Māhia local breaking down barriers with fences

Eliza Maher figures fencing has set her up for success in the future, equipping her with skills and resilience that are transferable across any situation. Photo supplied

Fencing has provided Eliza Maher with so much more than a practical skill.

“If I can build a fence, I can do anything,” says the 25-year-old from Māhia.

She grew up around fencing, helping her dad Bruce and sometimes accompanied by mum Julie, so it was an easy pivot when her big OE was delayed due to Covid-19.

From the age of nine, she would head out with Bruce to work in the family business.

“It was always more fun than hard work,” she says. “I would mark posts and carry the spade to earn my pocket money.”

As dad’s right-hand worker she has put up kilometres of fence lines.

“It was a really cool way to spend time with Dad at work and learn from him.”

For her, there is nothing quite like driving a stretch of road with your handiwork on show for all to see.

“It is hugely rewarding. When we lived in Taihape we did a lot of work on the Parapara roads between Raetihi and Whanganui. While it was 10-15 years ago, I can still point out the fences we did along a 40km stretch of road. It is a really cool memory and physical reminder.”

One of the biggest challenges of the job is the weather.

“Being in Hawke’s Bay and on the East Coast you would assume it would be sunny and dry. But in the past few years all the major weather events have really made being able to go out and put in a full week’s work quite difficult. It has certainly meant sacrificing more than the occasional weekend to finish a job.”

The cyclones of 2023 hit just as she and her dad were about to head out and repair the damage from last year.

“It’s been heartbreaking to see what a sustained amount of rain can do, and now, there is so much to be done out there.”

Eliza would love to see more women in the fencing industry. When she grew up in Taihape the perception was that rural women usually became nurses or teachers.

“When you look at the farming sector, it is so much more with fencing, earthworks and more to be done. So to see more women in each part would be amazing. I always felt I wouldn’t be a teacher or a nurse, but the lack of wider female representation in rural sectors meant that as a young girl I didn’t realise there were these options.”

She was chuffed to see other female fencers at an industry day and applauds the efforts of the cadet schemes that are bringing more young women into farming.

“Fencing is a great profession and the need is huge at the moment. I like how they are introducing courses at EIT and creating study pathways. Those programmes are a good place to start, then go work with a fencer. Put out feelers and see who needs a hand . . . try it. It certainly isn’t a job for everyone, but I love it.”

Eliza headed to uni, graduating with an arts degree with a double major in anthropology and film, television and media studies. Her original plan was to take a gap year after uni, but it turned into three. Now, finally, she is about to get on a plane and put her UK work visa to good use . . . and it doesn’t include fencing at this stage.

“Doing it all alongside the family is what makes it special. That’s really been the basis for my love of fencing. To try to carry that on somewhere new just wouldn’t be the same,” says Eliza.

“I have an interest in archiving and history so it would be amazing to explore that and maybe work in a museum. I am so excited to be nearly on my way.”

But packed neatly in her tool box is the experience she brings from her years of fencing.

“Even though I am leaving it, that experience and what it has given me for the future is something I am grateful for. It makes you a good teammate. You are fit and strong, and it gives you confidence. If I can build a fence I can go do anything. Once you have put yourself through that — and it is not always easy — it gives you the fortitude to go on and do any task.”