A century in the canopy

Few can claim a lifetime in the forests of Aotearoa quite like Ray Waiariki (Ngāi Tūhoe) and Stewart Hyde (Ngāti Raukawa,  Ngāti Maniapoto). Between them, these two forestry stalwarts have spent more than a century working in the industry — witnessing its transformation from a rugged, hands-on trade to an increasingly mechanised and regulated profession.  

As directors of Mahi Rākau, formerly known as CNI Forest Management, their impact on the forestry sector in the Central North Island has been profound, shaping both the workforce and industry practices.

Ray Waiariki’s connection to forestry is lifelong. Born and raised in Kaingaroa, the forest has provided employment and served as his "playground and bread basket". By the time he was a teenager in the 1960s, Ray was already working in the industry, cutting his teeth in logging and extraction with Kaingaroa Logging Company.

“At 15, I started a formal apprenticeship at KLC. We were given an axe, a helmet, a pair of boots, a swannie and away we went," he says.

He started trimming trees with an axe before going through every department — working in the wire rope shop and the service and chainsaw departments. He says it was a tough three-year apprenticeship, but it laid the foundation for everything that came after.

“The work ethic was strong. Everyone learned the ropes from experienced foresters who expected nothing less than 100% effort. There were no lightweight tools or fancy gear — just grit and hard work."

Ray remembers that his starting pay as an apprentice was just 38 cents an hour, which increased to around 50 cents by the time he finished. "Petrol and food were cheap back then, so I thought that was good money."

Stewart Hyde’s journey began in 1969 as a forest labourer in Manawatu before he joined the Woodsman Training School based at Golden Downs Forest, south of Nelson. Stewart recalls his starting salary was $800 a year. "I got about $30 a fortnight in cash in a brown envelope and then had to pay our hostel cook about $10.

"Jobs back then were pretty much the same as today, except the tools were different. High pruning was done with a polesaw, planting with a mattock and planting bag, and thin to waste was done with an axe. No chainsaws for us Woody's.

"Our work vehicles were a Bedford gang bus and no radios in them. We had to set up an ex-army field radio and run an aerial between two trees."

By 1976, he had launched his own contracting career, working in Tairua before returning to the Central North Island in 1980. His company steadily grew from a small two-man operation to a major contractor employing more than 70 people.  

Transformations in the industry

The forestry industry has evolved since Ray and Stewart first picked up their tools. In the 1980s, the corporatisation of the New Zealand Forest Service marked a significant turning point. The restructuring led to the rise of private contractors as forest owners moved away from employing wage crews.

“That was a big shift,” Stewart explains. “We went from small operations to running a big workforce. The demand for skilled forestry workers skyrocketed, and contractors had to step up to fill the gap left by the government.”

Health and safety has been another major transformation. In the past, forestry was a high-risk industry with minimal oversight. Today, rigorous safety regulations, drug testing programs, and advanced training have improved conditions.

“Back in the day, if you tested forestry workers for drugs and alcohol, a lot of them would’ve failed,” Ray admits. “Now, we’ve got a culture shift — safety is front and center, and workers are held to a higher standard.”

Stewart agrees. “There’s more record keeping and you definitely have to dot your ‘i’ and cross your ‘T’s’, but it’s a shared responsibility. I believe the quality of work is better today as a result, especially during the planting season. There’s a real focus on getting it right.”