A TEENAGE GUMBOOT EXPERIENCE Josh sat in his seat on the bus and gazed out the window at the suburbs of south Auckland. He was not happy. Here he was on day 1 of the July winter school holidays and, instead of spending the day with his mates playing rugby or spending time in the video parlours of the North Shore, he was speeding towards a farm in a small Waikato town to spend two weeks with his uncle and cousins. It just didn’t seem fair. Since his mother had left home to link up with an old boyfriend seven months earlier Josh’s world had been turned upside down. At least there was some peace in the house with no more rows at home between his mother and father. Josh had been an uncomfortable spectator as the relationship had gone downhill over the last two years. At 16 he already knew too much about marital breakups but he also realised that feeling sorry for himself was unhelpful. After all, almost half his class at high school were from one parent families. But the immediate problem had been what could he do for the holidays? His Dad was a busy man and now on an overseas trip to Canada so Josh had to go somewhere for the break. His grandparents were all in retirement villages and not able to cope with a teenager. He couldn’t spend the fortnight with his best mate Chris as he was with his family visiting relatives in Los Angeles, two other mates had gone to the South Island and hadn’t thought to include Josh. So he was being packed off to the farm located a 10 minute drive south-west of Cambridge, a small provincial town half an hour from the city of Hamilton. He had been to the farm before but not since he was six, nine years ago, and the idea of spending the holidays on a remote farm far from any entertainment just didn’t appeal. His uncle was a good guy – his wife, Josh’s father’s sister, had died some years before. He got on OK with his two cousins, Tom and Sam. They had spent a couple of holidays with Josh at the North Shore, around Christmas time. But he hadn’t seen them for three years and wondered what he was in for. They didn’t come across as hayseeds but, well, they were just different and he knew so was country living. What entertainment value was there on a dairy farm? It sounded like work, boring work. The bus drove into the town of Huntly and pulled over to the side of the road wet from drizzle. Josh saw a family get out of their seats in the bus and start hauling down their belongings from the rack above them. Josh looked away and his attention was immediately drawn to a group of teenage boys not far from the bus. They were engaged in some friendly pushing and shoving over a packet of potato chips. There was a lot of laughter. They were all about the same age as Josh’s 15 but the distinctive thing about them was that all three were wearing knee high gumboots. Josh had never taken much notice of people wearing gumboots – in Auckland they were generally worn by road workers, butchers or plumbers, not kids like himself and boys of his age didn’t wear them in the big city, it wasn’t seen as cool. One was obviously a Maori boy – hardly surprising in the town of Huntly – and he was wearing white gumboots which were hardly white they were so dirty, at the bottom of blue Adidas track pants. Another, a tallish curly-headed boy was wearing black gumboots which had narrow contour lines around the front of them at the bottom of blue jeans. The third boy, more stoutly built and in blue overalls, was also in black boots, almost new and clean and notable for a label at the top front which read Skellerup Perth. Josh was impressed and stirred by the sight. The departing family were taking their own good time to get off the bus and then get their gear and Josh had 10 minutes watching the three boys who were obviously mates as they walked to their bikes, kicking small stones on the ground as they went. They wore their gumboots as if they were normal everyday wear, which Josh suspected they were. He wondered what it would be like. Almost at the time the bus started to move off they mounted their bikes and headed down the road. Josh continued to watch them very closely. They eventually disappeared from sight but the sight of the boys in their gumboots remained ingrained in Josh’s memory and he thought about it constantly. He remembered having a pair of gumboots when he was young but had not worn any for at least seven years and had never given them a moment’s thought. Very young kids wore coloured gumboots but not anyone Josh’s age. The bus drove on to Hamilton where some passengers left and others got on, and continued on its journey towards the tourist city of Rotorua. On the outskirts of Hamilton, in a quiet suburb, Josh had another reminder of his new interest. As they waited at traffic lights two more boys, these ones a bit older, were walking down the road. One was a tall boy with freckles. He was wearing a sweat shirt and rugby shorts and under them a pair of black, knee high rubber gumboots. Josh loved the way the tops of the gumboots would brush his hairy legs as the boy walked. The other boy was wearing shorter gumboots with a red trim, barely above ankle height, but Josh took little interest in him. Eventually the bus left the boys behind and continued on its journey. Half an hour out of Hamilton the bus pulled off the main highway and into the busy town of Cambridge, down the main shopping street and right into another road. A group of people were waiting at what was effectively the bus stop. Josh looked out before he reached up to get his gear and was immediately struck by the sight. The handful of people waiting were all in knee high gumboots. There was even a girl, aged about 15, wearing very tall boots that looked like those equestrian riders wore. Waiting for him was his uncle, Anthony, and his cousin Tom. And both were wearing knee high gumboots. Tom was in blue overalls. The boots were the same ones with contours the tall curly-haired boy wore in Huntly, both pairs with a little mud on them. Tom was the same age as Josh, about the same height and weight, but with a mop of wavy black hair. He had another older brother, Sam, who was 17, but there was no sign of him. Josh clambered off the bus and embraced his uncle Anthony and shook Tom’s hand. They welcomed him and helped him with his two bags and took them to a mud- splattered Holden Commodore wagon parked nearby. Josh couldn’t help but watch Tom and his gumboots out of the corner of his eye. His uncle asked him about Josh’s father (his late wife’s brother) and they talked until they were seated in the Holden and driving along the road. As they turned the corner his uncle asked Josh if, by any chance, he had a pair of gumboots in one of the bags – he would need them on the farm, especially if the weather remained wet. Josh said no and his uncle made a comment along the lines of, we can fix that very quickly. They drove one more block and pulled into