Murray Graham entered the fencing world during holiday work in between his senior years of high school. He enjoyed it so much he stayed on. Four years later he is progressing through the ranks with Tony and Debbie White at White Fencing which specialises in agricultural and horticultural trellising across South Auckland.

What was your first tool?

I started with a hammer to learn the basics and gain respect for my tools, but that wasn’t for very long because Tony already had a Stockade ST400i cordless stapler.

What is the biggest obstacle you have encountered on the fence line?

South Auckland is such a large area. Contour, steep, wet, slippery ground is always an obstacle for us especially coming into the winter season. Access to jobs is always a big part. It changes so much from job to job. We cover a lot of bases, so we need to have the tools and gear to accommodate that as well.

What keeps you motivated?

My work ethic.

What advice would you give to others thinking about fencing?

Don’t knock it till you try it. If you are given the opportunity to go fencing – don’t just say ‘oh fencing, where I am going to go, what am I going to do with that?’ Give it a chance. It might not be what you are expecting. If you enjoy the outdoors and physical aspect of it, then it is definitely for you.

What’s next?

I go with the flow with what Tony and Debbie offer me to expand my skillset in fencing. Recently I started on the post driver and doing retaining walls. Once I am experienced enough, the next step would be to get a couple of guys under me and run another crew for Tony, so he is free to do other work. That would be a couple of years down the track, but that is where it could head.

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