Heartland - Tokoroa

Six inches between the eyes, a lot of brains.

– Logger Alan Sinton on the skills needed to handle a chainsaw

We're sort of thrown in at the end of the day ... we're very lucky that the boys that do saw — they appreciate the girls having a bit of a saw with them.

– Laura Miller on women's chopping events being less supported at the Tokoroa A&P Show

An image of somebody wearing a black bush singlet toting a chainsaw, cutting down anything that stands still and shooting anything that moves! ... We do have some people who do that, but most of us don't — I mean, I'm terrified of chainsaws and I've never shot anything.

– Librarian and one-time Mastermind winner Roddy Pittams on Tokoroa stereotypes

Yeah, it's peaceful, eh. You get away from all the traffic and all of that sort of stuff ... good bunch of guys to work with. You know, that's what it's all about.

– Rick Te Whiu, forestry worker and Golden Axe competitor, on enjoying his workplace

They work hard, they play together hard, and it's a good, honest bunch of real men ... they're not plastic like your Queen St fullas.

– Senior forestry worker Wiki Brass on his workmates

My father was a top-class axeman in his day, every Saturday we used to get up and — off to the meetings, follow the meetings right around the country, no matter where they are ... As a boy I used to compete in boys' chops ... and from there I just grew a love for the sport.

– Paper mill worker and competitive axeman Dave Lamberton Jnr on his start in the sport

It's almost like a tradition, isn't it, through the town. It's like, mothers have done it and mothers want their daughters to do it.

– 'Miss Warehouse' on competing in Tokoroa's Miss Showgirl competition

A number of people that when they retired ... have come back after two or three years. They've missed the friendliness, they realised Tokoroa's climate is not bad, that we are central, and it's home, they know a lot of people — I think that's the big thing, the people are friendly here.

– South Waikato District Mayor Gordon Blake on the pull of Tokoroa

Down to earth is a good way to describe the timber town of Tokoroa. No pretensions here; just honest Kiwi hospitality and lumberjack-sized meals.

– Quote describing Tokoroa, Tourism New Zealand website