the carpark of a store called R D 1. His uncle told Tom to take Josh in while he went to one side and looked at some fencing equipment. Josh and Tom walked into the store and headed straight for the footwear section. Josh almost gasped at the lineup of gumboots in various shapes and sizes – but they were all black. Tom was like an expert: “Best ones are the Marathon 4x4s like I’ve got on. They are what everyone wears on the farm. Most of my friends have them. The contours are good for keeping the muck away. You could get these shorter ones, the Red Bands, but they are too short in some situations and we only use them in summer. These ones over here are more for girls and women – we wouldn’t be seen dead in them.” Josh was as excited as he had ever been in a store and reached for the Marathons in his size, size 8. His hands shook as he removed his Nikes, folded back the bottom of his jeans and slipped his right foot into a boot and immediately felt the warmth and support of the strong canvas inside. He planted his other foot into the other boot and walked around a little. He spotted a low mirror to one side and stood in front, admiring and liking what he saw. Thank goodness no one could see him front on. Tom asked if the gumboots were too big. They needed to be a little big, he explained, because it was normal to wear two pairs of thick socks with them. Josh decided they were just fine and asked what they cost. “They’re about $80 but don’t worry, Dad will take care of that.” They joined Josh’s uncle at the counter. He looked at Josh and said: “That’s more like it” and told the shop assistant to add the gumboots to his bill. The shop assistant asked Josh if he wanted to take off the boots so he could bag them but Josh wasn’t having that. No, they would stay on and his Nike sneakers could go into the plastic bag. They walked out of the store a few minutes later, all three in their rubber boots. They climbed into the car and then went to a nearby supermarket. Anthony took very little time in filling up a trolley with meat and groceries, Josh and Tom tagging behind. The fact that all three were wearing gumboots drew no one’s attention. In fact they passed another handful of people in gumboots, men and women, young and old. It took a little time to get used to them but Josh was loving the idea of wearing them all the time. Anthony exited the supermarket carpark and drove through the country lanes for 15 minutes before swinging into a property that carried a small sign, “Lochiel Dairy Farm”. He drove up a steep gravely path and around a corner to a large homestead. Josh remembered the big old house that had, from memory, at least six bedrooms. His uncle directed him to the house and down the hallway to the last room on the right. “That’s yours for as long as you are here. Don’t worry about taking your gumboots off – they’re clean and won’t spoil anything. No women to worry about here.” He also gave Josh a pair of blue farm overalls to wear over his regular clothes to keep them clean on the farm. Josh had readily agreed to help with whatever work was around the place – there was obviously little else to do. Josh’s head buzzed with excitement and nervous energy. This was already turning out to be a different holiday. He unpacked his bags and found room for his clothes in a cupboard. His Nikes and other shoes – a pair of skate shoes and a pair of black dress up shoes – were tossed into a corner. No need for these while I’ve got my Marathons on. He put another pair of socks on the existing ones. He quietly inspected his boots. They were called Marathon 4x4s and were made by a company called Skellerup. There was a full length mirror so Josh admired the view again. He played with the boots in the mirror, posing side on, rear and full frontal and looked at the corrugated undersides. They looked good from all angles. A few minutes later he walked out of the house in time to see two four-wheel bikes come noisily up the slope. On one was his other cousin, Sam, and on the other an older boy, probably 18. And yes, both were wearing identical Marathon gumboots. Sam came over and shook Josh’s hand and welcomed him. And made a comment that was a little sarcastic but friendly as well: “So big city boy is in the country with new gumboots. Can’t wait to see those get dirty. Good to see them on you, cuz.” He introduced Josh to the other boy, Jack, who worked on the dairy farm. They shook hands and Jack said: “So you’re new to gumboots, eh? You’ll learn to love them like we all have.” Josh responded: “I already do.” Tom chipped in: “Jack’s the real gumboot lover – has a separate pair in his room and wears them to bed.” Jack blushed a little but didn’t dispute the facts. A few minutes passed and a four-wheel drive vehicle emerged up the slope and came to a halt close by. Out of it emerged two more males, an older man in his 40s and another teenager. The older man was wearing Marathons like the rest but the boy, probably 17, and of stout build, wearing blue overalls, was in a pair of old gumboots which were taller than the rest. Anthony introduced Josh to Anthony’s brother, Mike, and Mike’s son, Adam. Mike and Anthony headed into the kitchen while Adam and Josh and the other boys chatted. After a little while Josh plucked up the courage to ask the question that had been burning him since he first saw Adam. “So why the different gumboots,” he asked. Adam looked puzzled for a moment and then he realised the reason for the question. “Oh, I see. Yes, I have a pair of Marathons. These are my old waders. The tops got all frayed, broken and worn so I cut them down. I like them because they go over the knee – I love that.” Adam saw that Josh was obviously impressed. “Would you like to try them on?” Josh quickly agreed, slipping off his new Marathons. He pulled on Josh’s gumboots and noticed that they came up to three inches over the knee. It was an even better feeling than wearing the Marathons. “Nice, cool,” he commented. Tom had come over and chipped in: “Yeah, but even better is wearing full hip waders. Wait till you try them on.” Josh was positively watering at the mouth at the prospect. Tom said he would show Josh something. With Adam they walked over to a room on the side of the house. “This is the boot room,” he declared. He opened the door and Josh gasped when he saw what was inside. There were at least six pairs of the shorter Red Band gumboots, an old pair of the Marathons and, hanging from hooks on the wall, at least six pairs of waders. “Wow, what a lineup,” Josh commented. Tom reached up and pulled down a pair of the waders which Josh saw were also called Marathon. “Here, try these on. They’re mine – size 8, same as you.” Josh eagerly pulled off Adam’s long boots as Adam removed Josh’s Marathons. Josh awkwardly put a leg into the first of the waders and pulled them up to his crotch. Wow, what a feeling, he thought. He pulled the next one on