep and beef arm, how's it going.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Well, they got they got half a day in yesterday
and I talked to Brin this morning. They did eight
hundreds this morning. So I'm on the way over there
now and we're chief Sue and I chief cook and
bottle washers. So we'll be feeding these kids and they'll
be pretty angry at what imagine, And so we're going
over there to sort of just give a hand and
(04:09):
so I know a lot more UFT or you know,
at five o'clock tonight when they finish.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
What sort of season are you having?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
It's indifferent. You know, we've had a few bit of rain,
but it hasn't been that cold. You know, I've talked
to Brandony. You know, we we use giving Derek Daniels
to plug waery rams and you know, they are tough,
these sheep. You know, they drop them in the rain
and the mud and whatever, and they seem to get
up and walk away and you know, so but Brent said,
(04:39):
we've had a pretty pretty good survival, right so hopefully
it'll turn into you know, you know, as much as
we got last year, which was close to ten thousand lambs.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Okay, John, when you're not farming or fighting crime on
your on your sheep and beef farm, you're running steel. Thought,
how's the retail scene going in New Zealand at the moment?
I mean, this is your prime time selling season for lawnmowers.
Is it too weak to get a lawnmower out?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Well, there's certain places in the country that are going okay.
But you know, if you had to describe it, you'd
call it sticky. It hasn't fired properly as yet. But
there's still plenty of time, you know, sort of October, November, December.
You know, we've had plenty of We've got plenty of
moisture in the ground and there's plenty of grass around.
(05:26):
It's just a matter of getting onto it. But you know,
I'm going to know a bit more later this week,
but I would say that, you know, it's pretty bullish
about it. He thinks that there's been a good survival rate.
And you know, if we get anything like half good
between now and the end of October November, we should
we should should go okay, because it's looking a lot
better now, you know, for both the farming, and if
(05:50):
these interest rates come down next week and maybe next month,
it'll give a bit more you know, enthusiasm into the economy.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Which you don't even have to wait for next week.
I'll come down tomorrow. The question is whether it'll be
twenty five or fifty basis points. It's certainly going to
kickstart retail, especially as we head into Christmas, and goodness
knows we needed. I think the cure has been far
worse than the disease from the good doctor Adrian or
These guys are.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Doing a good job, I think, you know, I mean,
they might be not ticking every box for everybody, but generally,
you know, they're a long way here. Who's evident in
the second place, haven't they right?
Speaker 1 (06:28):
We'll let you go good luck finding Tom Phillips.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Okay, thanks Jamie. Nice to talk, Kiz.
Well, our next guest on the Country, John mcavinnie, sent
me a video just before the end of yesterday's show.
I didn't get time to deal with it. I wished
I had because I would have had an exclusive John
mcavinnie in the intervening day or less than a day.
You have been literally a media star. You've sold yourself
to everybody. I'll be battling the Woman's Weekly just to
(00:22):
get you on this show.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Well, Jamie, I've never hit so many calls from media
in my life. I've had TV in z I've had
news Talk zed BE and I've had Radio New Zealand,
and you know it's yeah, it's quite unusual. I never
hit so much prominence in my life.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, John, I feel a bit like a jelted bride.
You're a regular here on the Country. I thought you
would have chatted to me first. I realized the time
frames around it. Now. The reason you are in the media,
of course, because on your Waitomo Sheep and Bee Farm,
your grandson out pig hunting, spotted Tom Phillips, the fugitive
from Maracopa, and there's three kids.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, well that's exactly right. They were. They're out there
docking this week all week docking. I've got two grandkids
and two of their mates out there and that's what
they're doing this week, and that's the reason they're there.
But they went out for a hunt on Thursday night
and it was right up by the trick there's a
trig station up there and you can see Mark Copa
(01:23):
from that area. And he rang me and he said, oh,
he said, there's a guy here with a great big
beard and there's three kids. He said, wasn't there somebody
went missing? And I said no. I immediately recalled Tom
Phillips and I said it'll be him right, And of
course you know what happens. Of course, these kids, you know,
they well they're not kids, they're sort of young adults now.
(01:44):
They immediately pull out their phone as you and I,
Jamie would you know, we'd ring one on one or whatever.
