A Maungawera Valley farmer has created a unique local attraction in his paddock, in the hope it will be used as a fun activity and fundraising opportunity.

Murray Gibson enlisted the help of Andy Craig (a maize seed importer and farm machinery salesman from Alexandra) to design the maze, which includes six checkpoints for people to find.

“I’ve always wanted to do a maize maze,” Andy told the Wānaka App.

He had seen such mazes in South Canterbury which had been used annually for school fundraisers.

“I wanted to do something I could cover my costs from but could give back to the schools. And something that’s affordable,” he said.

Things have got very high tech in farming, Andy said, as the process for designing and creating the maze shows.

He found a European company to create a tractor design for the maze, which was then uploaded to the John Deere operation centre. From there it was uploaded to the farmer’s precision planter; when the planter moves along it turns itself on and off in response to the design.

Andy’s initial cost estimate of $1,000 blew out to $6,000 (including the cost of growing the maize, which will later be cut for silage).

An aerial view of the maize tractor maze. 

The cost of creating the design, advertising and running the attraction make the venture “a long game”, he said.

Andy said they will create another maze next year, as well as a smaller sweet corn maze for younger children.

Andy’s partner Melissa Dodds said the maze has had good community support so far, and she, Andy, and Murray have “really enjoyed watching the families that have completed it come out smiling and knowing they have had a good time”. 

“Some families have even made it a competition,” she said.

Melissa said the maze has hosted birthday party groups and Holy Family School did it as a fundraiser on Saturday (April 5). The maze will also be used as a family reunion activity during Easter, and Andy and Melissa are planning an Easter egg hunt on Good Friday (for which people will need to prebook on the Maize Maze Facebook page).

Find the maize at 393 Maungawera Road. The cost is $20 per adult, free for children under 10, and $10 for children older than 10. It is open Saturday and Sunday from 2pm until the last group finishes, with morning sessions available for fundraising and private events. 

PHOTOS: Supplied