and stood there for a moment, thinking this was the best way to be dressed. Tom explained how to tie the straps to Josh’s belt to ensure the waders did not ride down. Magic. After a few moments they heard Adam’s Dad calling their names and the word “lunch” was used. Josh pulled off the waders for Tom to put them back on their hook and pulled his Marathons back on. They walked out of the boot room and joined the rest of the men on the balcony at a table. The others had already tucked into meat pies that Anthony had bought at the supermarket, bread, cheese, ham and cold drinks. The conversation was all about the farm, the morning’s milking, how much milk was taken, when the tanker would arrive, what time they would gather for the next milking – they agreed 3pm. In the meantime there were chores to be done. A couple of fences needed repairing and the two older men would take care of those. Josh and Tom were given the job of shifting stock away from the stream to avoid it becoming polluted. They cleaned up the dishes and went their separate ways, Tom taking control of one of the farm bikes with Josh hanging on behind. They travelled for some minutes before cresting a hill and driving down a steep slope to a gully. Through bush Josh could make out a steady stream of water falling down the hill. Tom immediately noticed that one of the cows was in the stream but caught in the grasp of several branches. “Let’s go sort her out,” he said. So they clambered in and while Tom held the panicking cow Josh moved the branches to free it. The water was deeper than it looked and Tom noticed that the water level was just an inch from the brow of his gumboots. “Waders might have been useful here – or even Adam’s boots,” he told Tom. But before water could pour in they had moved the cow and clambered out themselves. Then Josh noticed Tom hadn’t been so lucky. The cow had thrashed around a bit, forcing Tom into the deepest part of the stream. Tom removed his right gumboot on the grass and poured water from it. “Damn,” said Tom. “Never mind, it’ll dry.” And with that he planted his foot back inside. They rode back up the hill but instead of heading for the cow shed Tom turned back towards the house. They couldn’t talk above the noise of the bike. But when the bike stopped Tom declared: “Pain having wet feet inside gumboots. Wait here.” Five minutes later Tom emerged from the boot shed with a pair of worn Marathons on his feet. “Where did you get those?” Josh asked. “They’re Adam’s – he’s not using them at the moment because he uses his cut-downs. Have left my usual ones in the sun to dry.” So they climbed back on the bike and headed for the cowshed. They arrived a few minutes later and nearly everyone was there – well the boys were. Josh could see cows lining up in single file down the field waiting to enter the rotary. But before he could get closer Tom surprised him again. “Right, into the back to get our gumboots.” Josh looked confused but before he could ask a question Tom propelled him through a doorway. Inside was another lineup of gumboots. These were slightly different, still black and knee high but with yellow trim, they were dairy shed boots with the name Kohn on them. “What are these for,” he asked as he took the Marathons off and put on a new pair of size 8s directly out of a box. “These are dairy shed boots. We only wear them in the shed. They are more comfortable to wear on concrete and we keep them clean so as they don’t get cow shit on them and possibly infect the milk.” The Kohns were indeed more comfortable with a soft, springy inside base, easier on the feet. Within a minute they had been joined by Adam, Sam and Jack who all pulled on Kohns. For the next two hours Josh learned how to place the milking cups on the cows, to sterilise where needed and to move cows off the rotary when they had finished. The other boys did more responsible and skilful tasks. By the time milking had finished it was after 5pm and dark. Anthony and his brother had arrived a bit earlier, checked that all the milk pumps and drains were working and then turned off the rotary. All the boys clambered into the boot room to remove their Kohns and get their Marathons on (or in the case of Adam his long boots). They piled into the four wheel drive or the two farm bikes and returned to the big house. In their absence a woman the family employed had been in to clean up the lunch dishes, do some housework, organise the washing and make dinner – it was waiting for them in the oven. She was gone. The boys took their gumboots off in the boot room. Tom lent Josh a marker pen so he could put his name inside his Marathons to avoid having them confused with Tom’s or anyone else’s. They padded into the house in their socks but Adam was already in his very clean “house” gumboots – and the boys ribbed him about that. After dinner, it was TV, a DVD movie which Jack had got out and then bed at 10pm which was very early for Josh, especially during school holidays. “We need to mate – we’re up at 6am for the morning milking,” Tom said. The work he had done that afternoon was different to anything Josh had experienced before so he was feeling a bit achy – but went to bed still buzzing about his day’s adventures. He was woken at 5.45am by the noise of rain on the roof and of people moving around. He came out of the bedroom and headed for one of the two bathrooms and found Jack walking out of it, wearing his indoor gumboots. “Mornin”, Adam said as he stomped by. Wow, was he never out of them? Josh had a quick wash, got dressed and joined everyone else in the kitchen for breakfast of cereal and toast. The talk centred on the heavy rain that was lashing the farm. Anthony had to go to town to collect some supplies, take some machinery in to be repaired and for an appointment with the bank. The rest would head for the cowshed. They all headed for the boot room through the interior door and everyone started pulling on waders. Josh looked at Tom and Tom indicated a pair – presumably Anthony’s, size 9s – that he could wear. There was also a heavy duty rain jacket with a hood that came down to Josh’s knees. They looked quite a sight, five of them squeezing into the four wheel drive and Sam on the bike. The boot manoeverings resumed with the Kohns replacing the waders. Tom gave Josh a brief lesson in how to remove the waders quickly – by rolling the tops down and then up to the knee, a look that Josh quite liked as well. Josh was given more work to do and was getting the hang of what was required. He wore a long plastic apron to keep his clothes from getting too dirty and long rubber gloves. They finished the milking at 9am and took a break in the boot room after another swap. “What’s next?” asked Josh. Jack, Adam and Sam smiled at the eagerness and Tom said: “Not much you can do in this weather. You and I can check on the north boundary to make sure it’s still intact after all the