But they immediately video these guys. And you've seen those
videos and pretty pretty defining, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Well, i'd bear wee but wary video and Tom Phillips
is carrying a gun.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, exactly. So they were a bit circumspect about that.
So he rang me and said what should I do?
And I said, well, bring one one one, which he did,
and he rang Brent, the far manager, and he knows
one of the police because they've been around on varying
occasions over the last two or three years. So he
rang that guy and they unfortunately, you know, it was
(02:22):
getting towards the end of the day. It was about
seven o'clock when he rang me, and of course by
the time the police got out there the following morning,
they were well gone. But they did. You know, Andre,
my grandson. He talked to one of the kids and
you know, had not a conversation but a very short conversation,
so he had good presence of mine to get a
(02:46):
video in Those videos, as I say, are pretty defining,
aren't they.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Well, absolutely, and the video shows Tom Phillips clearly walking
away in military precision, almost whistling at the kids, come on,
hurry up. You know what sort of jurists they're under.
Oh it's a bit freaky. He could have been living
on your farm for years.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Well, it's very possible. But there's a lot of bushes there,
and of course it carries on what will pass our place.
You know, there's a big, big area there, I don't know,
for three four thousand years there that he could have
been hiding in. But you know, looking after those kids,
you know all the time like that, he must be
getting some help. And you know, I'm not sure where
(03:27):
that comes from, but it's pretty hard to live off
the bush, especially in one of those children at one stage.
I think they're only about three and a half six
and a half now, so they've you know, it's nearly
three years since they've had any major sightings of them.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Oh well, that'll make docking a bit more exciting. On
the sheep and beef arm, how's it going.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Well, they got they got half a day in yesterday
and I talked to Brin this morning. They did eight
hundreds this morning. So I'm on the way over there
now and we're chief Sue and I chief cook and
bottle washers. So we'll be feeding these kids and they'll
be pretty angry at what imagine, And so we're going
over there to sort of just give a hand and
(04:09):
so I know a lot more UFT or you know,
at five o'clock tonight when they finish.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
What sort of season are you having?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
It's indifferent. You know, we've had a few bit of rain,
but it hasn't been that cold. You know, I've talked
to Brandony. You know, we we use giving Derek Daniels
to plug waery rams and you know, they are tough,
these sheep. You know, they drop them in the rain
and the mud and whatever, and they seem to get
up and walk away and you know, so but Brent said,
(04:39):
we've had a pretty pretty good survival, right so hopefully
it'll turn into you know, you know, as much as
we got last year, which was close to ten thousand lambs.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Okay, John, when you're not farming or fighting crime on
your on your sheep and beef farm, you're running steel. Thought,
how's the retail scene going in New Zealand at the moment?
I mean, this is your prime time selling season for lawnmowers.
Is it too weak to get a lawnmower out?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Well, there's certain places in the country that are going okay.
But you know, if you had to describe it, you'd
call it sticky. It hasn't fired properly as yet. But
there's still plenty of time, you know, sort of October, November, December.
You know, we've had plenty of We've got plenty of
moisture in the ground and there's plenty of grass around.
(05:26):
It's just a matter of getting onto it. But you know,
I'm going to know a bit more later this week,
but I would say that, you know, it's pretty bullish
about it. He thinks that there's been a good survival rate.
And you know, if we get anything like half good
between now and the end of October November, we should
we should should go okay, because it's looking a lot
better now, you know, for both the farming, and if
(05:50):
these interest rates come down next week and maybe next month,
it'll give a bit more you know, enthusiasm into the economy.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Which you don't even have to wait for next week.
I'll come down tomorrow. The question is whether it'll be
twenty five or fifty basis points. It's certainly going to
kickstart retail, especially as we head into Christmas, and goodness
knows we needed. I think the cure has been far
worse than the disease from the good doctor Adrian or
These guys are.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Doing a good job, I think, you know, I mean,
they might be not ticking every box for everybody, but generally,
you know, they're a long way here. Who's evident in
the second place, haven't they right?
Speaker 1 (06:28):
We'll let you go good luck finding Tom Phillips.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Okay, thanks Jamie. Nice to talk, Kiz.
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