Milton resident Troy Calteaux, pictured with his wife, Heather, has been named the country's top excavator operator. Photo: SuppliedHow many 12-tonne diggers does it take to peel a watermelon? Milton excavator operator Troy Calteaux (31) not only knows the answer, but he's done it himself and has been named as the country's best excavator operator, after an ''extremely tense'' two-day contest. Mr Calteaux proved his advanced skills in all aspects of excavator operation during the Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) National Excavator Competition, held at the Central Districts Field Days in Feilding. In the ''main course'', competitors completed 12 to 15 activities in 60 minutes, using 12-tonne Hitachi excavators, including the watermelon task, and several excavation exercises.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 21, 2018 16:07 UTC