rain – there will be some flooding and erosion up there. We’ll take the bike – don’t expect to stay dry though.” Josh didn’t mind at all and they rode for 15 minutes through the driving rain. The fence was intact but Tom noted that the water was eroding the soil base. “We’ll need to come back tomorrow,” he said. They got back on the bike and Tom started up the engine, But nothing happened. He tried again. Dead as a doornail. Tom swore a couple of times. “Great, bike won’t start and we’re stranded miles from home.” There was only one thing for it. They needed to walk home. They left the bike behind and strode out. Over the next hour Josh gave thanks many times for his glistening wet waders and the long coat. His face was drenched but everything else was dry. The terrain was soft and slippery, there was much slipping and sliding in their boots in the rain before finally getting to the house and collapsing in the chairs on the veranda. Adam came out in his house boots and asked what had gone wrong. Tom offered a volatile explanation and Josh filled in the gaps. They rested for half an hour before exchanging the waders for their Marathons and talked about the farm, school holidays and school until Anthony arrived from town armed with food. After lunch and with a couple of hours to spare and with the rain still driving in Josh, Tom and Sam opted to go into town in the four wheel drive for a walk around. Josh noted that there was no suggestion of removing their gumboots – and why would there be as Cambridge was very much a rural town. It was a little drier in Cambridge and they took their time window shopping. Tom and Sam met a few school friends and yes, all of them were in gumboots ranging from the knee highs to the Red Band ankle height ones as well as the odd pair of calf length PVCs in white or black which didn’t appeal to Josh. The cousin from Auckland was introduced and just about everybody remarked on the fact that he didn’t look like a townie, the obvious implication being that it was the gummies that made the difference. One of Tom’s friends, Nathan, invited Josh and Tom over for a ride on their horses and Tom promised they would do that. Josh, Tom and Sam returned to the farm and the second milking of the day. By the time the work was over and dinner had been eaten the day’s drama and physical activities had hit Josh and he was in bed by 8.30. The next morning the pattern was the same and they were all in the milking shed by 6.30. Josh had become quite proficient in the tasks he was given. He was introduced to the last job of the milking, using a strong hose to hose away all the muck left on the rotary and the ground around and enjoyed that – the Kohns were comfortable to wear and kept him dry. He loved sloshing around the puddles and everyone could see that. After milking was over everyone had jobs to do but Tom pulled Josh away to say he had a “leave pass” from his Dad – they were going to his mate Nathan’s farm to ride some horses. They climbed on the four wheel bike but this time Josh was driving under the tuition of Tom. He initially found it difficult to steer and change gears but by the time they reached the farm with a white fence he had got the hang of it. They drove up to another large house and Nathan was there saddling a horse. He was wearing rubber riding boots that came up over his knee but also clung to the leg. Josh thought they looked cool and said so. Nathan led the boys to a nearby shed and told them to help themselves to a pair of the same boots. They pulled off their Marathons and put the riding boots on and Josh felt great about them as he had Jack’s cut down waders. Nathan took them to a couple of brown horses waiting in the nearby stables. Nathan showed Josh how to mount the horse and Josh copied him a bit awkwardly. Tom got on without any trouble having done it many times. Nathan climbed on his and gave Josh a brief lesson in how to lead the horse. Fortunately Josh’s horse was a subdued animal and did as instructed. They rode around the horse farm for over two hours, moving up to a trot after Josh had picked up some confidence. They returned to the stable and climbed down. Nathan’s mother came out and invited them into the house for lunch. It was then that Josh saw a tall, good looking girl watching him. She was on the side balcony of the house wearing a checked shirt, cords and riding boots. Nathan introduced them and they made small talk as they went for lunch after removing their boots. Her name was Amy, she was Nathan’s twin sister, aged 15 and loved horse riding. She had a great smile and a good sense of humour and Josh found her easy to talk to, even when she started to tease him about being a townie. “So what do you do in the school hols up there?” she asked. “Not a lot,” said Josh. “Computer games, rugby, hanging out.” Amy didn’t look impressed at the lack of activity. They chatted some more and Amy revealed that she was very much into riding for sport and she and Nathan were riding in a cross country horse show at Tokoroa on Sunday. Josh noted he had never been to such an event and Tom agreed that if possible they would be there to watch the twins in action. Josh and Tom headed home on the bike in time for the afternoon milking, Tom taking the controls again. After dinner, as the boys played board games, the phone went. It was for Tom. After a few minutes he said to Josh: “That was my school rugby coach. We’ve got a game on Saturday against a school from the east coast – supposedly a friendly. Problem is three kids are out of town on holiday. Would you be keen to play? Maybe start on the reserves bench?” Josh was keen and agreed to go to practice at the school next day. But what about gear? Tom had a spare pair of rugby boots and a pair of shorts. The school provided the jersey and socks. After the morning milking Josh, Tom and Sam all left for rugby practice at the school in the four wheel drive. They arrived at the school rugby ground just as some rain started to fall. As they clambered out Josh noticed that every boy arriving was in gumboots. From a vehicle next to theirs two boys stepped out wearing gumboots that were similar to the Skellerup Perth and Marathons – but were different. Tom noticed Josh’s stare and said: “They’re Bullseyes. Not as good as Perths or Marathons but they’re OK.” They went into the dressing shed and stripped down into their rugby gear and boots. The floor of the shed was littered with gumboots, most of them Marathons or Perths. Some of the boys were giving a hard time to a kid called Daniel because at age 16 he had size 13 feet and size 13 Perths. “Didn’t know they came that big,” one said. Nathan was also there but in his Marathons, not his riding boots. There were a couple of boys in dirty white boots (Tom explained they originated from their dads who worked in the meat works). The boots didn’t appeal at all to Josh. Another couple of boys had