The best tree-climbers on either side of the Tasman will be going head-to-head in a walnut tree today.
Competing in the second New Zealand Speed Tree Climbing Transtasman Championship, held as part of the 2016 NZ Rural Games in Queenstown, will be three climbers from New Zealand, battling for honours against three of Australia's best.
New Zealand's top male climber, Dale Thomas, of Muriwai, will be joined by North Shore's Tumai Laybourn and Andy Neverman, of the Bay of Plenty, supported by three times world champion Scott Forrest, also of the Bay of Plenty, who is the head technician and helping with the course set-up.
Barton Allen-Hall, of Melbourne - Victoria's top climber - and Mark Gistitin, Queensland's top-ranked climber, will be joined by Anthony McConchie, also of Melbourne. The trio are representing Australia.
The men will compete for top honours in the work climb.
In the tree, they need to visit five "work stations'', performing tasks like handsaw, limb toss and pole pruning at each, ringing a bell after each one is completed.
The event is scored on the completion of stations, discretionary points from the judges and the time taken.
The second climb is the footlock, where competitors climb a rope using a specific approved hitch and the footlock rope-climbing method.
New Zealanders hold two of the three world records at present - James Kilpatrick's 15m climb in 13.65sec, set in 2011, and 2013 world champion Nicky Ward-Allen's 12m climb, in 13.26sec, set in Chicago in 2010.
Rural Games founder and trustee Steve Hollander expects today's event will be "massive''.
"We're expecting a lot bigger crowd and I think you'll find there'll just be stacks of people - there'll be thousands ... under the tree having a look.
"We've put it in as part of the main part of the programme. Last year they were competing with two or three other sports ... with those sports we've split them out completely so that they're not competing with each other.
"It [the speed tree-climbing] is a one-off event that's being held ... to profile the sport and entertain the people.''
NZ Tree Climbing Competition committee chairman David James, of Blenheim, said spectators would be in for a treat today.
"If the weather's good, the boys will have a lot of fun. We are very ... blessed in the fact we have this really nice walnut tree.
"It's just an absolutely perfect tree for the work climb, an event that shows what the arborists do and their skill level.''
The tree-climbing event will be held between 3pm and 4.30pm today at the Queenstown Rec Ground.
