Hers not His: Claire Inkson

Where and what are you farming?

I’m not farming  – just wrangling deadlines and chasing stories instead.

I’m a farmer’s daughter turned editor of Rural Guardian – so I’m still in gumboots more than heels. I’ve spent most of my life on a farm- so my rural roots run deep.

What year, make and model is your ute?

She’s a 2024 Ford Ranger XLT, and I’m unashamedly in love.

Big thanks to Gluyas Motor Group in Ashburton — they matched me with the perfect set of wheels for rural reporting and rugged back roads.

She’s sleek enough for turning heads in town but built tough for gravel, dogs, and gear in the tray.

 She’s not just a ute – she’s a side kick, a work horse and all round legend, and she always sparks a conversation when I roll up at a farm gate.

What’s your favourite feature or quirk?

She’s a princess on the road and a queen in the mud.

 Effortlessly smooth on the highway, but throw her at a dodgy track and she eats it for breakfast.

 She’s got grunt when I need it, comfort when I want it, and somehow still looks flash even when she’s covered in dog hair and dust.

And I love that the console fits my entire life — notebook, lip balm, and emergency snacks. She’s a girl after my own heart.

What’s always on your playlist?

Taylor Swift (embarrassingly) when the sun’s shining — nothing like a bit of Karma with the windows down. But when the day calls for something tougher, it’s Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac all the way. There’s a special kind of magic in driving through the high country with The Chain blasting and the hills rolling by.

What’s the ultimate road trip snack?

Coffee and Diet Coke — preferably together, definitely in large quantities. I call it balanced journalism fuel.

What’s always rolling around in the back seat or tray?

Gumboots, a Swanndri, at least one camera  (usually two), and sometimes an Alaskan Malamute on the back who thinks he’s in charge. Which, to be fair, he probably is.