arrived wearing their rugby shorts. Josh liked the way this exposed their gumboots to better scrutiny and the way they flapped against the bare legs when they walked. Josh was introduced to the boys who inevitably gave him the nickname Townie. After 20 minutes of stretching and running and more than an hour of practice drills the boys were back in the dressing shed. The coach went through all the calls more for Josh’s benefit and that of another boy who was on the reserves’ bench. Coach said: “Game’s at midday – be here by 11am. Don’t be late – milking will be out of the way long before then.” Josh and Tom raced home to ensure they got some lunch before the other boys scoffed the lot. Tom told them about Josh’s debut in the rugby team and everyone agreed they needed to be there to support him. “Tough lot, those coast boys. Hope you’re up to it,” Adam said as he relaxed by laying his long booted legs on a spare chair after lunch. The afternoon was spent with more chores around the farm before the second milking of the day. Josh was now very much part of the team – they could leave him to get on with his work. The next day was Friday and after milking Josh, Adam, Sam and Tom piled into the four wheel drive with Anthony. They drove towards town, stopping at the outskirts at the stock sale yards. This was a busy place, full of animals, stockyard staff and auctioneers and farmers checking out the stock. Anthony knew most of the people and chatted to them, Josh, Adam and Sam knew a few, especially the sons. Blue overalls and Marathon gumboots were regular wear – Josh felt completely at home. Anthony bid for some stock which would be delivered later in the day. Then they all trooped off to the farmers’ café next door where the concrete floor meant no one needed to get their boots off. After that Anthony made a stop at the R D 1 store and everybody piled out of the car. “Right, don’t go too far, I’ve just got to get some supplies. Josh you can come with me.” Josh was curious. As he followed Anthony around the store picking up goods for the farm he became puzzled. The confusion disappeared when they made their final stop in the store. It was at the gumboots section but at the shelving on the other side of the Marathons and Red Bands. Hanging there were waders. Josh’s heart missed a beat as Anthony pulled down a pair of size 8s for Josh to try on. With practised hands Josh pulled them on and felt the same elation as when he did on his first day. “Can’t have you trying to wear mine when I need them,” Anthony said. They went to settle the account, Josh deciding to leave the waders on and have the shop put his Marathons into a bag. The other boys joined them as they left and quickly gave Josh a hard time about his new boots. “He’s been here a few days and already owns three pairs,” observed Sam. Returning to the farm Josh took the waders off, hung them in the boot room and had his Marathons back on his feet. He joined the others for the trip down to the shed for the evening milking. That night his father phoned from Ottawa. He wanted to know how Josh was getting on. It was obvious that Josh was having a great time and loving being on the farm. He told him about his work in the milking, the adventure of the broken down bike and playing in Tom’s rugby team. In fact Josh asked whether he would be able to move from Auckland to the farm and go to Tom’s school. Josh’s father was initially hesitant but acknowledged it made a lot of sense as his job would be taking him overseas more. He said they could discuss it when he and Josh returned home the following week. Saturday dawned clear but cold. The milking and other chores were done and Tom and Josh took the bike to the school for the rugby game. They were wearing their Marathons, of course. The others would turn up in the four wheel drive in time for the game. As they waited for everyone to arrive and lingered outside the dressing sheds the east coast team arrived in the bus. The boys spilled off the bus. They were dressed in dark blue track suits – and in a variety of gumboots. Among the Marathons, Perths and Red Bands were a couple of dirty whites. Josh took notice of the fact that a number had their gumboots turned down, exposing a couple of inches of the white inside of the boot. He said to Tom: “Why would you want to do that?” Tom speculated that it was to keep the boot tight on the foot but they both agreed it didn’t make a lot of sense to shorten what was effectively the ideal height boot. The game was an exciting one with the east coast team a very physical, bruising side that tested the referee’s patience. Josh came on for an injured player 10 minutes before halftime and played the rest of the game and felt he had done reasonably well. In fact when he came on the team was down 8-3 and they eventually won 15-8. Josh’s support crew were loud in their cheering from the sideline – it looked like he had his own cheerleaders there. The coach and team gave him a big boost, saying the Townie had won them the game. After the game, everyone filed into the gymnasium but left their gumboots at the door. It was quite a sight. Not only were there 40 pairs belonging to two teams, reserves and coaches but another 40-odd belonging to the supporters. The test was to identify where yours were when you left. The boys ate and drank the food and drink prepared for them, listened to the after game speeches and then waited while the east coast team piled back on their bus. Tom and Josh rode the bike back to the farm and joined the others for the late milking. That night Josh hit the sack even earlier, tired after the rigours of the rugby game. The next morning rain was lashing the farm as everyone hit the boot room and donned their waders. Josh pulled his brand new ones on and that felt great. The milking was all done by 9.30 and everyone returned to the house. It was too wet to do any work around the farm. Tom had remembered their promise to Amy and Sam agreed to drive Tom and Josh in the four wheel drive to Tokoroa, a trip of nearly an hour. The waders went back on and they piled into the vehicle for the trip south. They eventually pulled into a paddock full of horses and riders. Josh spotted Nathan and Amy and they wandered over. Amy made an admiring comment about the waders and how appropriate they were, given the incessant rain. She said she was riding for the first time in half an hour and they took up a good vantage position with Nathan to watch. There were about 100 spectators, some in the now familiar riding boots, a few in waders and the rest in rubber boots of various sizes. Amy was a very good rider with an excellent horse. They covered the cross country course in very good time. Nathan was on a little later. After a half hour rest Amy had her second ride, which was even better and she finished first in both her age group and overall. Josh thought she looked very impressive in her cap, black