Tuatapere Domain is the place for Southlanders to be on New Year’s Day, if you want to show off your athletic prowess, your best axe swing or scramble for lollies.

Peter Templeton, 73, reckons he has been helping at the 111-year-old Tuatapere Sports Day for most of his life.

“I’ve been helping since I was eight or nine, probably over 60 years. Well, I am 73 now and I have been president for 13 years,” he said.

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He’s also a fixture on the Southern Axemen’s Christmas Circuit and has spent the whole week travelling around the region, commentating on the sport of woodchopping.

The final event on the Christmas chopping circuit will be held Tuatapere, although Mr Templeton was at pains to point out that competitive woodchopping does not stop on the first day of the year.

He is particularly proud of 24-year-old Brad Pako of Cromwell, who broke a New Zealand record in the under hand chop at Riverton the other day and will be on display at Tuatapere.

“It was a 300mm – that’s 12 inches – cut and he did it in 17 seconds flat,” Mr Templeton said.

Mr Templeton is also very pleased with spectator numbers at the chopping events, which feature several national and world champions, mainly from around Otago and Southland.

Woodchopping volunteers prepared logs for the Tuatapere Sports Day in mid-December. PHOTO: Facebook

“It is the most we’ve had for about 30 years on the circuit. We’ve had about 55 axemen and women. We’ve been to Cromwell, Gore, Otautau, Riverton, Colac Bay this afternoon and then Tuatapere on New Year’s Day,” he said.

Spectator numbers at the chopping had been reasonably encouraging and with 1500 people expected to turn up to the sports day, he was hoping for a good finale.

“Tuatapere is a big day. We have athletics, cycling, highland dancing, a kid’s zone for the under-eights, wheelbarrow races for the kids, chopping, and the jetboat will be operating on the Waiau River,” he said.

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The weather forecast is for light rain on New Year’s Day but Mr Templeton was optimistic it would not come to much because Tuatapere has a nice climate.

“We’ve only had to cancel twice in 111 years. The Tuatapere Domain is bush clad. It’s a scenic drive in and sheltered all around . . . A lot of people think if it is raining in Invercargill it must be snowing at out at Tuatapere, but it does not. I am quite confident it will go on,” he said.

The Tuatapere Sports Day is a family event, with children free and adults $5. Chopping starts at 9am and the rest of the programme begins at 10am.