Taumarunui farmer's dogged pursuit wins new car

Catherine Donaldson is determined the Subaru WRX STI won't be used to cart gear around the 1800ha farm. Photo / Supplied

Catherine Donaldson will soon have a new automatic Subaru WRX STI parked in her driveway.

The Taumarunui farmer is the winner of the Herald's "Be in to win the new Subaru STI" competition.

More than 225,000 entries were received for the promotion. Readers had to collect daily keywords found in the online or print edition of the Herald.

Since the Donaldsons aren't Weekend Herald subscribers, Mrs Donaldson's husband reluctantly drove to their nearest retailer each weekend of the competition's three-week run.

Mrs Donaldson heard the good news this week.

"They asked me if I had a couple of minutes - I thought it was a survey!"

She said it took a few days for the news to sink in.

The Donaldsons use a much-driven Toyota to navigate the steep hills of their 1800ha property, but the Subaru will be "for leisure trips, not carting farm gear", Mrs Donaldson said.

The prize includes on-road costs, a 12-month registration, and car accessories such as carpet mats, a front-lip spoiler, aluminium exhaust surrounds and a mesh front grille.