jacket, cream- coloured jodhpurs and long black boots. They went to congratulate Amy and she was delighted to have had the support crew. At the end of the cross country they all went for a late lunch in Tokoroa. There was a slight embarrassment as the guys realised that they didn’t have any alternative footwear to wear into the café but no one batted an eyelid when the three walked in and sat down in their rolled down waders. They returned home in time for the afternoon milking and then the evening was spent discussing the week ahead. The main feature was the national field days at Mystery Creek. Josh had no idea what they were and the others explained it was a massive trade show for the farming community. It happened to be just a 10-minute drive away. It started on Wednesday and went through to Saturday but the rural people avoided the Saturday because that’s when all the townies went. It was agreed they would spend time there on Thursday and Friday. In the meantime they expected some visitors coming for the field days to call in during the week. On Monday Mike was going to Hamilton for the day after morning milking and invited the two boys along for the ride. They speculated for a bit about whether they would wear their Marathons in the city and decided they would – except they would drop their pant legs over them so that only the bottoms could be seen. But when they arrived in the city they saw so many people in gumboots that they quickly restored their Marathons to all their glory. With Mike they visited some shops and when he had some business appointments to chase the boys went to a movie. Josh was sure they would be alone at the movie in gumboots, it wouldn’t be cool among the other teenagers and kids to be seen in them (instead of sneakers) and speculated whether they should do the coverup again. Tom said no and they were surprised to see when they entered the cinema that a handful of boys were in boots. They sat next to two – one wearing knee high Perths with green trim on the bottoms, the other in an unusual pair of on the knee black boots with ringlets on top. The boy in the Perths looked at Josh’s Marathons and commented favourably on them and the contours. Josh, in turn, asked why his Perths were different with the green trim. “They’re steel caps – made for road workers and the like. A bit heavier than the usual gumboots,” he said. Josh also commented that he had never seen boots with ringlets on the top. They were firemen’s boots, his father’s, the boy explained and the ringlets were for fast pulling on of the boots. They talked some more about the boots and, discovering they had the same sized foot, agreed to a temporary swap and for the duration of the movie Josh wiggled his toes in the tall boots with the ringlets and practised getting the boots on and off and the boy, named Ben, wearing Josh’s Marathons. At the end of the movie they swapped again and Ben declared he had to invest in a pair of Marathons. There was a torrential downpour of rain from late Monday through to mid-morning Tuesday. The morning milking was done efficiently and, in the absence of the men who had gone to help a neighbour’s milking, the boys gathered at the house wondering what they could do for a bit of fun. Adam came up with a bright idea. He remembered that a year previously they had marked out a flat piece of paddock on the south side as a racetrack. They could race the two farm bikes around that for a while. They all agreed this was a good idea. Tom recalled the last time they had had the races and warned Josh: “You’ll get to drive as well. But you need to be prepared. It’ll be wet and very muddy. Waders are essential. As are waterproof coats and a beanie for your head. And grab a large handkerchief and bring it with you.” Josh was a bit puzzled about the handkerchief but pocketed a clean one before donning the waders and coat. Josh and Tom rode down to the paddock with the other boys on the other two bikes. The paddock was mainly flat and without a lot of roots or tree trunks in the way. Adam and Jack decided to go first. They covered their faces with the handkerchief bandanas and then Josh saw why. As they raced around the makeshift track mud flew in every direction and the rider on the second bike behind would get a bunch of it against his face. Then it was Tom and Josh’s turn and they donned their masks and laughed at each other’s unusual look. They took a turn around the course. Being new to the bike Josh was more cautious, especially around the corners but he made up ground on the straights. At the end of their race they were both covered in mud from head to foot but the combination of the waders, coat, mask and beanie had kept most of it off their skin. There were stops, though, to remove mud from the eyes. They regathered for lunch and were relaxing on the balcony when two four wheel drives arrived. Out of one jumped a man and a woman and two boys, aged 12-13 and out of the other another man and another boy, aged about 14. The couple were related to Anthony and the other man was a friend. They were all from Hawera in Taranaki and they were dairy farmers. They had arrived for the field days starting the next day and were staying in Cambridge. Two of the three boys were wearing blue overalls and Perth gumboots, one was in a shirt and shorts and Perth gumboots and all three were known to Tom, Sam and Adam. After a while the seven boys retreated to the big hay shed where they could play darts or table tennis. When they became bored with the games they opted to play some indoor touch rugby. There was much running and swerving and tackling for the next half hour and Josh joined in the fun. He was not too amused though when he tackled one of the Hawera boys, the one in the shorts, and got a mouthful of boot and the mud that covered it. They laughed at his horrified look as he spat out the mud. Josh was also amused and responded by grabbing the boy’s Perths and ripping them off and tossing them to one side, an easy thing to do as the boy was wearing shorts. The Hawera boys leapt on Josh, removing his Marathons. Before Josh could do anything the boy in shorts had donned Josh’s Marathons. Josh was not at all pleased but saw the funny side and grabbed the discarded Perths – size 7s – and squeezed them onto his feet and pranced around a bit. The boys then decided to add more grunt to the game by handicapping everyone. The four home boys went to grab their waders out of the boot room and put them on while the three from Hawera also put on waders that were in the back of the four wheel drives. The game of touch degenerated into a lot of pushing and shoving, tackling and falling and a lot of laughter. When the battle ceased they were all covered in hay and exhausted. The Taranaki people were there to help with the afternoon milking and stayed for dinner before heading for their motel. Josh and Tom reflected on an afternoon of