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Story: Dune lands

Tractor planting

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Tractor planting

Mechanised planting of marram grass was found to be quicker and more efficient than hand planting. Machines, such as this one on the Aupōuri Peninsula in 1969, were used in many areas. This two-man planter, pulled by a Massey Ferguson 135 tractor, was used mainly for patching smaller areas of active dunes. A six-man machine planted larger areas.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AAQA 6395 M10810

by John Johns

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Dune lands – The ‘problem’ of drifting sands, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/14042/tractor-planting (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 1 March 2009.