Forty women ready for a challenge rocked up to a rural property near Cromwell on Sunday (August 10), rolling up their sleeves for the first-ever Wild Women Workshops. 

The grassroots initiative is the brainchild of teacher turned cherry grower Samantha Matheson, who rallied an organising committee and a crew of skilled female hosts to create bite-sized, hands-on sessions for jobs too often labelled ‘men’s work’. 

Participants got stuck into target shooting, digger operating, chainsaw use, backing trailers, driving tractors, and changing a tyre. 

For committee member Chelsea Millar, the day was about much more than just the skills learnt – it was about connection too. 

“A lot of the people that came along to our very first meeting said, ‘I’ve just moved to the region’ or ‘I’ve been here six months’ and ‘I’m finding it hard so hard to meet other women’.” 

Chelsea said the workshops were designed to be “encouraging, supportive, and collaborative”. 

The chance to operate a digger doesn’t come up often, but getting behind the controls was an option for workshop participants. Image: Supplied/Wild Women Workshops/Mel Walker

Although there is no rule that workshops be men-free zones, the guiding principle is to “give women the opportunity to share those skills first and foremost”. 

Participant Aleida Brown said the chance on Sunday to operate a digger was the biggest draw for her.  

“It’s one of those things that feels far away or hard to access,” she said. 

“The woman (leading the activity) was super knowledgeable and had good communication – she just really broke it down and it felt safe.” 

Aleida found the chainsaw station to be “the most intense”. 

“There was definitely adrenaline there...you know that this can go wrong pretty quickly...It was something that needed to be respected.” 

Aleida, who travelled from Wānaka for the event, said she appreciated the special atmosphere of the day. 

“There was no shame, no ‘oh, I’m not good enough’, no pressure - just open arms, welcoming, safe...It just broke down barriers.” 

Women supporting women is a guiding principle of Wild Women Workshops. Image: Supplied/Wild Women Workshops/Mel Walker

Angela Hunt ran the chainsaw sessions, and she said many participants turned up “daunted” at the thought of wielding one.

“I walked them right through the process.”

Seeing the women using the tool, and cutting through a log of wood was satisfying for everyone - the participant and the coach, she said.

Angela put her hand up to help, tempted by the chance to meet new people as well as pass on skills garnered over a lifetime of giving things a go - including motorbikes and chainsaws, encouraged by a father who taught her to “never be afraid” of such things.

Chelsea said the day ran on a koha system rather than a set fee, and people contributed what they could.  

“Some women brought baking, and that was absolutely fine.” 

There is a waitlist already for round two, plus plans in the pipeline for some activities a wee bit gentler than those on offer during Sunday’s sessions, including preserving and pasta making. 

Chelsea’s advice to anyone hesitant to have a go? “Don’t be afraid to fail, because it’s never a fail - it’s a learning.” 

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