fun. They laughed as they remembered the forced removal of the gumboots and Josh still felt he could taste the mud or was it cow dung? That night as Josh headed for his bedroom he saw Jack lying on his bed with his boots on. They started to talk and Jack told Josh of his love of gumboots. He was not of farming origins but had worked after school and weekends in a butcher’s shop. Standard footwear was white PVC calf length gumboots. Jack rather liked the idea of wearing them all the time but it was only when he was introduced to Perths at a country show that he became totally in love with them. He resolved to get a job where he could wear them all day – and night if possible – and so had gone looking for jobs in a dairy farm. The walls of his bedroom were devoted to pictures of boys and men in gumboots. They included newspaper and magazine photographs, pictures off the Internet and advertisements. After Wednesday’s milking Anthony, Mike, Josh and Tom took the bikes over to the north paddock to see what they could do about the ongoing erosion. They had brought spades and dug out a five-metre trench to allow rain water to move away from the affected area and down into the stream. It was hard work as the soil was heavy with water and their boots sank deep as they dug. But Josh loved the feeling of sinking into the mud as long as he kept it from getting inside his boots. After lunch Tom said he had to visit his school to pick up some books for a project he was working on for homework. Having hosed the mud off their boots they rode one of the bikes to the high school and Josh was surprised to see a number of boys in the school yard. He observed they were wearing a wide range of gumboots. He counted three in Marathons, two in Perths, one in dirty whites, a couple in calf length black PVC boots and a couple who were wearing flimsy looking black boots with blue trim. Tom explained they were from a national chain store, they were cheap and didn’t last but some townie types had them. One boy took Josh’s eye because he was wearing knee high black gumboots that were different to any that he had seen. It turned out the boy was one of Tom’s friends, Scott, and so he was introduced. Tom mentioned that Josh had queried the boots. “They’re called Hunters,” Scott explained. “They’re big in England – everyone in the country has them. They’re quite expensive too. Got them when I was over there last year but they’re getting a bit tight so after we’ve finished here I’m off to town to buy some Perths.” They talked some more and Josh and Tom agreed to accompany Scott to town to buy new boots. In the R D 1 store the trio had a lot of fun trying on various pairs of boots – Josh tried on Red Bands and Perths which he had never worn before, the green-trimmed steel capped Perths that the boy at the movies had worn and even a pair of the Avon boots that the women wore. Scott decided that the Marathons were better than the Perths and made his purchase. They agreed to meet up at the field days later in the week. Thursday dawned overcast and cool. After the milking everyone piled into the two four wheel drives and drove the relatively short distance to Mystery Creek and the field days. The car park – one enormous paddock after another – was already crowded but they parked the two vehicles next to each other and walked down the hill to the show site. They paid their entrance fee and then split up – the men went one way to visit the stands they were interested in, the boys went off looking for the more offbeat exhibits and link up with friends. About half the thousands of people at the field days were in gumboots in various shapes and sizes but many of them were Red Bands, Perths and Marathons. The group spent time watching the motorbike riders doing their acrobatic tricks, watched the fencing competition, the dog trials, the heavy machinery race. They ate hot dogs and chips and drank Coke. And they met a lot of their school friends and other mates. Josh stopped to talk to a group of three teenagers. One of them had been a neighbour until the start of the year. Now he and the other boys were at an agricultural college on the east coast learning farming skills. Two were wearing knee high Marathons but one was in a shorter Marathon boot which also had the contours. It was called the Marathon Power. Josh was introduced as the townie cousin and they commented that in his Marathons he looked like a local. A bit later in the day Josh and Tom stumbled on another group of boys and Josh was astonished to find that two of them were from his suburb in Auckland. They were classmates, Luke and Aaron. The boy they were with was a cousin from Hamilton and he was wearing Perths. Luke and Aaron were in sneakers and they immediately noticed Josh’s Marathons. “You look like a cow cockie,” they teased. Josh said wearing Marathons was fantastic and he wouldn’t be without them. He spied the Skellerup tent about 30 feet away and said to the Aucklanders they should go in for a look. One wall of the huge tent was devoted to Marathon, Perth and Red Band gumboots. The Aucklanders tried them all on and agreed the Marathons were the best. “But no one wears them at home. They’re not cool,” Aaron said. Josh agreed that it was not likely that gumboots would become fashionable in the city. They parted with Josh’s information that he was hoping to stay on and go to school in Cambridge rather than return to Auckland. The boys visited the Bullseye tent as well and tried on their various versions of gumboots but everyone decided they were not as good as the Skellerup varieties, much to the consternation of the sales assistant. The same happened at several other stands, including one that sold Australian Blundstone boots – they were deemed as poor replacements for the Skellerup range for a variety of reasons, most typically because they were of PVC construction, were the wrong colour (white) and/or were only at calf length. There was one stand that sold a variety of farming tools, clothing and a line of industrial-type deep grey gumboots notable for their knee-hugging length which would have passed master. During their walk around the enormous field days site they met some familiar people. There was Scott, Tom’s friend who had the Hunters boots but was now proudly wearing his new Marathons; there was the group of boys from Hawera who exchanged banter about the fun they had had in the shed. Adam was particularly amused when passing a group of boys who had cut down old boots, presumably as a bit of a joke. These ranged in height from barely ankle height to a case emulating Adam’s cut down waders but in this case the cut down was less and the boots rose to a height halfway between normal length and knee. Adam and the boy exchanged some pleasantries about length being everything. The day had gone really well with the bonus being the threatened rain failed to materialise. The group gathered