The Puhoi Pub & Axemen's Annual Woodchopping Carnival is an exciting and free-to-attend annual event that is a short drive north of Auckland and offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of timbersport.

I am somewhat familiar with photographing a sport that involves axes and wood from my time photographing the competitive axe throwing league in Auckland, so the opportunity to photograph a woodchopping carnival, showcasing a much wider array of axe and wood related sports, just north of Auckland in the small picturesque town of Puhoi was an opportunity we could not pass.

The annual event takes place in the grounds of the Puhoi Pub, who are excellent hosts. I got talking to Paul, a Puhoi axeman and one of the event organisers who told me that the event has been growing every year and they had to install a temporary grandstand this year to keep up with demand.

There was a moment of silence during the event to remember the passing of Jason Wynyard, who died only a few months before this event. Jason was a prolific woodchopping world champion who frequently represented New Zealand on the world timbersports championship stage and held many world records.

The woodchopping carnival was a fantastic glimpse into the world of timbersport. We saw many impressive athletes compete in events that I had not seen before. Some of the young and upcoming competitors might follow in the path of Jason Wynyard and soon travel across the world to represent New Zealand on the world stage.

Thanks for the great day everyone!