The Country 11/06/25: Steve Wyn-Harris talks to Jamie Mackay

Central Hawke's Bay farmer and broadcaster on chasing meteorites in his semi-retirement, and how he's written a children's book about it.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Where's my electric cherry man gone? He's no, I need you.
I need you. Mike Casey was meant to be here.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
So when you get really, really desperate and you've got
a fell who do you calling but your old mate
Steven Harris of course Central hawksboy farmer, broadcaster and for
about thirty years leading columnist or the second best columnist
in the New Zealand Farmer's Weekly.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Steve.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Hey, Jamie, it's good to see you, team mate.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Now in your spare time, seeing your semi retired. Now
you go chasing meteor meteorites.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
I found one, as you know last year because I've
dined out on it for a while. I thought this
would make a good children's story. So I've written a
children's book about the Tichapo metawite. So there it is.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
So are you are you flogging this off at Field Days? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (00:44):
I'm hoping too. So if anyone would like to buy
a metawrite book from me, come and see me after this.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
I'm assuming the profits go to Fireballs atl Row.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
They're going to do a good cause, Jamie, what one
Harris farm? Yeah, Well I'm retired now, Jamie. I don't
get paid for working on the own farm, so I
need every dollar I can get.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Oh, well, good on you. Look I've read through this
and it's very well done. It's very cleverly put together.
Where are you going to be selling this?

Speaker 3 (01:09):
I'm down by the Hills Laboratory team.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Good on you. So how are things going in Central Hawk, Spain? Good?

Speaker 3 (01:15):
No, We've had a good season while the west was struggling.
We had a good, good summer and autumn. Good feed levels,
stock are and good condition. It's a bit patchy. Not
everyone's in really good shape. But on the whole on
the east coast of North Island, as you've heard from
your other guests over the last few months, it's been great.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
I was talking to Mike Peterson.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
Was it yesterday or the day before, I can't remember,
but he was talking about your Tookie Tookie water scheme.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Is it going to get up and going?

Speaker 3 (01:41):
Well, yeah, I don't know. It's you know, there's a
bit of water to go under that bridge, Jamie, But
there's a passionate team her intent on getting it over
the line. But also there's there's a group of people
that would rather not see it happen.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
So time will tell, Okay, Steve Rowena you might want
to come up here for a moment. Hey, good on
your matan. There you go, folks. You can get those
at Neil the Hills Laboratory. Steven Harris, thank you very
much for your time.