at the four wheel drives by 2.45pm and were back on the farm for the milking less than 15 minutes later. The evening was notable for another phone call from Josh’s father. He had just arrived in Auckland from Canada feeling tired and jet lagged. Josh immediately tackled him on the possibility of moving to Cambridge to go to school, a question he had raised with Anthony who was very supportive. Josh’s father was doubtful but then admitted it would be the best solution as he was due to leave on Tuesday the following week on another business trip. He eventually agreed and arranged that Josh would return home on Saturday to pick up all his belongings before returning south again. Anthony promised he would drive Josh rather than make him get the bus and it would give the two brothers a chance to meet for the first time in nearly two years. The next day after milking the group returned to Mystery Creek for the field days. The weather had packed up, delivering a steady rain but no one seemed to mind too much – the use of gumboots had gone up from 50 percent to at least 80. They spent some time with Nathan (in his Marathons) and Amy (riding boots) and met up with Scott in his new Marathons. He was with his younger brother who had inherited the Hunters. They regretted that they hadn’t worn their waders to keep the rain away. Other people were in PVC leggings with their gumboots showing through at the bottom but the group agreed that waders looked so much better than leggings. Josh and Tom also recognised the boys from the movie in Hamilton. The one who had worn the boots with ringlets was in brand new Marathons, purchased just the day before. Josh commented favourably on them and the boy just smiled. When they returned home from the field days Anthony spoke to the high school where Tom went and confirmed that Josh could start school there on Monday. They would transfer his school records from Auckland on Monday. Anthony arranged for a new school uniform to be dropped off to the homestead on Saturday. That night the Hawera group visited again after milking and the boys had a fun couple of hours with more touch rugby in the shed. The boy in the shorts had purchased a pair of Marathons at the field days and wore them proudly with his rugby shorts – but that didn’t stop Josh from ripping them off him in another play fight. Josh noticed they were size 8s, whipped his own off and put on the brand new pair and displayed them for all to see. The following morning after milking Josh said goodbye to everyone and he and Anthony got into the Commodore and began the nearly three-hour drive to Auckland. Josh had contemplated wearing his Marathons but Anthony persuaded him that it wasn’t a great idea and they both made the trip in jeans and sneakers. They arrived on Auckland’s north shore at 12.30pm and Josh embraced his Dad. They had lunch and talked for a couple of hours and then started to pack Josh’s things into a large suitcase. By 3.30 they were ready to go and Josh’s Dad promised he would phone every week and try to get down to see him every month or two. Josh left with a few pangs of regret, having also phoned a few of his mates to tell him his new plans. They wished him well and said they would keep in touch. Josh and Anthony drove into the farm just after 6.30 and everyone was waiting for them and for dinner. Josh told them about the day’s events over the meal and then they watched TV until it was time for bed. The next day was Sunday, more milking, more work around the farm to make up for the time lost at the field days and more milking. But Josh didn’t mind at all. The school uniform had arrived and everything fitted well. Early on Monday Josh presented himself in the kitchen in his new shirt, jersey, shorts, knee length socks and his black shoes. Tom took one look at them and frowned. “What are you wearing those for?” he asked. Josh was puzzled. “What do you mean?” “You're wearing gumboots to school, aren’t you?” Tom asked. Josh said he had assumed that gumboots were not allowed at school but didn’t need to be told a second time. He liked the idea of wearing gumboots with shorts for the first time. They were dropped off at school by Anthony and walked into the playground and Josh immediately noticed at least half the boys and even some of the girls were wearing gumboots. “Do we wear them in class?” he asked Tom. No, Tom said, they took them off and put them in the school’s boot room. The rule was that socks needed to be worn to avoid the odour problem and sneakers were required in the gym. The only challenge was moving between the two school blocks for different subject classes. If it was wet, Josh was told, they retrieved their gumboots from the boot room and would leave them outside the classroom. Josh enjoyed his first day at school. There were some innovations for him. He met up with boys he already knew such as Nathan and Scott but also made some new friends. There was the chance to play soccer during the lunch break in gumboots – but not his own. He agreed to a swap with one of his new friends who was in Bullseyes. There wasn’t a massive amount of difference – the Bullseyes were more like Perths – but Josh concluded he much preferred the Marathons. They made some direct size comparisons and concluded the Marathons won out by an inch. Another new mate tried to convince him of the value of gumboots with the tops turned down but Josh stuck to his guns: what’s the point of having knee highs if you reduce them in size? Gumboots were essential for the soccer game because while it was not raining the grass field was very muddy and there was always the danger of slipping over and getting clothes dirty. One of his classmates turned up in cut down waders, like Adam’s, the boots coming to about three inches above the knee. Josh still loved the idea and made a mental note to see if he could swap over a lunch break some time soon. On only the second day of term Josh’s geography class went on a school trip. They boarded a bus outside the school which took them south to look at the volcanic plateau. There were numerous stops to look at vegetation and erosion. The rule was that everyone had to wear gumboots on the trip. Josh enjoyed doing the countup of the types of boots in his class of 30: Boys 8 Marathons 7 Perths 1 national chain 2 Red Band 2 Bullseyes 1 Bata white Girls 4 Avon 2 national chain 2 Perths 1 Red Band They were quite a sight tramping through the undergrowth. The days just kept getting better for Josh Author’s note: The above story is purely fictional – it could be seen as wishful thinking. However the Marathon, Perth and Red Band gumboots are made by Skellerup, a New Zealand company that produces a wide range of rubber products for the rural sector. The author certainly believes that Skellerup gumboots are the best around, bar none. Pictures of them can be found in the products section of the www.skellerup.co.nz website.