Seventy-six-year-old retired fencing contractor Rosemary Halse is just one of the many gutsy women who have entered this year’s Stonewood Homes Perfect Woman competition in Luggate. 

Featuring everything from jet boat driving to backing a trailer, and clay bird shooting to car racing, the annual competition (this year taking place on October 26-27) sorts the nearly perfect from the perfect woman. 

Rosemary, who is from Whangarei, will return for her second attempt at earning the ‘perfect woman’ title after first competing with her daughter Ineka in 2004. 

“It is so good to have Rosemary back as she was a great character within the show all those years ago,” event organiser Stew Burt said. “The average age of competitors is 32 this year - a little higher than in the past.”

There are about the usual number of entries, 20-odd, for this year’s competition, Stew said. “With an action packed weekend it should be a real crowd drawer.”

While some of the competition categories are revealed before the event, many aren’t, so no one - competitors or supporters - knows which tasks competitors might have to complete. 

Previous year’s challenges have included everything from knife throwing to opening a bottle of beer with a chainsaw. 

The winner of the competition will earn $1,000 cash as well as bragging rights; the woman with the best support crew will earn her friends a $500 Luggate Hotel voucher; and there is a

corporate box up for grabs on Trade Me now for 10 people, which includes free food and sponsors’ products over the two days of competition. There are also spot prizes up for grabs. 

Launched in 2002 by Bullock Bar publican Stew Burt and his late wife Liz, the event is a major fundraiser for The Canlive Cancer Trust, which helps local cancer patients and their supporters living with cancer.

PHOTO: Supplied